9pm Medfield Fire Horn Test

9pm Daily Test (Box 2) of the Medfield, MA Fire Horn

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Fire
• Air
• Horn
• Siren

[tubemaster2703]

Do they ever sound it in continuous?

[wildwill24]

No, basically what you heard except that for fires it blasts Box 421 (4 blasts, pause, then 2 blasts, pause, then 1 blast) and does this for 3 rounds. Before radio pagers came along they used to sound a different box number for different places in town to let the firefighters know where to go, but it's all 421 now (the station's Box number). I think that's the reason for this air horn type instead of the air raid style some places have that just blares continuously.

[llgraffman]

i can hear that all the way in needham. creeps me out

[wildwill24]

You might be hearing Dover's horn? They have a Diaphone (sounds like a dead duck). The "Citizens for a Better Dover Center" don't let them use it after 10pm though ;)

[girardtube]

@wildwill24

Dedham, MA had (has?) this same type of horn. I heard them when we visited my grandmother every summer. As late as the 60's and early 70's they would sound two blasts at 7:00AM, Noon & 5:00PM. I was fascinated by them. My grandmother got a listing of the box codes, so that when there was a real box pulled, I could look up the location. I don't know if they use the horns at all anymore.

[tubemaster2703]

thanks for the information. We do not have coded boxes where I live.

[llgraffman]

@wildwill24 it's possible... i wish i could hear a recording because i live in vermont now... so i can't be startled/creeped out while trying to fall asleep anymore hahaha

[BASEBALLFREAK1210]

the horn is so necessary, the volunteer firefighters are

depending on that horn. i am a big fanatic on sirens and horns.

[TRAUMAGUY]

sounds like a cow fart