Siren Test in Chattanooga TN Area...?

[StonedChipmunk]

Last time I checked, the sirens around McCallie School in Chattanooga TN (where I am now) were inactive, but last week I could have sworn I heard a Thunderbolt (along with a few other students who turned their heads). We have a FS Modulator on top of our dorm here, but it never goes off (obviously not connected to city, just school-wide). First off, is it possible that someone who works around where the Thunderbolt was located would have a key or a controller? Also, does anyone live around Chattanooga?
I've seen a total of 3 Thunderbolts during my stay here so far... 1 on top of a pharmacy, 1 on top of a huge industrial building, and 1 on the side of a freeway, about as high as the top of a school bus. (We were driving along and it's, like, 10 feet from the pavement... I see something com- HOLY #&@*!!!) I feel sorry for people on that freeway whenever it went off.

[Melvin Potts]

Chipmunk: This post really got my attention.

I lived in the Atlanta area for a long time(1971-1989), so passed through Chattanooga 100s of times on way home to Nashville and vice versa. I go back to Atlanta every spring and fall,so drive right through Chattanooga.

Within sight of I-24 there's a high rise apartment building(Mary Walker Towers) which has a Tbolt atop it. For the last few years this siren has been pointing the same direction(towards I-24), which leads me to believe it's no longer functional.

The pharmacy siren you mentioned has to be the Belvoir Pharmacy on Brainerd Rd. I didn't see this one until March of '03. I spent a couple of days visiting Chattanooga then..that's when I saw this Tbolt. It's mounted very LOW! Jeff was driving, so I didn't have chance to get a photo of it.

Last year I did make a picture of it from parking lot just across side street from the pharmacy. The horn was still pointing the same direction as the first time I saw it. Picture is posted on The Siren Archive. I couldn't get a decent shot from across the street; really wanted to so I could show how low it's mounted.

Now..the one you mentioned along the interstate that's mounted so low?
Where is it? I'll have to look for it during my October trip. I go through the city on I-24, then take 75 S to Atlanta..but have never seen this siren.

I've only been up I-75 in Chattanooga a couple of times. Both times were when I stayed in motel off Shallowford Rd. during visits. Is the siren in question along 75 or 24?

Where's the one you mentioned atop the big industrial building?

[StonedChipmunk]

I have no idea where the highway T-bolt is, I just saw it on my way to a paintball place during a summer camp over here (same place as school). All I know was it was on the right side of the road and it was either colored or rusted black.

The big industrial building T-bolt was the apartment building T-bolt (I didn't know what it was so I assumed it was some sort of industrial building... it seems quite old to be an apartment building).

The pharmacy siren I first saw in the Siren Archives (which caused me to avidly search for it every time I got on a bus to go somewhere). Recently I went to some church around here and I got to pass by it... I almost jumped out of my seat because it was so low... I was hoping to get a better view of it (luckily I didn't or I would feel like a dumbass). I thought it was at least 3 stories high... that pharmacy is quite short!

As I said earlier, I have no idea where that highway siren is... but my best guess would be on 75. No idea which direction.

Thanks for replying... someone who actually lives close to me. Cool.

And if you get any more locations please let me know b/c I would like to get a nice list going here.

Sucks that the Modulator never goes off. I seriously think that must be for a school-wide emergency or something... its a 5-module version, so it's pretty loud though... our school isn't THAT big! And we already have a PA system in all classrooms and most dorms... maybe for tornadoes or something, I don't know.

I checked with Mr. McCallie (Head of Residential Life) and he said that he's heard a siren in the distance many times, but he refused to tell me anything about the Modulator "for security reasons"... maybe he thinks I can hack into it or something. This guy must no nothing about sirens... how the hell am I supposed to take control over it???

[Whelen Rules]

These sirens haven't been active scince around the late 80's to early 90's. Originally used for Air raid warnings during the Civil Deffense era then after that they were used for severe weather/flood warnings which happens quite often when it comes a heavy rain and the River through Downtown overflows. My aunt used to live in Chattanooga and went to UTC. The 10 years she lived their she never once hear those sirens so that leads me to believe they have been inactive for a while. She now live just south of Chattanooga over the state line in GA. I have seen several Thunderbolts in Chattanooga and Knoxville. I live in Tullahoma, no Thunderbolts around here. Here in T-town we have 7 Whelen Vortex sirens used for Tornado warnings, and no other active sirens for miles untill you get up to around McMinnville(5 FS 2001srnb) or the Nashville area where you have numberous amounts of sirens and brands.

[StonedChipmunk]

It's cool too, I heard on the radio today that some sort of nuclear plant around Chattanooga did a siren test today. I heard some sort of siren in the distance this morning when I went on a skeet shooting trip... it was either single tone or electronic.

[StonedChipmunk]

And yes, I checked with Mr. McCallie, and hes heard it a few times but he's been here for years on end... so I suppose he heard it during the severe weather era.

[2001srnfan]

I saw probably 5-10 sirens during my stay in Chattanooga in 2004. I remember a gray Thunderbolt along the Intersate just outside of town, plus a 2001 in a mobile home park, just north of the city. Also, a yellow Thunderbolt on top of an apartment building in the vicinity of Lookout Mountain. I saw a few other Thunderbolts in the downtown region, but I don't remember where.

[StonedChipmunk]

They gray Tbolt is the one I talked about along with the apartment building Tbolt. I never saw a 2001 but I do remember seeing a few other Tbolts around town (other than the one on the pharmacy).

This is cool, like, 3 other people know what I'm talking about.

[2001srnfan]

They gray Tbolt is the one I talked about along with the apartment building Tbolt. I never saw a 2001 but I do remember seeing a few other Tbolts around town (other than the one on the pharmacy).

This is cool, like, 3 other people know what I'm talking about.

Also, coming into Chattanooga there is a BBQ joint called Circle C BBQ, and a liquior store across from it. I remember a rusty Model 5/7 siren out in that area.

[StonedChipmunk]

I'll add that to my search list, thanks... which part coming in to?