What is the deal with the firestation siren?

[purplepassion]

Relax.... again, it is not about the firefighter's job.
Does everyone in a 3 or 4 mile radious have to find out if my house goes on fire at 3:00am???? Somebody mentioned earlier (thanks for the info ITSBOB) that some firefighter's pager when off 5 minutes!!! before the siren did.
Was it to wake up the one firefighter that lives next to the station?
Don't tell me that every firefighter lives next to the station... I simply can't believe that.

Those fortunate enough to have pagers get to hear the call when it first goes out. It will then go out a second time and that is when the siren goes off. The siren also alerts volunteers to what the call is one for fire, two for auto accident, three for a medical call (or along those lines, I don't exactly remember which is which). This way a volunteer who is a firefighter only knows he doesn't have to respond if it's a medical call.

 

[purplepassion]

I call BS, it is ridicules how man of these “volunteers” have free cell phones and they have nice ones and don’t care about the cost. I know many of them that take advantave of the free phones. I was in Best Buy last week and some fireman was saying what do I care what phone I have the fire department has to pay for it.

:shrug: Solomons doesn't buy phones for their volunteers and I don't think any of the other departments in Calvert do either.

 

[Ken King]

Those fortunate enough to have pagers get to hear the call when it first goes out. It will then go out a second time and that is when the siren goes off. The siren also alerts volunteers to what the call is one for fire, two for auto accident, three for a medical call (or along those lines, I don't exactly remember which is which). This way a volunteer who is a firefighter only knows he doesn't have to respond if it's a medical call.

I thought it was one Rescue Squad, Two fire, three mutual aide.

 

[awg9tech]

Those fortunate enough to have pagers get to hear the call when it first goes out. It will then go out a second time and that is when the siren goes off. The siren also alerts volunteers to what the call is one for fire, two for auto accident, three for a medical call (or along those lines, I don't exactly remember which is which). This way a volunteer who is a firefighter only knows he doesn't have to respond if it's a medical call.

I thought it was one Rescue Squad, Two fire, three mutual aide.

4...5...6...7..13 well, what is it then? Since the locals simply ignore the siren, and therefore are not counting the number of times it goes off how about just making it “if the siren goes off, take cover and tune in to the radio”.
Look, all I’m saying is that there is an infrastructure in place that could be used for public warning. It’s low tech therefore less likely to break, it’s already in place so use it in a way that make sense.
OK, not enough pagers to go around? Surely there are some Homeland security dollars that can be found. Make it a priority to get those volunteers equipped. Before they got to the firehouse, they would know what the situation was/is. The dispatcher could selectively call individuals or groups and not have to make an all hands call when one piece of equipment is needed. There’s a lot more information conveyed with a pager than the ignored and unnoticed wail of a siren.

 

[Ken King]

4...5...6...7..13 well, what is it then? Since the locals simply ignore the siren, and therefore are not counting the number of times it goes off how about just making it “if the siren goes off, take cover and tune in to the radio”.
Look, all I’m saying is that there is an infrastructure in place that could be used for public warning. It’s low tech therefore less likely to break, it’s already in place so use it in a way that make sense.
OK, not enough pagers to go around? Surely there are some Homeland security dollars that can be found. Make it a priority to get those volunteers equipped. Before they got to the firehouse, they would know what the situation was/is. The dispatcher could selectively call individuals or groups and not have to make an all hands call when one piece of equipment is needed. There’s a lot more information conveyed with a pager than the ignored and unnoticed wail of a siren.

Not everyone ignores the sirens, they just don't irritate some like they do others. The only other siren alerts I am aware of are the 3 to 5 minute wailing siren for an attack and the 3 to 5 minute steady siren for a natural disaster. For these there will also be activation of the Emergency Notification System using radio and television to notify the public.

As said there are many pagers out there in use but there are times when those issued pagers don't have them readily available and the siren is still a viable means of alerting them to respond.

 

[tikipirate]

In days gone by, my father used to warn my mum and I at breakfast every first Saturday of the month that an air raid siren would sound at 1300 and not to be alarmed. He was preparing himself more than warning us.

What would I be alarmed about? I was a snot-nosed kid. My father was an RAF aircrewman during the blitz. As soon as that siren drew up air, I could see my father's eyes squint.

Every friend my father had died in WWII. His childhood home was bombed to bits. The expected life within his squadron was 36 hours from check-in. The air raid siren meant that death was coming.

There is no way that my dad could ever have lived nearby a VFD with a siren. No possible way.

 

[FIREMAN]

One siren- Emergency Medical Service
Three siren - Fire Department.

My cell phone is paid by me. ($55.00) I pay an addition 5 dollars a month to have a text message sent to me with information on that particular call.

The fire department pager was bought by me for a small price of $500 dollars and programed by the county for $40 about 5 years ago. Time are better the county is finally paying for some if not most of the pagers for new member but in my department you must be in the department for 9 month before recieving a pager. So as a new member, all you have is the house siren.

Yes I live 2 miles from my station and use the "house Siren" to respond to calls. Either because my pager isn't with me or the darn thing doesn't go off because of the system currently in place.

Some days are good and some days are bad. But we get on those trucks and ambulances and do our jobs.

Sorry for the inconvince to you and your family

 

[MMDad]

One siren- Emergency Medical Service
Three siren - Fire Department.

I noticed your AV, and that is one of my pet peeves. Why aren't fire lanes enforced around here? Nobody seems to care at schools or stores, and there is no enforcement. Why is that?

 

[FIREMAN]

I noticed your AV, and that is one of my pet peeves. Why aren't fire lanes enforced around here? Nobody seems to care at schools or stores, and there is no enforcement. Why is that?

Sounds like a good question for the police. Usually if we get in a situation like that, we'll make a HOLE and continue with what we have to do.

 

[FIREMAN]

What in the hell is wrong with you? Did some firefighter leave your ass to fight a fire and realize that you weren't worth coming back to?
:shrug:

Never go back, they are usually pissed that you got up and actually left. It take approx. 45 seconds to get fully clothed and in the truck heading out the driveway. You'll be gone before she knows what hit her.

Best thing to do is to come back next day.
Let fire go down before attacking it again.

Not like I've done that before.....

 

[purplepassion]

I thought it was one Rescue Squad, Two fire, three mutual aide.

As I said something along this lines. I am not a member my husband is and he told me some time ago but I didn't memorize it because I don't need to respond.

 

[wideawake]

The sirens alert the volunteers that there is a call, if they aren't near there pager or scanner. Its like a back up system.

No I didn't..... I got a job, had to look for an apartment on a very short notice and didn't look much around the neighborhood; of course the rental office didn't mention a thing about it.

If it is only tradition though, they could limit it to something like 8:00am~8:00pm, a very loud siren lasting 10 seconds at 3:00am is not something that you can easily ignore.

 

[Softballkid]

The sirens alert the volunteers that there is a call, if they aren't near there pager or scanner. Its like a back up system.

Isnt the siren also when the trucks/squad cars/ambulance are pulling out of station, or about to, to also alert nearby traffic....

 

[Kumba]

Not that I like resurrecting dead threads, but I actually have an answer for the sirens. I got curious about the one in Bryans Road, so I called Company 11 up and asked, and they said the sequence is generally:

1 short siren every Wednesday @ 12:00pm as a test.
2 long sirens is an EMS call.
3 long sirens is an engine company call.

Uncertain if they're used for weather-related emergencies.

Apparently, they are starting to be phased out as areas get built up more and crews are getting equipped with other methods of contact. Waldorf apparently doesn't use theirs anymore.

The sirens are activated remotely. I believe St. Mary's uses DTMF tones, since that's what I hear when their Tac 2 is patched into CCFD's Tac 6* and a call goes out. Since Charles has the digital radio system, they probably use something more advanced (MOSCAD?).

* This is on a scanner, listening to Charles' system.

 

[NewMotherOf1]

I am a member of CCVRS in La Plata. The siren is not only used to alert the volunteers but it is also used to alert anyone in the area that an emergency vehicle will be coming. And to the person who said about an ambulance going lights and sirens at 3 o'clock in the morning... Yes that is needed! There are still people on the roads. And to get to where we are going that is the fastest way. If you are having a heart attack don't you want us there as fast as we can. Our station does not pay for us to have cell phones. There are a select few members that do have the pagers. We reserve those for the people who run the most calls.

And to anyone who drives. Please pay attention to emergency vehicles! We are trying to help you guys. If you see any vehicle lights and sirens please try to get out of the way as safely and as quickly as you can. There could possibly be someones life in danger and you are blocking our way to get to them. That happened in la plata just a few days ago. Literally no one would move and get out of the way.

And one more thing, please only call 911 if it is an actual emergency! That means that run of the mill toothache you have isn't an emergency. (yes i've actually had a call like that.)

 

[mitzi]

No I didn't..... I got a job, had to look for an apartment on a very short notice and didn't look much around the neighborhood; of course the rental office didn't mention a thing about it.

If it is only tradition though, they could limit it to something like 8:00am~8:00pm, a very loud siren lasting 10 seconds at 3:00am is not something that you can easily ignore.

So the emergency system of the county is supposed the change to accomodate you?

 

[Merlin99]

So the emergency system of the county is supposed the change to accomodate you?

By any chance did you notice that the question was asked a year and a half before you joined up?

 

[mitzi]

By any chance did you notice that the question was asked a year and a half before you joined up?

Yes I did, AFTER I posted it. I felt like a real dumba$$.

 

[tonymdfl]

If I remember right, I thought company 6 was 1 rescue 3 fire.

 

[officeguy]

Not that I like resurrecting dead threads, but I actually have an answer for the sirens. I got curious about the one in Bryans Road, so I called Company 11 up and asked, and they said the sequence is generally:

1 short siren every Wednesday @ 12:00pm as a test.
2 long sirens is an EMS call.
3 long sirens is an engine company call.

I live reasonably close to that one. The only thought that crosses my mind if I hear it go off at 2 in the morning is: Thank god there are a couple of guys heading out to fix whatever needs fixing.

Unfortunately, my life is not compatible with being a volunteer, I am glad for anyone who can do it.

This is a nice little book about one guys experience in the VFD/rescue squad in Wisconsin:

Sneezing Cow » Population:485 – Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time (paperback)