Off The Record
People Are Just Now Discovering The Meaning Of The Letter “H” On Lampposts
Occasionally, it may be the most commonplace items that we are genuinely unaware of their uses for.
Although we have a vast amount of esoteric knowledge about various gadgets and technologies that we will never be able to use, we have only just come to understand the purpose of the dots on the car we drive every day.
Not everyone is aware of the significance of the H signs on lampposts, even though they have undoubtedly passed them hundreds of times. Are you familiar with the yellow signs that have a large letter and two numerals at the top and bottom? Though I’m not sure what they’re used for.
Many suggestions have been proposed concerning what the letter H might represent; some have suggested helicopters.
Although, to be honest, that makes sense at first, why would helicopters decide to land in the midst of residential roadways on a regular basis?
“Oh dear, not me thinking hospital close by,” another said on TikTok.
Others simply don’t care either, as one wrote: “It’s nothing to do with me, so I just walk on by. What do I need to know for?” And fair enough, I guess.
But many of us are curious now, so let’s find out together what the enigmatic H signs actually represent.
In a video that they uploaded on TikTok, South Yorkshire Fire stated, “POV: You’ve walked past these small yellow signs your entire life.”
“But it was today you realised, finally, after all these years, they are there to tell firefighters where the hydrants are.”
You read correctly: when the fire hydrant cover is hidden, the large Hs indicate to firefighters where the water supply is. Some insisted that they had known all along, citing lessons learned in school or the fact that it was just “pretty obvious.” Yes.
But many admitted it was brand new information, with one saying, “I never knew. Everyday is a school day thank you.”
Someone else said, “Well, I learnt something new today, thank you!”
Some TikTokers also asked what the numbers meant above and below the H.
The local government fire and rescue services are often in charge of the hydrant signage, according to Hydrants Direct, a business that maintains and tests privately owned fire hydrants.
The website explains: “The location of a fire hydrant is indicated by an above ground post or marker plate. Hydrant marker plates are rectangular yellow signs, with a large black H and a pair of numbers, usually attached to a wall, lamp post or a short concrete post. The two numbers on the plate show the size of the water main and the approximate distance of the hydrant from the plate. Yellow paint is sometimes used to help identify a fire hydrant cover.”
“As well as marker plates, all hydrants are also shown on the digital maps available in fire engines, so that the nearest one can be found while firefighters are on their way to an incident.”
“This also means that even if marker plates are missing or broken, the fire service will still be able to find them in most cases, and once reported, they will be repaired in due course.”
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