Frequently Asked Questions

The most frequently asked questions and answers are listed on this page. If you require any additional information just contact us. About Costs, Ordering and Getting a Project Going What is the best way to start this project in my community? How much does a decal project cost? Are lower cost decals available? Who pays for decal projects? Who do we pay for the decals? How do I request a quote or place an order? About the Decals Are the decals made from guaranteed top quality materials? What decal colors are available? Fire hydrants come in various shapes and sizes; will the decals work on all types of hydrants? How do we get decals for fire hydrants that do not look like those shown on your web site? How do I know the design will be right? Where can decals be applied? How are the decals installed? How long does it take to get a decal order? What custom slogans can be used? About Approvals Are approvals required to bring the project to my community? About the Project How can I help make this good idea a greater success? Are copyrights in place? What is the best way to start this project in my community? A civic-minded group such as a Rotary Club or local Fire Department can bring a Fire Hydrant Decal Project to your community. Print the brochure for use as a presentation aid to your Rotary Club and the Fire Chief The Fire Chief is the key person. The chief knows the number and location of fire hydrants that should be marked with highly reflective decals. Fire hydrants in central or downtown areas of the community as well as those near schools, hospitals and apartment complexes are desirable locations. Also consider putting decals on more remote locations where brush can obscure fire hydrants. Determine the total number of hydrants to be marked and the number of decals wanted on each fire hydrant. See the Decal Placement Guide and decide the size and shape as well as the messages wanted on the decals. Then use the Request For Quotation Form to get a quote for the total required. The decal manufacturer supplies the quote directly to your organization. You can then place an order. The project can be done in stages at low cost or all fire hydrants can be marked at one time. See also the How To Start A Rotary Fire Hydrant Project for a step by step guide to bringing the project to your community. BACK TO TOP How much does a decal project cost? The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen paid the start-up costs as a public service. As a result other communities can buy the decals at very low cost. To keep prices current the supplier quotes each project before an order is produced. Generally the decals cost about $6 each in Canada or $4 each in the U.S. Hundreds of fire hydrants can be marked for a few hundred dollars. Some projects cover a small number of fire hydrants in well-exposed locations for a few dollars. Decals for any size order will be made so both large and small projects can be started quickly at low cost. BACK TO TOP Are lower cost decals available? Yes lower priced decals are available but the quality, performance and life expectancy are inferior compared to our decals. The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen worked with firefighters and suppliers to test decal performance. Our choice was unanimous. We picked the quality materials from 3M Manufacturing to give the best long-term performance in all weather conditions. Our product is not the cheapest decal available but it is the best. The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen underwrote the start-up costs as a public service. Now by avoiding the start-up costs any community gets an outstanding product at a reasonable price. This gives every community a cost-effective, long-term, high performance product at a low price. As a public service we contribute the start-up costs to any community that uses these decals. However the idea, the designs and the product remain under copyright protection. BACK TO TOP Who pays for decal projects? The fire department, service clubs like the local Rotary Club, even a private company or individual can fund local projects. As a public service the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen underwrote the start-up costs. Generous suppliers and club members committed the time and resources to find the best design and product. This saves other communities money and time to get this project going in their community. It means there are no costs for the designs, or for the experiments with various materials to make highly reflective, tough, durable all weather decals. Any community can quickly and easily benefit by getting this proven product shipped directly from our established supplier. BACK TO TOP Who do we pay for the decals? Make payment to the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen. BACK TO TOP How do I request a quote or place an order? Go to the Request A Quotation form and specify the number, size, shape and wording wanted on the decals. Fill the form out on-line and click the submit button. That sends an email request directly to our supplier. You can also print the form, fill it out and fax it to (604) 943-2896. Our supplier, Pro-Graphics and Signs manufactures the decals; they respond directly to your email or fax. You can also call Pro-Graphics and Signs at (604) 943-1796 between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. Pacific Time (3 hours behind E.S.T.) on weekdays. They will send you a quote and design proof so you can see exactly what the decals will look like. The quote is good for 30 days. When you are satisfied with the design, approve it by sending back a signed proof with a check, bank draft or money order to the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen. For further information contact us. BACK TO TOP Are the decals made from guaranteed top quality materials? Yes, the material is manufactured by 3M and guaranteed by them for three years against fading, peeling or shrinkage. Properly applied decals can last longer. We expect years of service in extremes from hot desert sun, driving monsoon rains or freezing northern winters. BACK TO TOP What decal colors are available? All decals have a white background with your choice of red or blue lettering. Although red letters were deemed satisfactory, testing showed blue letters on the white background were more legible in all conditions BACK TO TOP Fire hydrants come in various shapes and sizes; will the decals work on all types of hydrants? Yes. Most fire hydrants can be classified as either smooth surfaced or fluted surface. All decals work on the smooth surfaced hydrants. Decal Set "E" works on hydrants with a fluted or grooved body. The "E" set includes three decals, a 0.5" x 16" reflective stripe and two 2.5" x 8" message decals. The reflective stripe is applied to the top lip of the hydrant so it is easier to find in the dark. The two message decals are applied to the lower body, one facing in each direction to give maximum exposure to the safety messages. BACK TO TOP How do we get decals for fire hydrants that do not look like those shown on your web site? Send us a picture of it. If the standard designs do not work we will develop a new design to fit. There are no design or setup charges; the Rotary Club of Tsawwassen pays all the start-up costs as a public service. BACK TO TOP How do I know the design will be right? You will receive a pre-production proof showing the exact design. At that time you can make changes or correct any mistakes. Once you approve the design proof, production can go ahead. BACK TO TOP Where can decals be applied? As well as on fire hydrants the decals can be applied to any flat, solid, clean surface including metal, glass or painted wood. BACK TO TOP How are the decals installed? It is easy. The fire hydrant surface must be clean, dry and above 13C or 55F. Clean the hydrant surface with solvent (Lacquer Thinner, E.I. Dupont Prep-Sol cleaning solvent 39195, Xykik or VM&P Naphtha). Dry the surface with a lint free cloth before the solvent evaporates. Peel the backing from the decal, center it over the chosen area so the safety message is easy to read. Press it in place. Copies of complete detailed directions are sent with each order. BACK TO TOP How long does it take to get a decal order? After you return an approved design proof and your payment, production takes up to 14 days. However, most orders are shipped in less than one week by the method you request. BACK TO TOP What custom slogans can be used? The choice is yours. The standard slogans are, "Smoke Detectors Save Lives", "Don't Play With Matches", "To Report A Fire Dial 911", "Plan Your Fire Escape" and "Check Your Smoke Alarm". However you can specify any other message up to a 28-character length. Spaces count as a character. Examples of custom slogans used include, "Get A Fire Extinguisher" or your city or fire department name. Please note that Decal Set "E" cannot be ordered with custom slogans. BACK TO TOP Are approvals required to bring the project to my community? Check with the Fire Chief. In most cases only his support is required, however, the Fire Chief will know if the project requires further approvals in your community. BACK TO TOP How can I help make this good idea a greater success? We welcome any assistance telling other communities about the Fire Hydrant Decal Project. Show our web site to your Fire Chief and other community leaders as well as the local Rotary Club to get them interested in supporting the project. Any questions can be answered by one of our volunteers. Add a link to our web site from yours. That helps visitors to your site easily find ours and learn about the project. Contact our Fire Hydrant Decal Project webmaster so we can return the favor with links from our site to relevant sites. Let us know how we can improve our support and promotion of this idea. We are part-time volunteers working with no funds. All resources used are donated to this Rotary Club of Tsawwassen project. Your interest and support is appreciated. All money raised goes directly into community projects. BACK TO TOP Are copyrights in place? Yes, we are so proud of the idea, the designs and products that they are under copyright protection in Canada and the United States. BACK TO TOP Copyright ©2000, 2001 All Rights Reserved. Registered in Canada and the United States