Local News

<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge)   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 For $15 scrap metal value, thieves do $2,000 damage Concern grows over fire system thefts from Tulalip and Marysville buildings By Katya Yefimova Herald Writer MARYSVILLE — Metal thieves have hit the Tulalip Resort Casino before, but when they stole brass fittings used to connect fire hoses to the sprinkler system inside the building, casino President Ken Kettler became worried. “It’s a safety concern that someone would put anybody in jeopardy like this,” Kettler said. “We want to keep a close watch on it.” Firefighters use the fittings to quickly pour lots of water into the sprinkler system inside large commercial buildings. Without them, the fire would be more dangerous for both firefighters and anyone inside the building, Marysville Fire Marshal Tom Maloney explained. A building’s sprinkler system wouldn’t provide as much relief by itself, which can lead to more fire damage. The Tulalip Resort Casino was not the only building hit: As of last week, thieves stole or damaged 10 other fittings in Marysville, including the local YMCA, Maloney said. Recyclers in the area only pay about $1 for a pound of brass, an alloy of copper and zinc. The fittings weigh 10 to 15 pounds, Maloney said. Thieves likely walk away with a meager $15. Business owners, however often end up with a $2,000 bill to replace the fitting. Similar thefts have been reported across the country, disturbing fire officials, said Curt Varon, a manager with the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. Besides paying for a replacement, business owners must have the new connection inspected. Buildings with sprinkler systems — typically large, commercial spaces — are required to have the fire hose fittings. There are about 170 buildings in Marysville equipped with sprinkler systems, out of almost 1,500 commercial structures. They are all being checked to make sure the connections are in place, Maloney said. Fire officials in Marysville also are drafting a grant to help offset the cost to business owners, he said. “That’s an unfortunate situation that our business owners have been placed into,” Maloney said. In Lynnwood, fire officials last week were missing four connections in the area just south of Alderwood mall, Lynnwood Assistant Fire Chief LeRoy McNulty said. Two or three more have been damaged. “This is the first time in my 30 years I’ve seen anybody steal fire department connections,” he said. In Snohomish, thieves in the spring snatched a large fitting from the city’s Home Depot, Snohomish Fire and Rescue Deputy Chief Ron Simmons said. The building has a huge sprinkler system, and the fitting itself likely cost about $1,000, he said. One thing businesses can do to deter thieves is to order secure locks that cover up the screws on the fittings. “Of course, they are not meant to be secure, quite simply because we want to access them in a hurry,” Simmons said. Tulalip Casino president Kettler said the administration is looking for a secure device that still would allow firefighters easy access. “We think that might be a good deterrent,” he said. Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out Stiffer rules for recyclers and scrap dealers Lets require recyclers and scrap dealers to record the same type of information of people that gun dealers do. Or at a minimum DL nuimber and Vehicle licence number and to photo copy the DL.Add a waiting period for their check that they have to pick up. Sure its paperwork for them, but its also CYA because without the above they are recieving stolen property which if I recall is a feloney. Debra Hitchings | Oct 22, 2009 3:46 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal Honest Recyclers honest recylers like Skagit steel make you show Id right down your vehicle license # and you get a check mailed to you in a week, that's why a lot of side recyclers deserve to get the shaft especially if they knowingly know who their customers are and are shady people who don't have a real job Ronald Fox | Oct 21, 2009 3:50 pm | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal TRULY DISTURBING The truly disturbing thing about this are the scrap dealers who buy these items. Sellers should have to provide photo positive ID, and the dealers should make a record for every transaction attempt for all transactions. Dealers should be required to call the police anytime someone has one or more Fire Department fittings, or a cemetery flower holder/vase, so the intended seller can have the opportunity to explain their trove to the police. Is the seller desperate to pay the rent, or a crack head trying to support addiction? Another truly disturbing aspect of this is the State of Washington Sentencing Guideline Commission folks, the legislature, and the governor, who collectively do not put enough teeth into the laws and sentences. If this is a drug-related matter, there should be another 25 years automatically added to any sentence for theft. Whistle Berries | Oct 21, 2009 11:11 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal scrap metal We need to have a waiting period of at least 3 days before the recyclers can issue a check (not cash) for payment of scrap metal. How many thieves can qualify for a checking account and wait for the check to clear? Debra Hitchings | Oct 21, 2009 8:40 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal scrap metal wouldn't surprise me, with the way the economy going and the amount of people layed off it's only going to get worse ,because people are to lazy be honest to find real work,and there interfering with the drug people who steal for there habit,if they want to recycle pick up cans along the road Ronald Fox | Oct 21, 2009 8:05 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal fire fittings I suggest immediately reporting the loss of the fittings to local Police & Fire officials. Also, the law enforcement jurisdictions make contact with the area scrap dealers to have them document where such fittings are coming from. The fittings should be marked for easy identification & return to officials of law enforcement. They are not easily melted into scrap. This is a serious & costly safety issue, just as theft of electric wire is. Loren Postma | Oct 21, 2009 6:37 am | 0 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

1. Early morning gunfire wounds 2 in Everett 2. Father guilty of manslaughter in girl's death 3. ZZ Top fans get Everett buzzing 4. Crash devastating for toddler 5. Snohomish County budget passes, with a caveat 6. Fall 2009 Wesco All-League Teams 7. Laundry fire sparks concerns over smoke detectors 8. Two people injured in Highway 9 collision 9. Northrop: Boeing's 767 ‘no longer commercially viable' 10. Lynnwood police seek hit-and-run driver 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Holiday Lightings & Santa Sightings • Ruling in the pool • Archbishop Murphy takes title • A season of performing arts • Budget numbers have official fuming • Wildcats move on to 2A semifinals • Holiday Bazaars & Fairs Calendar • Edmonds’ Westgate Chapel serves up hospitality for holiday • Mavericks fall • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million