Something Old - Something New

Through one man's ingenuity, resourcefulness and a little help from our friends what was looking like a bill for at lease $10,000 was reduced to a mere $295. I'm talking about the outside siren at the ville's Fire Department that quit working some months ago. Village officials had people check it out. They were told it's shot. It's obsolete. It can't be fixed. It was the original siren that was installed in the early '70s when the station was built at 12th & Main. Considering the age it wasn't hard to believe all that was true. That prompted seeking out bids to replace it.

It was around $10,000 to replace the siren with something similar to what we had. It was around at least $20,000 to get one with all the bells & whistles that the Chief would really liked to have. Being strapped for cash the siren replacement was put on hold by village officials. Liverpool Twp. VFD loaned us a smaller replacement to get us by in the meantime. That's part of the volunteer firefighters creed of covering for each other in times of need. It's nothing formal. That's just the way it is and that belief is one of the things that make the members of VFDs some of the best you ever cross paths with.

Then along came VFD member Greg Stanley. Greg told me he's the kind of guy that likes to tinker with things and take them apart just to see what makes 'em work. Back toward the end of February he got to looking at the old siren "in the dirt" behind Village Hall. He loaded up the scrapped siren into the trunk of his car and took it home just to see how it use to work. After tearing it apart he got to thinking "why can't this be repaired?"

Talking to Highlandtown VFD member Tim Roush one day Greg learned of a company out in Salem called Berger Electric. Tim told Greg that Berger Electric had done some work for Highlandtown and they found him to be very reliable. He suggested that Greg check them out.

So Greg hauled the siren motor out there and asked that they only check it out and let them know. Money was tight. Wellsville didn't really have any to spend on something that was obsolete. Two days later Lee Berger called Fire Chief Smith and said the motor is fixed. Come and get it. Smitty said he almost passed out afraid to ask what the "damage" was. They were only looking for an opinion and if it could be repaired. Then they would try to figure something out to cover the cost. Lee told them it was $295 and they could send the check when they got something worked out. Wonder if Lee is a fire fighter too?

Stanley then got busy putting the siren back together. Getting a donation of tin sheet from brother Rick "Big Beef" Stanley and the use of the maintenance shop over at Newell Porcelin Greg set out making a pattern to produce the megaphone cones and replace them. He then cut out and formed each one. Then he got it reassembled and painted up. The ville had something new out of something old.

This past Monday, April 27, the siren was re-installed and tested. Pusateri donated the use of their cheery picker to pick it up and set in place. Greg also told me this particular siren is called a Federal STH 10 and it was designed especially for hilly terrain. Other than for curfews hopefully we won't hear it too often but it shouldn't be any problem hearing it if the need arises.

Pictured above is the siren waiting for the crane. The next shot is Stanley guiding it into place atop the pole behind the fire station. Next one is Jamie McMahon at the controls of the aerial truck and Chris Vallera relaying tools up the ladder to Stanley. The last picture is Vallera congratulating Greg when all his ingenuity and work paid off with the successful testing of the newly re-installed siren. You can click on any image to enlarge for a better view.

Thanks should go out to all involved in this project, especially to Greg Stanley. Thanks also to Rick Stanley and the folks at Pusateri for their generous good neighbor contributions.

ole nib