What Is That Thing? The Minions On The Roadside

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The bright yellow, bollard-shaped devices look like something boat crews might use to tie up a ship, but in New Rochelle, Pelham and across the Hudson Valley, the roughly 3-foot-tall futuristic pylons have been popping up far away from the waterfront.

It turns out the odd new roadside additions could save lives.

The next-generation fire hydrants are posed to replace one of the most recognizable icons of modern life. While the familiar cast-iron fire plug has been a favorite pit-stop for dogs and has provided a well-worn trope since the era of silent movies, it turns out the old standard in fire protection isn't especially reliable.

Enter the Sigelock Systems SPARTAN 300 Fire Hydrant. While no one has yet managed to build a better mousetrap, this New York-based company founded by a retired NYFD firefighter has reinvented the fire hydrant.

"It would shock you how often fire hydrants don’t work when you need them," Sigelock founder George Sigelakis told Fast Times in a 2014 interview. "All the time. It’s always in the back of our minds."

The fire hydrants of the future are here now and while the esthetics might be the first thing you notice, the designers say the redesigned fire plugs have a number of unseen benefits. The Sigelock fire equipment is less prone to freezing, leaking and corroding, according to the company. The next-gen fire plugs also have features to make theft, tampering and sabotage nearly impossible.

The new-look fire hydrants might take dogs a little time to warm up to, but the rest of us can sleep a little easier knowing that a dry fire hydrant is one less thing we have to worry about.