The Siren Board

There's a place for an item like a bell that the kids can ring and the community take pride in. Those things have a value that shouldn't be ignored; and if the municipality couldn't see their way clear to supplying a bell, I bet donations for the bell could be found.

As to electronic siren dynamics, I think somebody's missing the point if we're not talking about the speakers even before the siren.

Yes, community pride and support is essential to a well functioning fire department. Without it, you loose a valuable service, as well as a major thread that holds a community together. A bell is one way that the fire department can relate that value and tradition to the public (same concept with churches). Joe Average can relate more to a bell than a foam eductor or spanner wrench.

JasonC wrote:Fire departments who put bells on their apparatus usually will put it on only one truck (usually their best "show truck") for use in parades and such, mainly for purposes of nostalgia and "making noise" close to people without all the sirens and horns.

Oh. That makes more sense. I thought they meant it as a warning device.

JasonC wrote:Some bells are electrically operated, but there are bells on modern equipment (2006 E-One for example) that actually do have a "string" run up into the cab in the officers seat. Those bells are nice, and they are quality made.

Yes, I have rung one with a rope on a 50s Mack.

JasonC wrote:Putting K5LA train horns on a fire truck, I believe, is a bigger waste of money than a bell. Stuttertone horns work just fine and they have a "fire truck" sound to the public. Train horns are just pointless on an apparatus running code 3 (though I'd be one happy person riding in that officers seat responding to a structure fire!)

Far too loud. You don't need to scare and annoy the whole town. Only warn the next intersection you're approaching.
If I was unfamiliar with the town, I'd think a train was near, and continue on my merry way not thinking I may need to yield to a fire truck. That should be illegal. Only fire truck-sounding Stuttertone horns or the like should be "alloud".

JasonC wrote:As far as a waste of money, there are a LOT of other money pits on apparatus I'd be more concerned about. (i.e. a fully digital computerized pump panel $200k+)

What could possibly be the justification for that? I know how to pump water with just the dials we already have. Sickening.

JasonC wrote:Usually if a department has an antique apparatus, you will almost always find a bell on it, though its probably original.

Yes. That is fine and nostalgic.

I'm fine with having a bell, but all I'm saying is at least put a bit more effort into it than buying a fake metal bell and broadcasting a crappy sound filled with static over the siren speakers.

I'd have to say that a Whelen hfs siren is loudest at long distance. I am going to agree with Robert because electronic sirens sound at full output during wind-up and wind-down so they are more effective at penetrating the vehical. As far as electro mechanical the Q gets your attention and quickly which is a must, you can't beat the sound of a Q2B. So I don't think either one is better than the other, but personally I would go with electronic sirens.

When nearing a Hospital Zone or Quiet Zone, a nice thing about a Q is that we can briefly punch it and get it to attain only a low volume low frequency descent.
The electronic siren is always at full volume output.

electronic sirens with an air horn feature can do pretty much the same, and don't draw 200 + amps.

Yes. The inrush on the Q is terrible, especially when the vehicle engine is idling such as when slowing for an intersection.
But the electronic air horn is still too loud and obnoxious.

Don't some electric sirens have a volume knob? Older ones, particularly. (I was planning to put one in my room, for no reason at all.)

All electronic sirens produce a square wave I believe at full amplitude to produce the most sound possible. It would cost them a few more cents per unit to install volume adjustment.
Also, if they allowed that volume to be lowered and an accident occured, they would probably be sued.

The P.A. volume is fully adjustable.