The Siren Board

There are 3 Allertors left in Loudoun County, Virginia, on poles at a few of the fire departments. All of them were formerly in service in Washington, DC, as part of the old system there, before being taken down and used as fire sirens. The first is located at the Philomont Volunteer Fire Department, and is an active fire siren. The second as at the Lucketts Volunteer Fire Company. There is also a roof-mounted Model 7 in Lucketts. I suspect that the Model 7 is a fire siren and the Allertor is a tornado siren, or that one is in service and the other is not. The last is at the Arcola-Pleasant Valley Fire Department on Gum Springs Rd. There was once another Allertor in Middleburg at the Volunteer Fire Department, but it was modified 5 or 10 years ago and taken down a few years later. From what I hear, there were formerly Allertors in Lovettsville and Neersville as well.

Not sure if this is in Loudoun County, but I remember seeing one in Round Hill on old Rt 7 @ Main Street. Since been removed.

Here's Luckett's and it looks like it's power is cut. http://goo.gl/maps/yzrFe

slant-40 wrote:Not sure if this is in Loudoun County, but I remember seeing one in Round Hill on old Rt 7 @ Main Street. Since been removed.

Yes, that is Loudoun County. How long ago did you see it? Was it roof-mounted or pole-mounted?

I remember seeing the Lucketts siren. The firehouse had a Model 5 which the firefighter said the poor thing burnt out a few months ago and started smoking! He also said that the "yellow siren" (Allertor) was tested every of the month Saturday at 11:00 AM when it was still active.

Philomont's Allertor is active as a fire siren? Wow, that's some unexpected news. I guess I have another place to stop by the next time I go up there. (Although that doesn't mean I won't stop by the other sirens anyway. )

EOWS1212man wrote:I remember seeing the Lucketts siren. The firehouse had a Model 5 which the firefighter said the poor thing burnt out a few months ago and started smoking! He also said that the "yellow siren" (Allertor) was tested every of the month Saturday at 11:00 AM when it was still active.

When did the Model 7 burn out? Is it going to be replaced? So, the Allertor's power is cut and it is no longer active?

VASirens wrote:Philomont's Allertor is active as a fire siren? Wow, that's some unexpected news. I guess I have another place to stop by the next time I go up there. (Although that doesn't mean I won't stop by the other sirens anyway. )

Yes, the Philomont Allertor has been a fire siren for as long as I remember. I used to play on the playground next door to it when I was little, and the siren used to scare me and make me cry when it went off. How come it surprised you that it is active as a fire siren? Like I said, before serving as a fire siren, it was in service in Washington DC, like the Allertors in Lucketts (no longer active), Arcola (I believe that one is still a fire siren as well), Middleburg (modified and later removed), Neersville (replaced with a Model 3), Round Hill (never knew there was one there, not sure what its fate was), and Lovettsville (replaced with a Model 5).

Allenorgan42099 wrote:How come it surprised you that it is active as a fire siren?

I don't find fire sirens here nearly as often as I do in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and it's a treat to find an active one. Plus, seeing a 125 dBc dual-tone brute serving as a fire siren is pretty uncommon anyway...

VASirens wrote:

Allenorgan42099 wrote:How come it surprised you that it is active as a fire siren?

I don't find fire sirens here nearly as often as I do in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and it's a treat to find an active one. Plus, seeing a 125 dBc dual-tone brute serving as a fire siren is pretty uncommon anyway...

Are you thinking of recording the siren when it sounds for a call?