WAUPACA COUNTY POST

May 1, 2003

 

Letters to the Editor

Emergency sirens

 

To the Editor:

            I have been asked by Mayor Brian Smith to clear up any misunderstandings about our city’s emergency sirens.

            Our emergency siren system has changed somewhat over the years.  Before the days of personal pagers and scanners, the emergency sirens were used to alert firemen that there was a call. If the dispatcher sounded the siren two times it meant that the call was outside the city limits. If the dispatcher sounded the siren three times it meant that the call was inside the city limits. As the firemen arrived at the station, they were given the address of the call.  This system was before the days of 911.

            The fire department is now dispatched from the County Communication Center under the direction of the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department, Sgt. Gary Heschke heads up the communication center.

            After meeting with Heschke last week, he explained to me that now the siren is sounded three times no matter where the call is, as each fireman carries a pager and information on the call is given over the pagers.

            He explained to me that on occasions, because the pagers are set off twice to assure that each fireman gets the information, inadvertently the siren gets set off again, and that means that it sounds six times.  They are working hard to eliminate this from happening.

            The emergency siren is also sounded for severe weather.  This is a continuous sound.  It is meant to alert  our city that severe weather is close by.

            The sirens are set off with a radio frequency.  If for any reason that frequency is interrupted, strange things can happen, like not sounding enough times or sounding too many times.  Again, the number of times the siren sounds has no significant meaning as it had in the past, except for severe weather.

            It is hoped that this will give the citizens the information they have been requesting from Mayor Smith.  If there are any questions or concerns, they may be directed to either Sgt. Heschke, at (715)256-4533, or myself, at (715)258-4434.

            In closing, I would like to express my appreciation for the community’s tremendous support of the Waupaca Area Fire District and hope to see you at our annual Firemen’s Dance on July 12 at Swan Park.

                                                                                    Jeff Olson, Waupaca Fire Chief