Firehouse sirens still necessary in digital age?

The firehouse siren in Center Moriches is a big problem. It interrupts my sleep and my peace.

[Bangkok Bill]

The firemen have to have their little toys,you don't need sirens anymore but how will the little firemen play big firemen without them?

[Pete]

I am not a volunteer. However, I respect the volunteers for what they do. If your selfish complaint is that you don't like the siren that is used to activate a volunteer to respond and help someone in need, would you consider a paid department that is manned 24/7. They could respond faster and you would have better protection. And best of all, your precious sleep would not be interrupted. Sounds great, right. Oh, but your taxes may go up a bit. I bet you wouldn't like that either. Quit your complaining. Thank those that volunteer for your safety. Or pay the piper for a paid department that would respond from the firehouse with the simple sound of an alarm (that you wouldn't hear from your bed).

[Ebenezer Scrooge]

Newsday has reached a new low. As always, they try to rip apart people that try to help others. I hope Newsdayburns and these terrible volunteers dont show up. The same for the selfish people and their loss of sleep. If your house ever needs help, hope they dont wake you up. Get a life people! Dont let Newsday ruin our island.

[john duffey]

I grew up right behind a firehouse that had a siren and yes it was loud and a bother.But i come from a long line of family firefighters. If you want to complain about noise how about those
BOOM Box radios in cars some of the amps and speakers are bigger the the motors that run them.Just remember while the siren might wake you up and it might be little awhile before you get back to sleep it might be HOURS before these firefighters get some SLEEP!!!!

[Jim]

The technology definately exists. An automated phone call can be sent to the responders houses. Schools use them to contact substitute teachers every morning. The system is not expensive, especially when you consider what firehouses are spending to improve firefighters recreational facilities.
There is simply no reason to blast people out of their beds with their horns every night.

[John McKenna]

The fire siren is equivalent to a neighbor's cry for help. If someone were screaming for help, you'd never say "I'd wish that noise would stop", no not at all, you'd run and help (I hope). The siren should be treated the same as that cry for help. When you hear it, don't be annoyed, say a prayer for whomever sounded the cry for help. And say a prayer for those who will answer that cry.

[Quiet In Florida]

Wow... I forgot how much I DON'T miss those blaring sirens... And the LIRR horns blaring at crossings all night even though every crossing on LI has gates that will default to the down position in a malfunction... Yea- LI needs to PAY their firefighters so the stations can be manned 24/7.....You boys (and girls) need to stop "playing" firefighter. Demand this be a career in which you can get paid a salary for providing an invaluable service to the community. Come on now!

[Kev OC]

John McKenna wrote:

The fire siren is equivalent to a neighbor's cry for help. If someone were screaming for help, you'd never say "I'd wish that noise would stop", no not at all, you'd run and help (I hope). The siren should be treated the same as that cry for help. When you hear it, don't be annoyed, say a prayer for whomever sounded the cry for help. And say a prayer for those who will answer that cry.

Exactly right. Getting rid of sirens would be a pathetic move to support some idiot NIMBYs. They'll complain about the sirens until their house goes on fire, then they'll complain that there was no siren.

[NIMBY]

Pete wrote:

would you consider a paid department that is manned 24/7. They could respond faster and you would have better protection. And best of all, your precious sleep would not be interrupted. Sounds great, right. Oh, but your taxes may go up a bit. I bet you wouldn't like that either.

Considering the NEWSDAY reported that L.I. has more fire fighting equipment than NYC & LA combined, a full time, island wide, paid dept would probably result in LOWER taxes.

[veritas]

This is to all residents of Mayberry RFD:
I am sorry you woke up in 2008. In our present time period we can actually contact people without a loud horn or a guy walking around town with a bell. If you can't get used to our new technology called phones and pagers, please go back to 1950.
Anyone who needs a horn as a "backup to current technology is really an idiot. Doctors don't need horns to tell them to get to hospital at 2am.
Get the point?

[RealNYER]

Quiet In Florida wrote:

Wow... I forgot how much I DON'T miss those blaring sirens... And the LIRR horns blaring at crossings all night even though every crossing on LI has gates that will default to the down position in a malfunction... Yea- LI needs to PAY their firefighters so the stations can be manned 24/7.....You boys (and girls) need to stop "playing" firefighter. Demand this be a career in which you can get paid a salary for providing an invaluable service to the community. Come on now!

You sound very bitter. It is far from playing when you have someone's life in your hands.

Since you appear to have zero knowledge of what it takes to be a volunteer, I suggest you rethink your statement. This country has a proud history of volunteer's woven into it's fabric.

Your solution is to pay anyone to do something people love and are willing to do for free...shame on you.

All this over a siren that may go off once every two weeks.. Newsday has once again tried to make news out of nothing.

I will use Newsday to line my kitter litter box, as it's not suitable for reading.

[Fred]

The article says " The sirens are a great backup method."

Great isn't the word, how about the most reliable method. How many times have you tried to make a cell call and couldn't, or made the call and couldn't hear? Pagers are the same thing. The air waves are free and everyone is using them. I'll take the noise from the siren any day or night when it comes to saving a life.

[Jim D]

The cell phone coverage and beeper coverage is fine.

But, it is really a big deal to let you know that there is a fire somewhere, maybe the fire is next door to you! The siren can alert you. Do we really need to make like so sterile? Is it harming you to let you know that someone is in need of help? If you really want to help, become a volunteer and help out.

Some of you people want want want, but do not want to give anything.

The solution is a half paid/half volunteer department, which is how many communities across the country solve this issue.

Next thing, these NIMBY's will say that street lights are too bright and should be dimmed.

[W Lindeman]

Are fire sirens needed in this digital age? The answer is in this question, digital is not reliable. Look at your cell phone service. If you house was on fire and the fire siren alerted the one first respnoder,(who missed the digital signal, for whatever reason) that saved you or your families life. The answer for me is Yes!

[Left LI and happy]

Back in the 70's there was a very bad ice storm on Long island. We had radio's in our homes to alert us about fires but due to the fact that most of the electric was out and the battery back up in our radio's had gone dead there was no way to alert the firefighters. I was at home when I heard the siren at the fire house go off (we had a generator) many of us responded to the fire house and then responded to a house fire, which was caused by the fireplace. I can tell you right now had it not been for that siren, there would have been no house left. This seems to pop up everytime someone moves to LI from a place where they do not have sirens, such as the city etc. These sirens also act to alert motorists that firefighters are responding to a call and to please move over for the blue light. There are also times were thay may prefer to shut the pager off such as church, funerals etc, the siren allows them to go and fined out if they are needed. Stop trying to get rid of the sirens, you just might need them some day.

[TAX PAYING VET]

People you all forget for nearly a week after Huricane Gloria the only way anyone had to know there was a fire was the horns. very few radio's worked and the pagers were all dead. I know I was there as a member of the Babylon Village FD

[fmoore]

fire departments still want to use sirens so that the public will know they are active. no sirens and fire departments are too easily forgotten as just there.

[Jay]

This is 2008 we don't need sirens and horns. While their at it they might as well do smoke signals. Come on people as unreliable as technology may seem the possibility of all the firemen not getting a call on all the different services is bullshit. Get real people.

[Run262]

I don't disagree with you Vet. The primary question is why do they have to test it daily? Couldn't it just be available for when the electroncs won't work?

Thanks for everything you do. Were you around for the Robert Moses Draw Bridge rescue in 1983?

[sparky]

Keep the dam siren on, it's a great old tradition.