The Science of Firefighting: Cisterns I Science in the City I Exploratorium

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Published 2014-09-10

Ever notice a brick-lined circle embedded into a street intersection? Keep an eye out and you'll see them throughout San Francisco. As part of the San Francisco Fire Department's Auxiliary Water Supply System, these brick circles indicate a cistern full of water. Join SFFD's Chief Ken Lombardi and Firefighter Hashim Anderson as they discuss the history and function of these cisterns, and demonstrate the drafting procedures used to access the water.

All Comments (21)

@chrisreed26 5 years ago

Wow..how amazing..talk about future planning!! They really learned after the big quake and the need for water source to fight fires!! More cities could learn from SF's water supply!
@user-hw1cr5uq4z 7 years ago

SMART! Never knew this. SFFD is a first class operation.
@edbouhl3100 2 years ago

A fantasticly great example of proper planning by government.
@huntrrams 1 year ago

Wow this was interesting! I never knew the reason behind the different colored hydrants. This was informative.
@Lacombe57 4 years ago

WoW!! Well done. Lessons were learned and followed through on. The present and future owes a debt of gratitude to the past.
@ricku7809 9 years ago

The ADC had me on the edge of my seat. So knowledgeable. So charming.
@7perm882 3 years ago

This was awesome to watch, I live no where near San Francisco but I love these types of videos.
@supertrinigamer 2 years ago

That's really cool. It's like... Sourcing from a pond... but inside a city!
@dcentral 5 years ago

Interesting as I've never seen this system being discussed.
@exploratorium 9 years ago

San Francisco Fire Department's Engine 29 crew extinguishes our burning questions in our latest Science in the City: Cisterns.
@PauwerFurry 2 years ago

No need for a tanker when the tanker is under your feet all the time. Smart thinking by the SFFD.
@user-sf4fy8bq1h 3 years ago

"Fireboat Manifold." Damn that's awesome
@leehart9055 5 years ago

I just saw this for the firs time.This is very interesting to me.
@camilo8427 5 years ago

very interesting. In Valparaiso, Chile the local gov start a similar project. As San Francisco, Valparaiso is a "hill city".
@trackerrrr 3 years ago

Learn something new everyday.
@arfffirefighter7310 9 years ago

Good to know, Good Stuff.
@Teddy_Bass 5 years ago

Cool history there
@cartman4885 6 years ago

Very cool..
@bouchee2007 3 years ago

kinda neat they can use the fire boat to pump into the system
@DavidGallagherSF 9 years ago

"The cisterns date from the early 1800s" - should be "early 1900s"