Wayne County(MI) Sirens ****Pic's added 5-31-08****

[500AT]

Northville City, used to run their three Model 5's for fire and tornado. I can remember they used a Federal PB-2 Box, which broke at some point around 1971. I don't know if they ever replaced it or not?

The siren up on top of the Northville State Hospital, I believe is an 8 port, low-pitch model. The motor control is an RC-5A if my memory serves me correctly. That siren was run for an "escape" and tornado warnings.

[500AT]

You have some rather interesting finds to say the least. First off, The siren located at the Plymouth City Hall is a 12 port, Federal Model 5A, and used to be run for fire and tornado alerting. They even used it to announce the start of the July 4th parade, but I am not certain if it's even operable any longer.

The Romulus siren off Goddard Road is a Federal C-3?, 8 port, low-pitch unit. The other one at Wayne and Ecorse (Old M-17) is a 12 port high-pitch model. I believe they had one on each of the four fire stations?

The situation in Belleville is rather interesting. The siren that is on top of the police station maybe a Sterling unit. Conversely, Van Buren Twp. FD used a Sterling M-10, with a 16/16 high-pitch configuration at their old fire station #2, located on M-17 (Ecorse Road), west of Belleville Road, (Old M-56).

The abandoned Federal Model 7 that is located off Huron River Drive, and Wexford, used to be located under the old water tower that was in Belleville. When the water tower was torn down in the 1980s, the siren was moved to its present location and died after lightning struck the siren. The wires were cut to shut the siren off, and has never been repaired.

I have talked to the city council in Belleville, and they feel that a new siren system is a complete waste of money, as they have not been hit by a tornado yet. Likewise, the residents complain about the sirens being too loud for storm warnings.


Come to think of it, Sumpter Township used to have two Model 5 sirens from Federal. However, they died and went to scrap in the mid-1990s.

Huron Township still has sirens, and they often test them. I believe they are located on each of their fire stations. There would be an interesting road trip right there.

[coyoteunknown]

What are those three triangular things on that pole? *confused*

[Thunderbolt 612]

That might be a very cool looking telecommunications or radio tower. A far cry from the typical ones with the exposed equipment boxes.

[holler]

Those triangular boxes are VERY large, just look at the size of the pole they are mounted on.

[JasonC]

Those triangular boxes are VERY large, just look at the size of the pole they are mounted on.

I believe those are ice covers for cell phone antenna arrays. It definitely looks like a cell phone tower in the picture.

[jkvernon]

3 Model 5s in Northville? I only know of the TBolt at the police station, the Model 5 on 8 Mile Rd. and the Model 5 at the abandoned psych hospital. Where were the others?

Here's an interesting tid-bit. When I lived in Novi, I remember hearing Northville run their TBolt to announce the beginning and end of trick-or-treating on holloween night. Sooo spooky.

[500AT]

Those triangular boxes are VERY large, just look at the size of the pole they are mounted on.

This is a cell phone tower, with protective radomes. I believe it belongs to Verizon, but I could be wrong. This is designed to keep the winter weather elements off the antennas.

[500AT]

3 Model 5s in Northville? I only know of the TBolt at the police station, the Model 5 on 8 Mile Rd. and the Model 5 at the abandoned psych hospital. Where were the others?

The police station used to have a Model 5, and the other one was located on the southwest side of the city in a park off Seven Mile Road. I believe the downtown Model 5 died, and they never replaced it. As for the southwest siren, I have no idea if its still there or not?

[SirenMadness]

Those are great pictures! I would have been happy for weeks if I went to a hunt like that one day!

And I definitely would have been inclined to sneak into that hospital assuming absolute safety.