SUEZ Water Rolls Out Innovative Sigelock Spartan Fire Hydrants in New Rochelle

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Residents throughout New Rochelle are expressing a mix of puzzlement and bemusement about futuristic-looking devices that have begun to replace traditional fire hydrants in their neighborhoods.

Dogs are particularly confused.

Local firefighters refer to the yellow devices as “minions” for their uncanny resemblance to the cute troublemakers from the animated film Despicable Me.

But these strange-looking devices represent the first significant upgrade in fire hydrants since before the U.S. Civil War and offer a major enhancement of fire safety in the community.

They may take a little getting used to but for firefighters the Sigelock Spartan is a welcome newcomer to their fire fighting arsenal.

“After research and field testing, we determined the new hydrants have design features that actually help the Fire Department operationally,” said New Rochelle Fire Chief Andrew Sandor. “They allow us to get water on the fire quicker; they also provide an increase in water flow.”

The Sigelock fire hydrants are being installed and maintained by SUEZ in close cooperation with area fire departments. The hydrant system in New Rochelle encompasses New Rochelle as well as parts of Eastchester and Pelham.

“Working with the firefighting community has been an important part of the pilot,” said Chris Graziano, vice president of SUEZ operations in New York. “This design incorporates some of the most significant hydrant changes in more than a century. That’s why we worked closely with firefighters to be sure they are comfortable with this new equipment.”

Spartan hydrants are being used in communities including Long Beach, NY, Maybrook, NY, and Boynton Beach, FL. They are also in service at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois and Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado.

After a 12-month pilot program in Rockland County, SUEZ began installing the Spartan hydrants in 2018. SUEZ will phase in the new models as part of its ongoing maintenance and operations programs.

The first Spartan in New Rochelle was installed at Five Islands Park in 2019 after several years of evaluation by the New Rochelle Fire Department.

Spartans have also been installed at the intersection of Monroe Street and Rhodes Street.

Also, on Grand Street off Burling Lane.

And Pinebrook Boulevard near Forest Avenue.

“For now, the hydrants are being placed as repairs are needed at given locations,” said Chief Sandor. “As water main work is performed, such as on Webster Avenue and Main Street, the Sigelock hydrants will become more commonplace.”

SUEZ plans to eventually change over most hydrants in New Rochelle, he added.

Fire Hydrants evolved over many centuries from cauldrons and cisterns user to store water in strategic locations to get water onto a fire as fast as possible to water mains constructed from hollowed out logs. The term “fire plug” refers to firefighters drilling a hole into a wooden water main to access the municipal water supply then sealing the main with a wooden plug.

Over time wooden water mains were replaced by cast iron mains and pressurized municipal water supplies. Stand pipes carried by firefighters to the scene of a fire then temporarily attached to a water main were replaced with pillar-type hydrants of cast iron, resembling those in use today, permanently attached to the water mains.

The type fire hydrant most familiar to people in the United States are various versions of the Mathews Improved model patented in 1858.

The primary issues with fire hydrant design are anti-freezing, hydraulic efficiency, and ease of repair. Weather plays an important role in design selection. Dry barrel hydrants, employed in colder climates, have their main valves below ground to resist freezing in the winter. Wet barrel hydrants, commonly found in warmer climates, have water charged at full pressure in the hydrant barrel at all times.

A former New York City firefighter developed the new-fangled hydrant to address the many design flaws found in traditional hydrants. The Spartan is manufactured by Sigelock Systems based in Oceanside, NY with a plant in Franklin, PA.

George Sigelakis started with the New York Fire Department in 1988. He retired in 2001, before 9/11, but his firehouse in Brooklyn (Ladder 118/Engine 205), was the first to cross the Brooklyn Bridge to get to the World Trade Center. 11 firefighters he served with from 118/205, 3 of whom had transferred to other firehouses, died that day.

“As a ‘probie’ (rookie) firefighter in New York City, I quickly learned how unreliable and undependable conventional hydrants were,” said Sigelakis. “Anyone could easily access them, to steal water, or simply vandalize and damage the hydrant making it inoperable.”

The primary benefit of the Spartan is reliability.

“After 2.5 minutes the size of a fire doubles every second,” said Sigelakis. “These hydrants will save lives because the integrity of the hydrant is in good working order.”

“When a firefighter goes to use it, it works.”

“People don’t realize the need for a fire hydrant until it’s their house that’s on fire and all of a sudden that hydrant’s not working and people are yelling and screaming,” said Sigelakis.

Vincent Dunn, Former Deputy Chief of the New York Fire Department, is a nationally recognized expert on fire response and rescue.

“When you’re at a fire and a hydrant doesn’t work and the firefighters are standing around and no one can get water out of their hose then you understand how important a fire hydrant is,” said Dunn.

“These new style Sigelock fire hydrants will eventually replace most fire hydrants in New Rochelle,” said Sandor. The new hydrants save maintenance time and cost which is why Suez Water proposed these new hydrants to the Fire Department about 2-3 years ago.”

“Although a different look than traditional fire hydrants, this isn’t just change for the sake of change,” said Chief Sandor. “The new hydrants will benefit both the Fire Department and Suez Water Company, at no cost to the City.”

The new Sigelock Spartan design minimizes metal on metal contact between operating parts to ensure the hydrant will not seize; the hydrants drain more readily after use which minimizes the possibility for freezing in the winter; they are made of more durable materials such as stainless steel, brass and powder coated paint and offer numerous benefits such as increased water flow, better security, efficient and easier operation, less susceptibility to freezing in the winter months and less susceptibility to tampering by unauthorized users, as well as improved reliability, less frequent repair and reduced likelihood of water theft.

Sigelakis, along with David Haines a water expert who serves as the company’s Director of Business Development, explained how the Spartan hydrant is opened by firefighters using a proprietary wrench with the operating nut protected by a unique clam-shell design (hence the company name, “Sigelock”), has no chains to attach caps because the caps are encapsulated in a hidden locking mechanism and offers the option to build in an NST or Storz coupling system (NRFD uses Storz), relies upon advanced “flow geometry” to improve the “C factor” or friction coefficient to deliver more water with better pressure.

The industry standard is no more than a 1 PSI drop in water pressure at 200 gallons per minute. The Spartan hydrant rated a .49 PSI far exceeding the standard.

As the pair went on to describe a proprietary, closed, end-to-end system with a cutting-edge ergonomic design intended to deliver a high-quality user experience while maintaining product integrity by keeping prying eyes (and fingers) out, they sounded a lot like the late Steve Jobs of Apple Computers.

The size of the technological leap Sigelakis had made from a traditional fire hydrant to the Spartan is like that from phones seem in a 1930s black and white film to glamorous celebrities on the red carpet today.

From Carey Grant holding a Western Electric Candlestick Telephone in His Girl Friday to Brad Pitt using his iPhone to photograph Paparazzi at a Hollywood Awards show.

The Spartan is slicker and smoother, inside and out, which means better water flow from inside and no caps sticking out so less chance of a vehicle or person being struck. It is designed to break away if struck by a car or with a snow plow.

“It’s just better, with no downside,” said one firefighter after studying and testing the Spartan.

The upfront cost for the Spartan is about 10-20% higher than the traditional hydrants which run for $1,500-$2,000 or more (plus costs associated with excavation and connecting to the water supply and other cost factors) but savings on maintenance, repair, leaks, and stolen water over the lifetime of the Spartan hydrant significantly outweighs the initial cost.

There are roughly 1,400 fire hydrants in New Rochelle. Suez expects to replace 30-50 a year so total replacement of traditional fire hydrants may take up to 20 years.

Sigelock expects adoption of his new design to grow.

“Once they switch, they do not go back.”

Learn more here: