On April 21, 2009 I recorded an incredible example of how confusing the Talbot County Emergency Management’s Tri-County Siren Alarm System is. We heard the air raid sirens all over town go off and looked out the window to find that rain had begun, the wind had picked up, and lightning bolts were crashing down in the distance. Virtually every time it rains there is a car accident somewhere in town and every time there is an accident they use the air raid sirens to alert the volunteer fire department. So was this a localized emergency or an imminent danger situation that all citizens should know about? The summons for the Town’s Volunteer Fire Department (which go off about 3 times daily) is a wavering tone 5 seconds up 3 seconds down, imminent danger is 6 up 2 down. As the wind increased we began to wonder if this siren might be a severe weather “Warning”, but a brochure from the Emergency Management ured us that a severe weather warning signal was a 2-minute steady signal which we did not hear. We turned on our TV, just in case, and found that indeed there WAS a severe thunderstorm warning being issued for our area with 60 mile an hour winds and continuous lightning strikes. The air raid siren ceased after two minutes and we could hear emergency vehicles responding to the nearby intersection of highway 50. Suddenly the fire signal went off again for another 2 minutes of wavering tones. When I phoned Emergency Management I was told that the sirens in this video are the fire summons because the sirens are never used for Severe Weather, only Hurricanes and Tornadoes. I ask, “Why not? Isn’t that what they’re for?” To alert us when danger threatens?
Duration : 0:6:24
Seattle Fire Department Ladder 1 being dispatched and responding to 7th Ave / Union St. This was an Aid Response. Time out was 1520 on 1/17/09. Engine 10 was then dispatched to 1270 6th Ave. South with Medic 32. This was a Medic Response. Time out was 1522 on 1/17/09. Ladder 1 is using a reserve rig. Ladder 1 is normally igned a tillered-ladder.
19:04:45 23-04-09 (LYTT291) STN CALL-FIRETEST 3429 57 LONDON ST LYTTELTON. (XStr CANTERBURY ST/DUBLIN ST)
Fire Safety. Please watch the video to your left.
Part 1 of 3 : From the early 1990s Series “those who dare” follows Jim Flores and A shift firefighters from Fire Station 33 in South Central Los Angeles
June 16th 1990 Lynnfield, MA. Fire apparatus parade. Old fire apparatus with their mechanical sirens going full blast!