By PAMELA SCOTT JOHNSON

Staff Writer

Two local departments will begin working together to crack down on people parking in front of fire hydrants.

During the Williamson City Council meeting Thursday chiefs from the Williamson Fire Department and Williamson Police Department announced parked vehicles blocking fire hydrants has become a grave concern.

WFD Chief Jerry Mounts told the Daily News he has bent over backwards for those violating this law and is tired of “driving by and just shaking his head.”

“People need to realize that during an emergency we can’t take the time to run inside a business or knock on the door of an establishment and ask owners to move their car so we can hook up to a hydrant,” Mounts said. “If our personnel have to pass up a fire hydrant and go to the next one due to a parked vehicle blocking its access, that delay might be the difference between saving a life and preventing injury to a firefighter. And if that’s the case, I can assure you I will be urging Chief Roby Pope (WPD chief) to seek the fullest prosecution available under the state law.”

WFD Lt. Joey Carey said, “We would hook the hose up no matter what we have to do to these cars.”

Pope said if there is a fire, the fire department could do what is needed to access the hydrant, including breaking out the vehicle’s windows to run the hose through and connect to the hydrant. He warned parking in front of a fire hydrant is a violation of the city’s uniform traffic code and “violators will be ticketed.”

The state fire code chapter 87, rule 14.10.1 states “no person shall stop, stand or park a vehicle, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the law or the directions of a police officer or traffic-control device, in any of the following places:

(A) Within 15 feet of a fire hydrant; or

(B) Within 20 feet of the driveway entrance and on the side of a street opposite the entrance to any fire station within 75 feet of the entrance when properly sign-posted.”

Pope further cautioned violators “WFD is also authorized to cite motorists for blocking the fire hy-drant and both agencies will begin monitoring the situation more closely.”

During the council meeting, Mayor Darrin McCor-mick made a request to the public to respect the safety of the firefighters and the city.