Why Did the Tornado Siren Blow?

farmgal67357 · October 10, 2011, 10:00:11 PM

At 9PM Monday night? I called the Sheriffs office (NOT the 911 line) to ask, and the lady that answered yelled, " What? Who are you? We have a possible fire!" Oooops, not the best time to call the Sheriffs I'm guessing.....heeheeheeheehee Anyway, I guess I don't know siren protocol, so I'm asking you folks.
Lisa

Mom70x7 · October 10, 2011, 10:56:53 PM

Fire.

And it was an overheated dryer at the laundromat on the highway.

farmgal67357 · October 11, 2011, 08:47:43 AM

Is blowing the siren calling the fire department (is it volunteer?) to action, or is it a "all hands on deck" sort of thing? I've never lived anywhere where the tornado siren served more than one purpose!
Lisa

flo · October 11, 2011, 09:28:06 AM

Lisa, this is something I had to learn when I first moved to Howard. The same siren is used for both fire and tornados. The difference is fire the siren goes up and down, a tornado warning is just a straight sound. On Wed. nites (I don't remember which wed.) the siren blows at 7:00 p.m. and this is a reminder to the fireman that there is a meeting. Hope this helps.

Flo, your neighbor around the corner.

larryJ · October 11, 2011, 09:48:59 AM

I seem to remember that the siren blew at 12 noon every day, back in the day. Am I dreaming this?

Larryj

Diane Amberg · October 11, 2011, 09:53:44 AM

Probably not. I know we blew ours at noon for many years .It let the local industries know it was lunch time when few people wore watches to work. The local farmers could hear it too.

frawin · October 11, 2011, 09:57:47 AM

Quote from: larryJ on October 11, 2011, 09:48:59 AM
I seem to remember that the siren blew at 12 noon every day, back in the day. Am I dreaming this?

Larryj

Larry, it did blow everyday at 12 Noon, except Sunday I think.
Frank

Wilma · October 11, 2011, 11:14:39 AM

It no longer blows at noon. The fire meeting is the second Wednesday of the month and the siren goes around twice, then dies. If the fire siren is sounded, the fire is in town. It doesn't blow for grass fires out in the country. Or so I have been told. I always listen for the truck's siren to see which direction it goes. I didn't hear it last night. Probably because it was going away from me.

jarhead · October 12, 2011, 01:20:55 PM

Larry, Elk Falls and Longton used to blow the siren at 0700,then at 1200 and again at 1800 hours

guess who · October 13, 2011, 07:25:23 PM

Quote from: farmgal67357 on October 10, 2011, 10:00:11 PM
At 9PM Monday night? I called the Sheriffs office (NOT the 911 line) to ask, and the lady that answered yelled, " What? Who are you? We have a possible fire!" Oooops, not the best time to call the Sheriffs I'm guessing.....heeheeheeheehee Anyway, I guess I don't know siren protocol, so I'm asking you folks.
Lisa

yeah they are not used to doing stuff that actually requires thought there..that is real professional ...what if you had an emergency and did not call 911..then what hang up then call 911 then wait for them to answer that line...just another reason to leave elk co....and if i feel this way i just wonder how many others feel the same way