Fire hydrants are actually pretty simple in the way they work. Each fire hydrant is connected to a large underground pipe that carries water. To get water out of the hydrant, firefighters use a five-sided wrench to open up one or more of the covers and connect hoses to the openings, which are like the spigots on your faucets at home. Then, they use the same wrench to turn the 'stem nut', which is like your faucet's cold or hot water knobs. Water comes up through the pipe, through the openings, and into the hoses that lead to the fire engines.