Fire station siren ban proves unpopular

Suggestions that fire brigades turn off their station sirens at night have little support from local brigades.

Northland Regional Commander Trevor Andrews recently told Kaipara District Council that this was being discussed with brigades although there would be no compulsion.

He said all members have pagers and the siren could still be utilised if these failed.

No way, says Dargaville station officer Mike Ross.

"We tried that a couple of years ago, turning it off from 10pm to six in the morning, and it didn't work out."

He says pagers cannot be relied on 100 percent.

"Also the siren alerts the town that there are going to be 26 people rushing to the station and an engine going out."

Mr Ross says the siren gives an indication of how busy the brigade is.

"People wouldn't know what we are doing and we would lose public support and recruits."

His comments were mirrored by Ruawai's chief fire officer Kevin Evans, who says while his brigade has not discussed the subject he personally would be dead against it.

"The siren is still the most reliable means of calling up our members. Just this morning we had a call-out where a couple of pagers didn't work and the guys were alerted by the siren."

He says the community has to accept that any inconvenience caused by the siren is the price of an efficient service.

Same at Te Kopuru where chief fire officer Leon Searle believes the siren is still needed to back up pagers.

"I personally have never had anyone complain to me about the siren going off." Out on the street, none of five people asked had any objection to the siren.

"It tells people what's happening," was a common theme, although one felt sorry for Dargaville fire station's rest home neighbours.

But Norfolk Court manager Robyn Guy says it is not a problem.

"I don't think it upsets anyone although some new arrivals take a while to get used to it. I think it makes a lot feel quite sake knowing the fire station is so close."

- © Fairfax NZ News