Why the Sirens?

[pgchustla]

Why do the fire stations, notably Dunkirk and Huntingtown, still wail the siren every time they get a call?

There has to be a better way to call volunteers......

Think it's just tradition?

 

[Im_Me]

Why do the fire stations, notably Dunkirk and Huntingtown, still wail the siren every time they get a call?

There has to be a better way to call volunteers......

Think it's just tradition?

It's a good question and I wondered that myself when I lived within hearing distance of the St Leonard Station. I do think it also gives people driving in the area of the station a fair warning that a truck is going to come gunning out of the building though. I know I start looking the minute I hear the siren.

 

[Chris0nllyn]

Why do the fire stations, notably Dunkirk and Huntingtown, still wail the siren every time they get a call?

There has to be a better way to call volunteers......

Think it's just tradition?

The one in Dunkirk keeps the people in WaWa at bay.

 

[MMDad]

Why do the fire stations, notably Dunkirk and Huntingtown, still wail the siren every time they get a call?

There has to be a better way to call volunteers......

Think it's just tradition?

Most stations have stopped using them. Those who still do are usually doing it for tradition. Yes, there is a better way, and it is used.

 

[Rt235]

Not every VOLUNTEER in SOMDs ALL VOLUNTEER force may have their beeper with them...different tones indicate different types of calls..so the sirens are used to call members to that station. Not a tradition as the tones originate at the 911 center, not the station.

 

[MMDad]

Not every VOLUNTEER in SOMDs ALL VOLUNTEER force may have their beeper with them...different tones indicate different types of calls..so the sirens are used to call members to that station. Not a tradition as the tones originate at the 911 center, not the station.

Then why would only a couple of stations still use them? Most don't.

They are a throwback, and they are used or not at the will of the FD, not the county.

 

[Rt235]

Then why would only a couple of stations still use them? Most don't.

They are a throwback, and they are used or not at the will of the FD, not the county.

Tones originate at Control Center..ask them.

Stations can turn their sirens off...but tones still sound triggering sirens.

 

[MMDad]

Tones originate at Control Center..ask them.

Stations can turn their sirens off...but tones still sound triggering sirens.

This is about why they are used, not how.

 

[BOP]

Why do the fire stations, notably Dunkirk and Huntingtown, still wail the siren every time they get a call?

There has to be a better way to call volunteers......

Think it's just tradition?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siren

In Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Σειρήν Seirēn; Greek plural: Σειρῆνες Seirēnes) were dangerous and beautiful creatures, portrayed as femme fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

 

[Jeter3000]

I grew up across the street from our volunteer FD. They still blow the whistle at noon, except on weekends. I actually look forward to it when I'm there visiting. When the siren blows in the middle of the night for an emergency, I still run to the picture window to watch the trucks depart. Strange, I know :/

 

[MMDad]

I grew up across the street from our volunteer FD. They still blow the whistle at noon, except on weekends. I actually look forward to it when I'm there visiting. When the siren blows in the middle of the night for an emergency, I still run to the picture window to watch the trucks depart. Strange, I know :/

Depending on where you are, that might be the best way to do it. If you're relying on farmers in the field or construction workers to be the FD, the siren can be effective for that. Seems pretty pointless around here where the vast majority of people work inside and there are lots of trees to absorb the sound.

 

[mdff21]

Southern Maryland is not 100% all volunteer, Calvert is the only county that is still 100% and the only county in the state that is all volunteer. As far as the sirens, not all of the volunteers have the pagers to alert them of calls. Most of the departments issue pagers to the members, but this is costly. The pagers cost about $400 each and most departments have at least 70 members. With today's technology and the counties moving to the 800 megahertz frequencies, they have not developed a pager for those frequencies. Most of the pagers are still operating on the low band (30-50) and the range/reception is not reliable. The sirens also alert the public that there is an emergency and to be watchful of responding equipment.

 

[PsyOps]

The sirens also alert the public that there is an emergency and to be watchful of responding equipment.

I always thought the one in Dunkirk was for this reason. I've been at the Ward Rd intersection a lot of times when the siren blew and 20 seconds later fire trucks hit the intersection.

 

[RPMDAD]

Have lived in Huntingtown, within earshot distance of the siren HVFD for over 23 years doesn't bother me at all.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

Because the other ones stopped due to the complaints of all the dumb #### rural pioneers that moved here from the more enlightened parts of MD. The sirens offended them. The same way tractors, the Amish, hunting, the watermen, the no streetlights or sidewalks on rural roads, no "trendy" restaurants, no gourmet coffee shoppes and most local businesses do.

 

[MMDad]

Because the other ones stopped due to the complaints of all the dumb #### rural pioneers that moved here from the more enlightened parts of MD. The sirens offended them. The same way tractors, the Amish, hunting, the watermen, the no streetlights or sidewalks on rural roads, no "trendy" restaurants, no gourmet coffee shoppes and most local businesses do.

From talking to a former chief of one local department, I know that their decision was based on the cost to keep the siren working weighed against the fact that the siren was not an effective way to call the volunteers. It had nothing to do with complaints.

Is there any reason to keep the sirens other than "that's the way we've always done it? I'm not buying the "alerting traffic they're coming out" since there's at least a couple of minutes delay after the siren ends. In that time the traffic that heard the siren is long gone, and has been replaced by traffic that had no warning.

 

[NorthBeachPerso]

From talking to a former chief of one local department, I know that their decision was based on the cost to keep the siren working weighed against the fact that the siren was not an effective way to call the volunteers. It had nothing to do with complaints.

Is there any reason to keep the sirens other than "that's the way we've always done it? I'm not buying the "alerting traffic they're coming out" since there's at least a couple of minutes delay after the siren ends. In that time the traffic that heard the siren is long gone, and has been replaced by traffic that had no warning.

Then you didn't talk to the North Beach VFD. They had complaints from the new townhouses behind the firehouse starting 15 or 20 years ago ("I didn't knowwww what that building wasss when I moved here") that ramped up when Horizons on the Bay opened. Since it's crabbing season the complaints about watermen have started again.

 

[mdff21]

From talking to a former chief of one local department, I know that their decision was based on the cost to keep the siren working weighed against the fact that the siren was not an effective way to call the volunteers. It had nothing to do with complaints.

As far as I know siren maintenance funds come from the county public safety department. Not only are the sirens used for alerting emergency calls, they are also used for disasters for evacuations. I too am not sure what "chief" you talked to and maybe that chief was not from this county!!

 

[OldHillcrestGuy]

Its like the other night during the All Star game at Regency Stadium aka. Blue Crabs, at about 11pm. the Charles County Sheriffs Dept. got a noise complaint from a citizen in the apartments along Billingsley Rd. Those apartments were built after the stadium was there, what do you expect with a ballpark around the corner.
I also heard that the Blue Crabs have gotten complaints about their sign at the corner of Billingsley and Piney Chruch Rds. its to bright it shines in the windows of the townhouses that were built behind it, they didnt see that big sign when they bought their townhouse.