SECOND-DEGREE
MURDER CHARGE.
>>> THEY ARE THE FIRST LINE OF
DEFENSE IN FIGHTING A FIRE.
HYDRANTS ON EVERY STREET, EASILY
ACCESSIBLE TO RESPONDING FIRE
FIGHTERS.
BUT CHANNEL 2 INVESTIGATES HAS
FOUND BROKEN FIRE HYDRANTS
ACROSS THE CITY, SOME OF THEM
NEEDING REPAIRS FOR WEEKS, EVEN
MONTHS.
>> THAT'S NOT WORKING AND THEY
TRIED TO GET WATER FROM THERE,
WE'RE IN TROUBLE.
BIG TROUBLE.
>> WE TOOK OUR FINDINGS TO THE
PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO FIND
OUT WHY REPAIRS TO THESE
HYDRANTS TAKE SO LONG.
INVESTIGATOR JACE LARSON GETS
ANSWERS REVEALING HOW OFTEN
HYDRANTS ARE CHECKED IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOW YOU CAN
HELP GET THEM FIXED FASTER.
>> THIS IS A GARDENIA.
>> Reporter: ANITA HAS LIVED IN
THE COTTEDDAGE GROVE
NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE HEIGHTS FOR
THREE DECADES.
>> PEACEFUL.
NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.
>> Reporter: EXCEPTED FOR THE
BLUE THING THAT SITS ACROSS THE
STREET IN HER HOUSE.
>> IF THAT'S NOT WORKING AND
THEY TRY TO GET WATER FROM
THERE, WE'RE IN TROUBLE.
BIG TROUBLE.
>> Reporter: THIS YELLOW MARKER
MEANS THAT HER FIRE HYDRANT IS
BROKEN.
NIGHTS USE YELLOW -- FIRE
FIGHTERS USE YELLOW MARKERS LIKE
THIS TO WARN OTHER FIRE CREWS
THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM.
AND THE HYDRANT HAS SAT THIS WAY
FOR THEE AND A HALF MONTHS.
>> -- THREE AND A HALF MONTHS.
>> I SEE IT THIS ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE NOT SEEN NOBODY COME AND
CHECK ON IT.
>> Reporter: THE HYDRANT IS ONE
OF HUNDREDS REPORTED TO THE CITY
AS BROKEN IN VIOLENT MONTHS.
PUBLIC WORKS -- IN RECENT
MONTHS.
PUBLIC WORKS TELLS US IT GETS TO
MANY REPAIRS QUICKLY.
>> WE'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO DO A
LOT OF THIS WORK IN 10 DAYS OR
LESS.
>> Reporter: IT TOOK NEARLY
THREE MONTHS TO GET REPAIRS DONE
HERE ON CLINTON DRIVE WEST OF
THE 610 LOOP.
AND ALMOST TWO MONTHS FOR A
HYDRANT HERE IN WEST HOUSTON
NEAR WESTHEIMER AND BRIAR GROVE
DRIVE.
THIS WEEK THE CITY SHOWED US
THESE 10 HYDRANTS THAT STILL
NEED WORK.
THIS ONE AT RICHMOND AND DAIRY
ASHFORD HAS NEEDED TO BE
REPAIRED FOR 15 DAYS.
THEN THERE'S THIS ONE ON MONROE
ROAD THAT'S NEEDED REPAIR SINCE
MAY 12th.
SO WHEN YOU'VE GOT A FIRE
HYDRANT THAT'S TAKING 30 DAYS OR
IN SOME CASES HERE MORE THAN 60
DAYS TO GET DONE, IS THAT A
PROBLEM?
>> IT DEPENDS.
AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE
ISSUE IS.
IF THE FIRE HYDRANT IS
FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, BUT MAYBE
THE ISSUE IS THERE'S A LEAK ON
ONE OF THE NOZZLES, IT'S OKAY.
WE CAN ALLOW THAT TO CONTINUE
FOR A WHILE BEFORE IT'S
ADDRESSED.
>> Reporter: THE PROBLEM AT THIS
HI DRANTED, NOT ENOUGH WATER
PRESSURE.
THE CITY WAS AWARE OF IT ON
FEBRUARY 3rd.
IT WASN'T FIXED WHEN WE WENT TO
CHECK ON MARCH 31st, APRIL
8th, OR APRIL 22.
YET DOCUMENTS WE GOT THROUGH AN
OPEN RECORDS REQUEST SHOW THE
CITY MARKED THE REQUEST AS
CLOSED.
ANDREW BRADY SAYS THIS HI DRAFT
PICK SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS.
BUT HE SAYS THAT DOES NOT HAPPEN
VERY OFTEN.
PUBLIC WORKS CHECKS FOR PROBLEMS
EVERY YEAR AND THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT DOES A WATER CHECK
EVERY SIX MONTHS.
YOU DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE
ANY OTHER HYDRANTS THAT HAVE
FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS?
>> THERE'S A POSSIBILITY OF
ANYTHING HAPPENING WITH 60,000
HYDRANTS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKELY TO HAPPEN.
BUT THE FREQUENCY IS -- IS VERY,
VERY SMALL.
>> OUT OF ORDER.
>> Reporter: AMID-A HAD NO IDEA
THAT THE -- ANITA HAD NO IDEA
WHAT THE YELLOW MARKER MEANT.
SHE'LL BE PESTERING THE CITY.
>> I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHERE
THE PROBLEM WAS, WHERE I COULD
ASSIGN BLAME TO IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, MY POINT
IS, IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT
HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED, IF
SOMEONE JUST COMES BACK, CALLS
311, LETS US KNOW THAT THERE'S
STILL AN ISSUE, WE CAN ADDRESS
IT.
>> Reporter: WELL, TONIGHT WE DO
HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS.
AFTER WE REPORTED THIS TO THE
CITY FOR ITS MOST RECENT TIME,
THE CITY CAME OUT AND FIXED IT.
LOOK, THAT PLACARD IS NOW GONE.
NOW, IF YOU SEE PLACARDS ON FIRE
HI DRAFT PICKS FOR DAYS ON
END -- FIRE HYDRANTS FOR DAYS ON
END, GRAB YOUR CELL PHONE AND
DOWNLOAD THE CITY'S 311 APP.
YOU CAN TAKE A PICTURE AND SEND
IT TO THE CITY SO THE CITY CAN
SEE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
GUYS, BACK TO YOU.
>> JACE, BEFORE YOU GO, IS THERE
ANY WAY FOR PEOPLE WHO REPORT
SOMETHING TO KNOW WHEN IT GETS
FIXED?
>> Reporter: YEAH.
IF YOU USE THAT 311 APP, YOU'LL
GET A TRACKING NUMBER.
SO EACH DAY YOU CAN GRAB YOUR
PHONE, LOOK AT LOOK AT IT, AND WHEN THE
REPAIR HAS BEEN COMPLETED, IT
WILL SHOW ON YOUR PHONE.
>> JACE, THANK YOU.
WE PUT A MAP OF FIRE HYDRANTS
THAT THE CITY SAYS AREN'T
WORKING PROPERLY ON OUR