The Siren Board

There are a lot of fire horns still in use, though they aren't as common as sirens. Many were installed during and after WWII so sirens could be reserved for civil defense. They seem to be most common in California and New York/New England. I'm referring specifically to diaphragm "tyfon" horns or self-contained "Shrek horns," not diaphones. Here is one person's video:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBMj2amDb7c

3 things: 1: was that you that said "Hit it?" 2: They sounded fantastic! 3: I am not going to lie... I honestly didn't know that fire horns were used other than a VERY rare occasion.

That isn't my video. This one is:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e52yZii7obA

While sirens are more common than horns here in CT, there are several Cunningham horns in service around me in addition to Diaphones. I recently got permission from the Wethersfield CT fire department to record their Company 1 and 3s Cunninghams from the firehouse parking lots during their daily noon test (Company 2 has a pair of real nice sounding Diaphones) which I plan on recording before it gets too cold. Enfield has a set of 3 at their Thompsonville FD but I'm trying to get confirmation they still blast them at noon (2 blasts). Madison CT, on the shore has a set as well which blasts twice at 1pm daily.

While I don't yet have videos of the Cunninghams on their own, I do have 2 with Wethersfield Company 3s sounding in the background.

From Glastonbury across the CT river:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq8stURjzFk heard at 1:03 (listen carefully)

And a bit closer (about 2 miles away) after Company 2s Diaphones blast:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY0MgW0WVws heard at 0:14.

There's also a few more Cunninghams, and Clark Cooper horns in service in MA

Maybe because in some states FD dept's don't have them(This is my guess), or at least most of the stations.. or maybe I just don't notice them.. because were I live, I've never seen nor heard one.... I'm curious, what are they used for?

Valtonus wrote: I'm curious, what are they used for?

Cumminghams along with Diaphones were used in conjunction with coded street boxes to send coded blasts so firefighters could pinpoint the exact location of a fire just by listening to the horns. So if the horns blew 5 blasts, 2 blasts, 1 blast in a series of 3-4 rounds for example, firefighters, and surrounding neighbors knew it was box 521 and a list of box numbers, which firefighters carried with when and were often available to other residents as well told them where the boxes were located. Now with pagers and cell phones being common place, these coded boxes are being phased out in some places and these horns now sound a general series of blasts, or shut down do to complaints. Seems like these were the most popular here on the east coast, and to a lesser extent on the west coast.

I think I like your 2 videos you shared here more than any of your others LOL, I have a very soft spot in my heart for those diaphragm horns and boy do they sound good from a distance! Do you have plans to get a closer recording of those diaphragm horns from a bit closer by chance?? Can my friend "Tony" help convince you J/K

Rheems1 wrote:I think I like your 2 videos you shared here more than any of your others LOL, I have a very soft spot in my heart for those diaphragm horns and boy do they sound good from a distance! Do you have plans to get a closer recording of those diaphragm horns from a bit closer by chance?? Can my friend "Tony" help convince you J/K

Glad you like them Dave. A firefighter at Company 3 commented that their horns haven't sounded since they switched over to the new P25 radio system and the horns heard were company 1s Cunninghams (as he put it like the goal horn used for the former Hartford Whalers) and of course Company 2s Diaphones. Company 3s horns did 2 blasts which can be heard in the Company 2 video (listen for 2 low pitched blasts), Company 1s Cunninghams and 2s Diaphones do 1 blast for calls and daily at noon. I have to get my lazy butt over there and record them .

Also more good news, the Enfield Thompsonville FD's Cunninghams still do a noon blast. I heard them from across the river while driving through East Windsor at noon a few weeks ago. I plan on recording them from both East Windsor and up close.

One question Dan what was the puff of visible air in the company two video right as the tones ended before the blast?

It looks like condensation that was built up being purged just prior to them sounding, if you have a humid day they will build up the condensation pretty well.