Hydrant Security Device Puts Lock on Fire Hydrant Vandalism

摘要

For Bozeman, Montana, a disastrous water theft prompted the purchase of new security devices to protect its fire hydrants from vandalism and unauthorized access. As an added benefit, the system also helps the utility meet the security challenges of this post-9/11 era. According to John Alston, the city's Water/Sewer Superintendent, timing and conditions could not have been worse: Darkness, a blinding snowstorm, and sub-zero temperatures. Yet, on a February night in 2003, Bozeman experienced one of the worst water thefts in United States history: Hydrants were vandalized, and a total of almost three million gallons of water was lost over a three-day period.