Gomers: What's going wrong

ALARMING NUMBERS: Among all house fires in Cedar Rapids this year, only 15 percent of the smoke alarms in those structures were verified by the Fire Department as working properly, local fire officials said last week. In 2009, only 28 percent were operating at the time of the blaze. Obviously, there are way too many residents or homeowners who aren't making effective use of a proven safety device - a troubling and needless trend.

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FIREFIGHTER FRUSTRATION: The two closest fire hydrants to a blaze that ravaged a grain elevator in Lisbon on May 10 couldn't be used directly by firefighters. Those hydrants were hooked to a 4-inch water main, and a long-standing state standard forbids hooking fire hoses directly to such outlets. Why? Because hoses could pull water too quickly from the small mains, draining pressure and leading to contamination of the public water supply or even collapse of the lines. Instead, firefighters used the 4-inch hydrants to fill a portable tank and then ran the water through a fire engine for pressure. The smallish, old-style 4-inch hydrants are common in small towns and 10 other northern states, according to Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials.