Wiktionary
n. A main vertical pipe, usually kept empty, intended to distribute water to multiple levels of a building in the event of a fire.
Wikipedia
A dry riser is a normally empty pipe, that can be externally connected to a pressurized water source by firefighters. It is a vertical pipe intended to distribute water to multiple levels of a building or structure as a component of the fire suppression systems.
Most buildings have a "wet riser" or "wet standpipe" system where the pipes are kept full of water for manual or automatic fire fighting operations. Dry risers are used when the water pressure of a building wouldn't be enough for fire suppression and in unheated buildings where the pipes could freeze. Dry risers have to allow access to a fire engine within 18 m of the dry riser inlet box. Dry risers in occupied buildings have to be within a fire resistant shaft, usually one of a building's fire escape staircase enclosures.
Depending on regional nomenclature, the term "dry riser" may refer to a standpipe, intended to provide water to fire hose connections, or a vertical main pipe in an automatic dry pipe fire sprinkler system. A dry standpipe comprises a fire department connection, e.g. Storz, which is an external access point at ground level through which water can be pumped from the fire department's fire engine pump to firefighters' fire hose attachments on each floor, whereas a dry pipe fire sprinkler system is a network of pipes connected to fixed sprinklers inside a building, which are full of air until one of the sprinklers is triggered.
"Dry Riser" is a song by Kerbdog and a single released in 1994, taken from their self titled debut album, recorded at Rockfield Studios, Wales by Jack Endino. The single was released on four different formats, two CDs, and two 7" vinyls. CD1 was released as a limited edition Digipak and one of the 7" singles was released as a limited edition, pressed on clear vinyl as opposed to the usual black. The single climbed to number sixty on the UK Singles Chart.
Many of the B-sides over the four discs are covers. "New Day Rising" is a cover of the song by Hüsker Dü from their album of the same name, "Suspect Device" is a cover of the song by Stiff Little Fingers, their debut single from 1978, and "Something In My Head" is a cover of the song by a band called The Jerusalem Taxis, a local band on the Irish scene that Kerbdog's singer Cormac Battle is a fan of.
The two B-sides on CD1, "Xenophobia" and "Self Inflicted", as well as "Same With The Hammer" from the 7" clear vinyl, are Kerbdog originals.
"Xenophobia" and "Self Inflicted" recorded by Jack Endino assisted by Phil Ault. "Same with the Hammer" and "Something in my Head" recorded by Nick Woolage. "New Day Rising" and "Suspect Device" recorded by Pat Dunne assisted by Lorcan Cousins.