Emergency (?) Sirens ??

W

Whitey

New Member
Ok, I've lived in SoMD now since 2008 (Lexington Park, now Hollywood). Can anyone tell me the meaning or reason for the siren horns that go off? I don't want to come off as a moron here...I get it, they go off at high noon (I assume as a daily test, and hey, what better time than noon to check them and everyone can hack their watches too...) and I assume the other times are to possibly alert the volunteer fire dept of a major call? But are they also in place in the event of an incident over at Calvert nuke and tested for that as well? Or in the event of a natural disaster (tornado, etc.) ? Other times...they just seem to go off, like this morning at 0505. I guess for a fire call? But I never heard the trucks go (I'm in ear shot of the firehouse).

I guess my point is, the nuke plant could be having a melt down, the Russians (or Iranians...) could be nuking us, the queen coming to visit...but I wouldn't know one way or the other from the randomness to which the horn sounds.

Should I care?
 
B

bilbur

New Member
Whitey said:
Ok, I've lived in SoMD now since 2008 (Lexington Park, now Hollywood). Can anyone tell me the meaning or reason for the siren horns that go off? I don't want to come off as a moron here...I get it, they go off at high noon (I assume as a daily test, and hey, what better time than noon to check them and everyone can hack their watches too...) and I assume the other times are to possibly alert the volunteer fire dept of a major call? But are they also in place in the event of an incident over at Calvert nuke and tested for that as well? Or in the event of a natural disaster (tornado, etc.) ? Other times...they just seem to go off, like this morning at 0505. I guess for a fire call? But I never heard the trucks go (I'm in ear shot of the firehouse).

I guess my point is, the nuke plant could be having a melt down, the Russians (or Iranians...) could be nuking us, the queen coming to visit...but I wouldn't know one way or the other from the randomness to which the horn sounds.

Should I care?
Click to expand...

Like you said the siren goes off at noon every day as a test. If it goes off any other time it is alerting either the rescue squad or fire department. I think if it goes off once it is calling the rescue squad and multiple times is the fire department. Correct me if I am wrong but I think there is a different siren for the power plant, if not a different siren it is a different number of times it goes off. They test the power plant response every once in a while and usually announce it on local radio and news papers. The first Sunday of every month the regular siren will sound for a long time. Someone in the fire or rescue will be able to answer this better than me and will know the number for each specific incident.
 
StadEMS3

StadEMS3

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
We have a siren at Waldorf VFD and it was used to alert the volunteers back in the day and at noon for a test. Now portable pagers are used to alert the volunteers. Then the surrounding community cried because of the noise, the siren has been silent for many years. :(
 
Last edited:
O

OldHillcrestGuy

Well-Known Member
Our siren at Hughesville has been silent for years. Some places still blow the siren, I'm not sure which ones, I think Mechcanicsville still does cause I heard it last week blowing which from where I am, most of the time I cant hear it. Benedict may still blow their siren. Maybe some of the far out places do, like Nanjomoy, Ironsides, Ridge or Cobb Island. It seems when a lot of the city folks moved south to the tri-county area, a lot of them got annoyed by the sirens blowing 24/7.
 
O

officeguy

Well-Known Member
In Chuck co, I don't think it makes sense to blow the siren for ambulance calls. The crew is already in the station (they have county paramedics), no need to call them from home. For fire, when folks actually respond from home or their business, it makes sense as a backup to the pagers.

As for the people getting annoyed: The siren reminds me that there are folks in my community who are willing to drop whatever it is they are doing at that moment to go out and help someone, regardless of who that other person is. They'll even come to help the guy who is annoyed about the siren ;-)
 
M

mdff21

Active Member
officeguy said:
In Chuck co, I don't think it makes sense to blow the siren for ambulance calls. The crew is already in the station (they have county paramedics), no need to call them from home. For fire, when folks actually respond from home or their business, it makes sense as a backup to the pagers.

As for the people getting annoyed: The siren reminds me that there are folks in my community who are willing to drop whatever it is they are doing at that moment to go out and help someone, regardless of who that other person is. They'll even come to help the guy who is annoyed about the siren ;-)
Click to expand...

Once the ambulance is dispatched with career crew, who is left to man the second ambulance that most stations have? That could be the reason for the siren alert on ambulance calls.
 
migtig

migtig

aka Mrs. Giant
For the OP and others -Please make sure to share this info with friends and family in case they freak out -
I remembered this thread when I saw the below notice:

No. 2015 - 267
December 29, 2015 9:30 a.m.

Siren Test to be Conducted on January 4

Leonardtown, MD – The St. Mary’s County, Emergency Services & Technology in cooperation with Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Calvert County and Dorchester County will conduct a full-cycle test of the alert and notification sirens throughout St. Mary’s, Calvert and Dorchester counties on Monday, January 4, 2016, at noon.

The full-cycle test includes a three-minute activation of all sirens within the 10-mile area around Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. All citizens are asked to remember the scheduled testing and relay the information to friends, family and neighbors.

The testing is conducted to check siren operation and increase public awareness of the alert and notification siren system. If the sirens sound at any other time, residents should tune to one of the local radio stations listed below for information and instructions.

Emergency Alert System stations include:
• WPTX 1690 AM Lexington Park
• WYRX 97.7 FM Lexington Park
• WTOP 103.5 FM Frederick, D.C.
• WKIK 1560 AM La Plata
• WKIK 102.9 FM California
• WPRS 104.1 FM La Plata
• WSMD 98.3 FM Mechanicsville
• WNNT 100.9 FM Warsaw
• WGOP 540 AM Pocomoke
• WCEM 1240 AM Cambridge
• WCEM 106.3 FM Cambridge
• WCEI 96.7 FM Easton
• WRAR 105.5 FM Tappahannock
• WKHZ 1460 AM Easton

Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency is a critical part of being prepared and may make all the difference when seconds count. Visit prepare.stmarysmd.com to learn about potential emergencies that can happen and how to prepare for and respond to them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top