Florida Friday; downtown Tampa from Davis Island

In 2014 I found myself on Davis Island which overlooks downtown Tampa.

Davis Island was created from dredge expanding the small natural islands of Little Grassy Key and Big Grassy Key in the 1920s. From the northern tip of Davis Island all of downtown Tampa can be seen. On the far left the mouth of the Hillsborough River can be seen beneath the 1926 Platt Street Bridge which is a bascule span. Behind the Platt Street Bridge the Selmon Expressway/Florida Toll Road 618 can be seen above the Hillsborough River. In the center of the photo the Tampa Convention Center is obvious along the waterfront. Tampa has the second highest number of high rise buildings in the State of Florida at 69 which is only behind Miami.

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Yes, the color of your nearby fire hydrant matters...

...and here's why. You will find White, Red, Yellow and Violet colored fire hydrants pretty much everywhere. But there's a reason for this - and it's because of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This association has issued guidelines for color coding standards for fire hydrants. These color codes from the body of the hydrant, top of the hydrant, and in some municipalities the outlet caps are designed to allow fire fighters to know what type of system, water flow rate (Gallons Per Minute or GPM), and level of water pressure. This guideline is known as NFPA 291 and is intended to be used universally throughout the United States. The NFPA guidelines are specific to the body and the top cap of the hydrant. If a hydrant is WHITE or YELLOW - it means that it is connected to a public/municipal water system. If a hydrant is RED - the hydrant is connected to a private system, typically a well. These are most common in rural or unincorporated areas

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