Water District 49 in Burien has launched a project to replace the "storts" on local fire hydrants.

A stort is a time-saving device that is permanently attached to a fire hydrant so firefighters don't have to hook up an adaptor before connecting a fire hose.

The project, which got underway in October, will continue over the next several years to upgrade hydrants throughout the water district that are identified by the Burien/Normandy Park Fire Department (Fire District 2).

WD 49 will replace storts on 10 to 12 hydrants annually, which help firefighters skip an extra step when connecting hoses to the hydrants. Without storts, they first must put an adaptor on the hydrant.

Each stort costs around $180. Water District 49 General Manager Mike Harris estimates the yearly cost at between $2,000 and $3,000.

Water District 49 Commissioner Ray Brickell proposed the project. He promised to do that while campaigning for his commission seat.

"If we can't make a hydrant readily available to the fire department, what good is it?" Brickell asked

"It's a good thing to do for the fire department and the city. It's reinvesting back into our system, which is what we are supposed to do."

The project had been discussed earlier, but never came to fruition under the water district's previous leadership, he added.

"I know for a fact it wouldn't have happened with the previous board that was there," Brickell declared.

Each year Harris will submit a letter to Fire District 2 asking which hydrants need the most attention. After receiving the fire district's recommendations, Harris will send a crew out to upgrade the dozen hydrants.

WD 49 has a lot of older hydrants that need storts to be readily available to hook up to a fire hose, Brickell said.

"We wanted the experts to determine which were the most important to them," he noted.

"I think it was a great gesture by the board here to want to implement this program," Harris said.

Harris and Brickell also emphasized that this project helps Water District 49 and the fire department create a positive working relationship.