Coffey Gives Hydrants A 'New Coat' As Part Of His Eagle Scout Project

Sitting outside can take its toll - even on a fire hydrant. Withstanding the elements, day after day, eventually paint will peel and soon, hydrants will look even older than they are.

Those hydrants in Ulysses are getting a "new coat" - of paint that is, courtesy of Blain Coffey, a Life Scout with Troop 186. Coffey, a senior this next school year at Ulysses High School, chose painting the hydrants as part of his Eagle Scout project.

"For the past couple of months, I have undergone the planning stage for my Eagle Scout Project," Coffey said in a recent news release. "I debated on a ton of different project ideas, but in the end, I settled on painting all of the fire hydrants in Ulysses!"

According to Coffey, most of the hydrants in Ulysses have not been painted for many years.

"A lot of them are looking pretty run-down," he said. "This project benefits both the amazing fire department we have here, as well as the people of the city. Painting the fire hydrants really changes how our streets look. In addition, it increases visibility for both drivers and the fire department. It allows the department to be able to tell how much water they are getting out of a hydrant as they are all color-coded."

His project plan is not a small venture by any means.

"This is a monumental task and it is going to take a ton of planning and teamwork as there are more than 500 hydrants!" Coffey said. "That is why I need a little bit of help from the people of Ulysses. One of the biggest things is to please be aware while you are driving. On any given day, we may have as many as 25 people painting hydrants!!! As per city regulations, every single one of our hydrant painters will be wearing a bright safety vest. However, we can never be too careful. So, I am asking the people of Ulysses to please just keep an eye out while you’re driving so we can avoid any major accidents."

Location is another challenge.

"Some of these hydrants may be hard to access due to their location," Coffey explained. "I ask the community to please keep the area around their hydrant free of grass and debris. That way, when our painters get to the hydrant, they can just start painting and get out of your hair quickly."

Coffey is very appreciative of the Ulysses community.

"I know how amazing of a community this is and I know with a little help from the people, I can get this project completed safely and efficiently," he said. "Once again, I greatly appreciate all of the help and support from everyone. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you everyone for your amazing support with this project!"