Milan, Michigan STH-10 Restoration
Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 4:40 am
This Federal Signal Corporation STH-10A, was originally located at the Ypsilanti Regional Psychiatric Hospital (Ypsilanti State Hospital) in northern York Township, just east of Saline, Michigan. It was a replacement for an earlier Federal Model 7A that was struck by lightning in the mid-1970s. This siren, along with a Federal Model 3A that was installed in the late 1950s, was used to alert area residents of escapes and tornado warnings.
In 1991, Michigan Governor John Engler cut all funding for state hospitals, and the Ypsilanti State Hospital was the first to be shut down. Before the former hospital was demolished in 2006, a few local firefighters received permission from the state of Michigan to remove this STH-10A and the older Model 3A. The former of the two was in storage for many years, until it was decided to completely rebuild the unit, and use it for weather alerting in nearby Milan, Michigan.
The Milan Area Fire Department decided to modernize their siren system in the early 1990s, and added two Federal Singal 2001s, and a Model 2 at their station on Wabash Street. Sadly, the Model 2 was plagued by bearing and motor issues, so the department decided to replace it with a more powerful Omni-directional siren to cover Milan's Downtown Business District. So the STH-10A was completely rebuilt, including the motor and placed-in-service at the fire station two years ago. This siren is tested every first Saturday of the month at 12 noon.
The old Model 2 when first installed in June, 1992.
In 1991, Michigan Governor John Engler cut all funding for state hospitals, and the Ypsilanti State Hospital was the first to be shut down. Before the former hospital was demolished in 2006, a few local firefighters received permission from the state of Michigan to remove this STH-10A and the older Model 3A. The former of the two was in storage for many years, until it was decided to completely rebuild the unit, and use it for weather alerting in nearby Milan, Michigan.
The Milan Area Fire Department decided to modernize their siren system in the early 1990s, and added two Federal Singal 2001s, and a Model 2 at their station on Wabash Street. Sadly, the Model 2 was plagued by bearing and motor issues, so the department decided to replace it with a more powerful Omni-directional siren to cover Milan's Downtown Business District. So the STH-10A was completely rebuilt, including the motor and placed-in-service at the fire station two years ago. This siren is tested every first Saturday of the month at 12 noon.
The old Model 2 when first installed in June, 1992.
