Brass is being stripped from fire hydrants across Detroit, leaving officials livid and the hydrants inoperable.
City leaders are calling it unacceptable. On Wednesday, Detroit Fire Department members displayed a vandalized hydrant where thieves removed the brass stem inside.
The theft made the hydrant non-working, that puts many at risk, said Chuck Sims, executive fire commissioner, DFD.
"It’s not only a theft to the fire hydrant, but it’s a theft to our citizens, our residents, or firefighters and public safety in general," said Sims. "Totally unacceptable. Fire hydrants are an important part of our infrastructure and no matter how fast we get to a fire, if we don’t have an operable fire hydrant, it takes seconds and even minutes away from us - maybe saving lives."
"The problem is whoever is doing this is doing multiple hydrants in a row," said Sam Smalley, DWSD deputy director. "So when DFD shows up, they’re not going to have a hydrant within 600 or 900 feet which puts peoples' lives at risk."
more at https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/detroit-fire-hydrants-getting-stripped-brass-thieves-leaving-them-non-working