Yeah, I love how you can hear the blasts roll across the valley.

Penn Yan, NY also uses a Gamewell system that "honks" out a different code for each pull box. The present horn is one toned, but before the firehouse burned in 1967, there was a cluster of three horns that sounded a pleasing musical chord. It was powerful - if you were close, it would vibrate your whole body, and could be heard for miles. I've looked for a video with a similar triple horn, but couldn't find one.

@jjentertainment6011

Жыл бұрын

Do you know what the siren on top of the horns is used for?

Goffstown NH use to run horns on all 3 of our stations.

If I were to have designed the Gamewell system, I would have made a standard "Attention Blast." Simply a three to five second blast to get the firefighters attention to prepare to count so they get it the first time.

Wernersville State Hospital about 30 minutes outside of Reading, PA has horns identical to these, right down to the pitch. Back in the day there was a fire station on the grounds, and if someone pulled the fire alarm handle, the horns would sound the number of the building (ex. “35” would be 3 short blasts, a pause, and then 5 short blasts, 5 times in a row). It was updated through the years and is now hooked up to the smoke detectors in the buildings.

Union Fire District in South Kingstown RI has horns on 7 out of 8 stations, 4 of them are non-diaphone. Double set on Wakefield station, single horns on West Kingston, Tuckertown and Matunuck stations. Diaphones on Peace Dale (double) Tower Hill (single) and Snug Harbor (single) stations.

Firefighter in allenstown. I love it when the tones go off! Whether its in the station or on the pager.

Sunbury, Pa fire department had a similar horn system. When a box was called in the horns would let us know which box it was. The first horn was located on the roof of the Rescue Hose Company and would sound off first, then a few seconds later the second horn which was at the south end of town would go to echo the box coming in to those who lived down there. It would cycle three times before stopping.

Windham, Maine had horns like this atop their station in Boody's corner. You could hear them all the way across town. Two blasts at 9 p.m. were a nightly test and, according to local lore, to announce the beginning of a curfew for teenagers. Any other time you heard them there was a fire call. At 1 in the morning it was eerie to hear them going off. Usually they'd be accompanied at that point by sirens from South Windham and other towns providing help in case they required mutual aid. When I attended the primary school across from the fire station, blasts from the horn would get us running over to the windows to watch the trucks leave the station. Very exciting stuff for the kids and also annoying for the teachers who tried to get us to calm back down and pay attention to our lessons!

they had a system quite similar to this one, in Herkimer, NY. they had a horn at the station and 1 at the edge of town and they kinda held a duet when they went off at noon. and yes, just like you guys, it was coded. i don't think they use it anymore, as when I've been to my grandmother's house last week, i don't recall hearing it. its one of those things i have as a memory from my childhood

Up until the early 90's, there was a Federal Electric air horn system in Mt. Shasta, California, which dated from the early 40's. Ten horns (two large, eight small) on the police station and two sets of three horns each (one large, two small) in other parts of town were controlled via phone line by a mechanical clockwork encoder with removable cams for various codes. The ten horns are still there but no longer used.

The fire station is the "central station" for many of the fire alarm systems in town, meaning the alarms are monitored at the fire station. However, there is no full time dispatcher or other person with the task of monitoring alarms. So if the crews are asleep, or out on runs, the alarm would go unanswered. This is a fully automated system that activates the pagers, and when working properly, tells the off duty personnel where the alarm is.

Warren State Hospital uses the same type of code signalling for fires and other emergencies ... I don't know all the codes, but the one that I do know is 2 long blasts that stand for "all clear" they will blast out a a 3 number code ... that tells them the building, the floor in the building and the section of the building ... mostly used for fires or fire drills, but if there is a tornado warning that triggers the eas, they will sound off short blasts with it nonstop for I think 2 or 3 minutes

Village of Bennington Vermont used to have the same system. I don't know if they still use it. I grew up there and it was still in use in the 70s

The first fire deprtment I joined had an air operated horn like this. It also sounded at dinner time 1 was a still alarm, 42 was for a fire out of town, 32 was for a fire in Calais. After that it was all box alarms. Calais and Milltown also had this system, so it somtimes got confusing.

Burlington, MA had the same system well into the Seventies, when it went to an all professional force. They used the horn into the 90s to signal school cancellations.

@Firfighter80 It was the reception of a dept. members wedding, it was kindof our own "wedding church bells" if you will. We sent out a disregard announcment over the radio before doing this.

Martins Ferry and Yorkville OH had this system. I don’t know why Yorkville quit using theirs. My parents worked in the town starting in the late 70’s and don’t remember it being used and my dad moved there in late 1990 and I only remember a siren being used. Martins Ferry used theirs up until a little past when the county went to 9-1-1 systems in the late 1990’s. I think they used it primarily because the city is mostly rural. Definitely worked, on a real clear day you could hear it 2-3 towns over.

Berlin, New Hampshire has a horn like this. It blows every day at 12:00 noon (twice as a test) and also blows to call in off duty firefighters. I'm not sure what system it is, but it sound something like this one. The one in Berlin is loud, you can hear it in the next town up, Milan, if you listen closely.

Holy hell!! I could just imagine the complaints you guys must get on those horns! We have an "air raid" type siren system (that is not very loud) that goes off for fire dispatches only. Any other type of dispatch the county hits our alternate tones for alert without the siren and we hear complaints on that when it goes off.

We had the same thing in Newington, NH it was a tied in with the Keltron, a box tripped in and it would blast the horns for 4 rounds of the box. It was loud enough I could hear it at night when I lived in Atlantic Heights in Portsmouth! the pager would trip, and i would listen while i got dressed to count out the blasts...When a box like 178 or 197 rang in, it woke EVERYONE in town. There was also a pull cord on the actuator valve that you could pull to manually sound the horns.

Out here in Victor Montana we have something similar to your system. Our pagers have the same beeping tone. But when our pagers go off the siren on top of the hall start going off.

the Canada airbourn fire services uses these in frontenac countey to alert the public if there is a large forest fire or a large explosion

The Rockaway Borough NJ Fire Dept which I am on has three horns that we still use for fires and other calls

Branchporter: there is a video of the fire horn in Dunsmuir, California, which has three tuned horns. Unfortunately, one of them isn't working, but two- and three-horn combinations were once common in northern California.

Ok question, we just use pagers, whats the loud horn for?

Yup, we have the same size air tank, and used to have a cord operated valve as well. Sounds like an almost identical system. Thanks for your input.

@knowledgeispowermediaprodu7094

Жыл бұрын

When I was a youngster growing up in a rural part of Oregon, I can remember hearing that super loud siren, like a tornado siren, going off to alert the volunteers. We always got so excited to see all the action! By action, I mean the trucks and you guys pulling out, sirens blaring, we would chase y'all down the street cheering!

@KevinLyons-gn7eu

4 ай бұрын

It appears to be a diralhorn fire whistle

@KevinLyons-gn7eu

4 ай бұрын

@@knowledgeispowermediaprodu7094 what station what is that horn used? Is it still there today?

These are probably Cunningham Air Whistles installed by Federal Signal sometime in the 40's. These were very popular in northern California and some are still in use.

BayHead NJ--a small Ocean County coastal town--has those horns. The next town over--Point Pleasant--had the gamewell diaphones---a different sound.

When i moved to the town I'm at now back in 89, that was the very first thing we heard. Our town used to have a triple horn setup right smack dab in the middle of town. It was so loud that I wouldn't walk by it at all. It used to sound off what kind of call it was alerting and where. I don't miss it. and I still have air horn phobia

The Town of Bar Harbor, Maine has a System like this with 2 horns, except i'm pretty sure they don't go off for a alarm anymore, They go off at 12PM and 9PM every day.

What does the radio say before the horn sounds? its sorta distorted

Are the horns still being used today

The same circuit that allowed the keltron card to send the signal to the tapper activated the valve coming from the compressed air tank to the horns. the air tank was HUGE, at least 12 feet tall and 3.5 feet in diameter. Very similar to the Diaphone system.

I recently reopened a Volunteer station and was thinking it would be nice to have an old school siren or horn like this just for nostalgia. A link to the system you have would be great. Of course I'd want to program it so it would not go off in the midldle of the night.

so how exactly does the coding work. how can you tell what the numbers are.

i live in pennsylvania and we have this system. i live about 70 yds away from our town horn. it goes off one time and then the fire sirens go off. lately kids have been repeatedly hitting the horn around 2 in the morning and i am getting really agitated by it. it just went again.

what kind of alarm is this, my fire dept has the same one but like a sec shorter

I believe I may have one of the gamewell boxes from this town, the inner box shell has "FARMINGTON" stenciled on it's top in old paint

@RileyStanchina

5 жыл бұрын

Do you still have it? If so what is the box number?

waldwick nj used to have a Gamewell Diaphone on the police tower it was taken down in the year 2000 but i hope they get new ones.

@markrosen5282

4 жыл бұрын

Midland Park has horns as well. kzread.info/dash/bejne/l4h6j9eumq-shdo.html

This is still an awesome vid in 2020.

@actionfire4036

3 жыл бұрын

2021 but yes!

Smiths Grove Kentucky Volunteer Fire Department has a horn system we dont use it any longer but we do still have it installed

How many horns are up there?

Dudley MA still has this type of system

There's a horn in Westfield, NY it has a one horn system and its three toots for a medical call and 5 for a fire

So does everyone in the city wake up when this alarm goes off?

Growing up in Middletown NY there were two fire houses in town that would periodically honk these horns. And one other firehouse with a siren. Now you don't even hear them anymore. I guess technology like digital notification and communication systems made these obsolete.

@radiosnmore1225

5 жыл бұрын

Juan Zingarello I LIVE 20 MINUTES AWAY AND THEY HAVE AN STH 10 THAT REPLACED THE DIAPHONES

@Hellsarchon

5 жыл бұрын

Oh the one posted in West Glens Falls beautiful fire horn

does that go off in the middle of the night?

@FireLt4104 Exactly correct, ours sound four times (the same number of times the old telegraph code wheels turn coincidentally)

This sounds eerily similar to the fire alarms at school! I like these better though - they're of a higher quality.

That's wild. Really cool.

The Borough of Freehold , N.J. has a dual head Gamewell Diaphone system still in place atop their firehouse . Used to live there and that thing would shake the car windows when you drove by ! Don't know if they still use it at all anymore or not . They used to blow it a night back in the 60's , 70,s and the 80's !

@ElyseHorvath

10 жыл бұрын

Also at the Neptune first aid they have a regular gamewell diaphone

@turbonegroegg

9 жыл бұрын

Patrick Rogers We just moved into the Borough last september and had no idea what that horn noise was. So I guess its safe to say theyre still blowing that thing to this day.

Idk if this is still active but canastota New York has the same one I have it on video

the horns sound out the same way the tapper on a punch tape or a house bell sounds out. For example, Box 135 would sound one blast, a 5 second pause, then 3 blasts, a 5 second pause, then 5 blasts followed by a 10 second pause. then it would repeat this same cycle 2 or 3 more times depending on a departments policy.

I love a fire dept that still blows the box number out

They are Clark-Cooper Air Horns, Model 810. Probably using 110 PSI Per Blast. These horns have a range of 4 Miles. I just reinstalled the Lyndhurst, NJ Fire Department, Clark-Cooper Air Horn's. Model 810 yesterday. The reason why we put them back into service, is due to Hurricane Sandy. But took 3 years for the town to budget a New Air System. They will be activated between the hours of 08:00 & 20:00 Hours. There is alot of reasons, why we went back to this. If you want to know email me.

@doverpoint1

8 жыл бұрын

Do you know how many dB's these are at 100 feet?

@paulhaggerty9933

8 жыл бұрын

+Lily Dane They are a 114 dBI, at 100 Feet and Frequency in hertz, is 240

Yes the City of Rensselaer NY uses this system as well......

Winsted ct used to have a system just like this the number of blasts corresponded to the box number so everyone knew where the call was

I remember living in Eggertsville NY during early 1960's hearing their Gamewell horns at Eggertsville Hose, Alternating with a model 2 siren, on a pole near the 27 cors( Amherst ny, very scary to a kid listening at night time, alerting volunteers. Took them out of service in 1981. out

incoming box alarm

@NEXT300 Attention all Farmington Fire monitors, respond to your station for an incoming box alarm. (repeat)

We had one in Aliquippa Pa in the 60's and 70's

Sorry about that error! They are 114dBi at 100 feet and 240 Hertz..

Most of these horns were made by Cunningham Air Whistle, which still makes them today.

@michaelgatien4277

4 жыл бұрын

which cunningham air whistle models does Bar Harbor, ME have?

ok. i was thinking something like that, but i think i just couldn't count. that's cool. thanks for explaining.

Those horns sound old fashion

Monsey, Rockland County, NY used to have something that sounded like this. Don't know if they still do. Haven't lived near there for over 21 years now.

@jwills22

3 ай бұрын

The Jews got it shut off

Rensselaer, NY does it for non-EMS Calls.

At Banner Elk, NC, we have an air raid sirens that goes off.

@davidleecallowayjr9249

8 жыл бұрын

do they still alert when the county sets of the pagers ?

Never seen a horn on a fire hall before. Always been a rotary/electrical siren. Very different for sure.

@mrwonderful2142

Жыл бұрын

We had them all over northern new England forever up until around Y2K The ones in my town also blasted daily at noon and 5pm

I'm pretty sure Monongahela fire in southwest PA has the same setup.

@jaysmith1408

5 жыл бұрын

Charles R978 borough of mon? Have to go check, thanks!

Painted Post Fire Dept., New York has a loud horn blast. I found out one day because they have a stupid traffic light out in front about 100 ft. away. Well, one day it went off while I was waiting for the light to turn Green. I about shit my pants that summer day with my windows rolled down when it went off. OMG!

Sounds like a matched pair of 8" Cunningham Air Whistles, probably sold to the FD by Federal.

Sounds like a hockey goal horn

Wow. Yes it does sound like a ship's horn.

Closter is a town which has a diaphone.

awesome vid man 5*

We have the same types of panel and box these are from sanford systems

These things are ALL OVER upstate New York. Almost every city I go to up here I see the pullboxes on about every other pole around the cities.

@markrosen5282

4 жыл бұрын

Many of them that you see nowadays are digital, will read out the code digitally. A lot of departments in NY have done away with the gamewell signals systems.

Three, facing in different directions.

Sweet!

I live within range of three vol houses that had unique horns like these. I could tell which one it was by the pitch and direction it came from. Haven't heard them in over 20 years. Technology of some sort killed them. :(

My dad used to live one minute walk from there.

Maybe the reason is that some of them are very old.

I prefer sirens

@johnwashburn7423

6 жыл бұрын

I prefer sirens but the advantage of horns is that they can bleat a code that gives the firefighters an approximate idea of where the incident is.

@noahcuce100

5 жыл бұрын

Same

@annieslots2941

5 жыл бұрын

Me too

That sounds like a ship in stress!😂

I think most NH are like that. Meredith has the same.

Cazenovia Ny has the same horn

It sounds like a truck horn

Clinton NY has this type of siren, makes you jump outta yer skin.

They are a 114 bDi

Crokett CA Fire Uses a Old steam whistle at the CH refinery for there call out... The CH always has Steam being produced for there equipment and that Whistle....

WESTWOOD NJ USED TO HAVE ONE BUT THEY ONLY USE THE FIRE SIRENS NOW

Lynnfield MA has the same thing

@actionfire4036

6 жыл бұрын

Parker Rhode mclean and groton have the aame thing only grotons is different

@FastLikeSquirrel! Oh. Does it sound like those Russian Attack Horns? Yeah I know I am a Modern Warfare 2 Alarm Freak. On this game when you do the Russian siegmant you hear these horns. They sound like that creepy low moan sound you are talking about.

Holy Crap !!!

I do not see some of the comments.

@Firfighter80 No we did not.

I think it's a closter diaphone

theres a few