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Another public misconception lately seems to be our use of audible air horns/sirens to alert members to runs.
A very nice family moved in a few months ago across the street from me. They are from Whitestone, Queens. They love it here and are great neighbors.
LOL-the Volunteer Fire Dept concept has been explained to them in very great detail, something they never even imagined, and I probably even snagged a future firefighter/EMT or two.
So, today, FS&M had a funeral for an Ex-Chief. The horns were sounded as a final farewell. The neighbor had the audacity to ask "why are the horns going off all the time... this is ridiculous... I thought we moved to a quiet neighborhood" (And PS, FS's horns usually only go off at 6pm, 12 noon Sat's, and once in a while for a 10 or a 9). I promptly (and courteously he he) explained to him that someone who devoted countless hours of free time for no pay had passed, and this was in honor of him.
To which I also added he wouldnt mind hearing those horns if he was trapped in his car after an accident, and that the landscaper's leaf blower next door pretty much drowned out any semblance of a fire horn.
My other favorite is people that buy houses with LIRR tracks in their rear yards and firehouses next door... "Umm, ya didnt see the train tracks or 2 story firehouse when ya bought the place?!?!"....
So, try and be patient with these people. A lot of people have no clue what we do and who we are. Today, someone learned something and was quite humbled by it.
The Italian deli down the block from my company tells me all the time that they love hearing the sirens as we leave for a run. Some people love it, others hate it.
Mfd...bottom Line...some People Are Just Plain Stupid...i Agree With You But Many People Are Just Totally Ignorant As To All The Things That Go On Around Them To Keep Them Safe And Enjoying The Lifestyles To Which They Have Become Accustomed...
Kind of like renting a house across from a firehouse and then complaing that once in a while, you may have to keep an eye out for personal cars with blue lights flashing, and the occasional fire apparatus departing quarters. How dare they?
we had a family move in across from the firehouse that requested we use no lights or sirens until we pass their house.... yea right !!
my firehouse is on a residential block and has been there long before the neighbors were, however we are curtious to them. during late night runs we don't hit lights til we are ready to roll. while we await the crew we sit on the ramp with the lights off, when we roll they go on. we don't hit the federal q or airhorns til we get to our first major intersection. 9 out of 10 times we are the only ones on the road. there are times we hit the works as soon as we leave the ramp. especially when we make a left out of quarters. (1st big street is closer that way) yes we were there first but a little pr with the neighbors goes a long way.
My firehouse is in a residential neighborhood and we no longer use the audible sirens only 12 noon on Saturday.Our house faces south so when we leave the ramp and go east its lights and sirens thru a busy intersection and west into town that is the only time the neighbors know we have a call day or night.
I used to be in Garden City Park, Station 2. This guy buys the house whose #3 side is the station parking lot and the #4 side is an elementary school. Needless to say, it didn't take him long to start bitching about noise out of both places.
There was this woman who lived on the block a few houses down from the firehouse...kinda squirrelly, but really liked us. When the putz starts going door to door with a petition to turn off the horns, she chased him down the block swatting at him with a broom!
All the same problems by us. Pull the rig to do the detail on it, they say the fumes from the rig are bothering them. When we start the tools, saws, etc...they say "Do you have to start those every time to check the truck?"......YES! "Does that SIREN go off everytime the truck and ambulance go out?"....It used to. But people bitched so much that now the SIREN is only used from 8am-9pm unless it is a working fire on the street the firehosue is on. We were also asked to not hit the lights or sirens on the rigs until we got to the corner passed their houses as well. Keep in mind, the ones who are usually doing the complaining are the ones who usually don't give to your annual fund drive.
I used to be in Garden City Park, Station 2. This guy buys the house whose #3 side is the station parking lot and the #4 side is an elementary school. Needless to say, it didn't take him long to start bitching about noise out of both places.
There was this woman who lived on the block a few houses down from the firehouse...kinda squirrelly, but really liked us. When the putz starts going door to door with a petition to turn off the horns, she chased him down the block swatting at him with a broom!
Caveat emptor.
Hey PM me, I may know you.. I was from GCP also. Can I tell you guys that the diaphone horn at station 2 gained enormous fame in the fire service. It was one of the best sounding horns on the Island. GCP still uses the sirens but no horns. I have a life long grudge against the department for shutting off the horns. By doing that they really took away from the community.. I grew up with the horns and sirens as so many other generations of kids did.. It inspired a bunch of us to join the FD. Now I wouldn't volunteer a minute of my time to that departemnt because they caved into complaining residents that don't care about the FD anyway. Good job GCP! Real good!
Hey PM me, I may know you.. I was from GCP also. Can I tell you guys that the diaphone horn at station 2 gained enormous fame in the fire service. It was one of the best sounding horns on the Island. GCP still uses the sirens but no horns. I have a life long grudge against the department for shutting off the horns. By doing that they really took away from the community.. I grew up with the horns and sirens as so many other generations of kids did.. It inspired a bunch of us to join the FD. Now I wouldn't volunteer a minute of my time to that departemnt because they caved into complaining residents that don't care about the FD anyway. Good job GCP! Real good!
I just read MFD594's Post about Malverne.. Good for you man! You guys have a great diaphone horn up on that firehouse roof with 4 sirens around town. It was just referbished by a friend in the FDNY who is also a MFD member.
I have been dealing with audible alarms for years and let me tell you guys in the FD's.. Don't let any resident ever foool you with thier sh*t! Many FD's became very weaak! Nickle and dimin for ever last penny during fund dr
Audibles
