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Brigham City siren turned back on to alert volunteer firefighters, ambulance workers
By Sally H.N. Wright
BRIGHAM CITY -- At least one of the three sirens that alert volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers to emergencies will be turned on after being silenced for a three-month trial period. Brigham City Council members voted unanimously to restore the use of one siren, although several council members, including Mayor David Kano, said they wanted to turn on all three. Brigham City recently provided the volunteers with pagers, to let them know when and where they are needed. Previously, the volunteers found out about emergencies with the rest of Brigham City, from the three sirens that have blown for more than 70 years. Fire Department Chief Robert Vandersteen said he wanted the sirens to be used, even though the fire fighters' and ambulance crews' response time remained consistent without the use of the sirens. Ambulance Chief Jim Buchanan said the average response time is four minutes. Vandersteen said his crew could live with just one siren, located downtown, signaling emergencies between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. He said he is worried about slowed response time from the volunteers if the pagers malfunction. Many volunteer fire fighters and emergency medical technicians work other jobs, but are always on call to assist during an emergency. "We're just trying to have the tools to do our job, and this (the siren) is an essential tool," Vandersteen said. "We're only asking for it to be on during daytime hours so we can respond if we can't hear our pagers go off." Council members said they had received a few calls from citizens who wanted the sirens turned off permanently, because they are a nuisance, but the majority of callers wanted at least one siren turned back on. Wendy Kano, wife of Mayor Kano, spoke during the time allotted for public input and said she wanted all three sirens back on. "If they need the siren to be able to respond, they need to hear them from everywhere. The beepers might have dead spots where they won't work. If one siren is turned on, all three should be on," she said. Council member Richard Felt said he thought one siren would suffice, if Vandersteen agreed. "Those other two sirens are in people's back yards; this one is in a commercial district," he said. "I've never been a fireman-I don't think anyone here has except for Robert. He's the expert. Shouldn't we listen to our experts, who are telling us that siren has something to contribute to our community?" Felt asked fellow council members. After the council voted to restore the use of the siren at the corner of Forest St. and Main St., Lori Hunsaker, a long-time Brigham City resident said she was glad. "I'm for anything that keeps a little bit of Mayberry alive," she
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Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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