Siege says,
“Meet Frank.
He’s posing with his prototype, which converts a useless fire hydrant into a lovely sidewalk shower.
Respect.”
Link to full-size image shot by Siege in Brooklyn.
There’s a related post on his Nerve.com blog (sadly, cockblocks all but registered Nerve subscribers).
Reader comment:
Warning, do not try this in your ‘hood. Roland is among the more sober Boing Boing readers who write in to party-poop this celebrated hydrant hack:
Yes, fire hydrants are TOTALLY useless. It’s not like they’re used for, oh, I don’t know, putting out fires and saving peoples’ lives or anything. And it’s not like sticking extra crap onto the valves (or whatever it is they have) might prevent firefighters from properly accessing the hydrants and end up killing people trapped in burning buildings. *rolls eyes* Encouraging people to fuck around with important, life-saving equipment is hardly what I expect from you guys.
Oh, alright, we don’t. But it’s still a great photo.
Reader Leontine Greenberg adds:
About that fire hydrant thing – supposedly if you go to the local fire station, you can get a “sprinkler cap” to put on the hydrant. Totally legal and non-dangerous: Link
And Andrew Smith says, “The NYFD will turn on the hydrant if you request it. But you have to use their approved sprinkler cap. So I am not sure how much of a hazard this is.”
How Can I Get The Fire Department To Turn On A Fire Hydrant For Neighborhood Children On A Hot Summer’s Day?
You can contact your local firehouse or police precinct. Hydrants can only be opened when used in conjunction with an approved Sprinkler Cap. Only firefighters are permitted to open a fire hydrant. Link.
M. Amorim says,
Aaaand Siege says (pointing to two more of the terrific hydrant-related photos he shot):Just a quick note on your fire hydrants hack post. I’m a civil engineer in Spain and I’ve been designing water supply networks for the last few years. While I’m clueless regarding the US regulations, most municipalities may have strict policies regarding these things (for obvious reasons), so you can easily get fined if you get caught fooling around with it. Furthermore, depending on the network pressure (typical values being something in between 10-80 psi), you can get a sudden blast which can easily knock you off (for good) if you fail to manipulate the hose coupling properly. Some hydrants (wet barrel types) are permanently pressurized so they are bound to deliver this behaviour. Additional info can be found on NFPA’s or AWWA’s regulations and standards. Link
Here is what the FDNY-approved sprinkler cap spray looks like: image link. They also will give you a blue NYPD police barrier to block parking and traffic near the hydrant, so the kiddies don’t get run over by passing cars. And here‘s what the illegal spray looks like at full blast, focused with a soup can. It shot far enough to hit passersby on the bridge.
