Combination Auto Sprinkler and Standpipe

This is a common sight in New York City buildings although something we probably do not pay much attention to. A standpipe is a fire hydrant for an individual building and is a rigid pipe which can provide water at high pressure to a water supply or sprinklers at higher floors since it is usually not feasible to run hoses from the street up stairwells in high rise buildings. With a standpipe system water is fed from the street up the vertical standpipe in the building with hoses attached from outlets at each floor.