A retired New York firefighter invents a safer, smarter, and sturdier hydrant
New York City, with its dense population and endless skyscrapers, is Notoriously difficult to fight fires . Many of these hydrants are in disrepair, although firefighters rely on nearly 100,000 hydrants to do their work. Vulnerable to abuse and exposed to weather, the hydrants of the city are decayed, corroding, and leaking.
“There are so many defected hydrants,” says Vincent Dunn, a retired Deputy Chief of New York City Fire Department. “In the’70s it was so widespread that we developed a radio signal — 1070. It meant the first arriving engine did not have water due to a faulty hydrant. Other fire trucks would extend out hoses and help the first pumper with water.” However, when there is a fire blazing, every second spent stretching hoses is a second that could be used to save lives.
George Sigelakis, a retired New York City firefighter, understood the Need for a hydrant redesign early on in his profession. “A tyrant is a lifeline to a firefighter,” he states. “You’ll have labour and tens of thousands of dollars worth of trucks and equipment, but without water from a hydrant, you can’t do anything”
Hydrants are made up of rubber components, and steel, iron. “In an environment with plain water, all three of those things do not hold up over time,” says Sigelakis. Some hydrants are cracked open and tampered with by residents looking to obtain respite from the heat, or water to wash their cars. Consequently, hydrants are caught in an endless cycle of maintenance. Repainting and repairing costs are in the millions of dollars. “Its a fantastic company for producers who make these hydrants,” Sigelakis states. “They keep selling components. But, lives are at stake.”
“Without water from a hydrant, you can not do anything”
Sigelakis began, also chose to reinvent the hydrant Conceptualizing a new version . He deconstructed the hydrant, analyzed it and developed the next generation of hydrant layout: the Sigelock Spartan. Practically indestructible, the Spartan is made from ductile iron and steel, and coated in a powder coating that produces the design in the face of salty water and storms. An internal drainage system that is efficient prevents the harm that water that is freezing may inflict. The hydrant could be opened within seconds–but just using a wrench. The Spartan is manufactured in Pennsylvania and includes a fifty year guarantee.
Despite its advantages, Spartan adoption is slow. “Municipalities have Stockpiled parts for years,” states Joseph Kelly, the Senior Operations Officer in Sigelock Spartan. If we approach them about this new technology, they understand the issues since they work on this everyday. However , they also have a great deal of money invested in replacement parts.
There are currently 150 Spartans over a dozen countries Florida and Massachusetts. In New York, the installation has so far been Limited to Long Island. “Typically, municipalities buy one or two and Place it through its paces for a four-season cycle,” says Kelly. Since the Spartan proves itself to be the future of hydrants, Kelly expects sales To improve. “It’s not an overnight process. However, we’re making inroads.
