As Mahanoy eyes replacement for town fire siren, one opposes placement on borough-owned building
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - A fire call box at Main and Centre Streets in Mahanoy City, across the street from the borough-owned Rhoades Downtown Center. The system has been out-of-service since the siren's prior location, the Teen Canteen, was demolished. A woman voiced opposition to an idea the borough has considered, which would place the fire alarm system siren atop the Rhoades building.
MAHANOY CITY – With its previous location demolished, Mahanoy City is exploring options to replace the siren for the town’s fire alarm system, council heard a woman’s vehement opposition to the idea of placing it on their own building a half block from its previous location.
The borough is one of a shrinking list of communities that still maintain Gamewell telegraph fire systems.
The system has been out-of-service since demolition began on the Mahanoy City Teen Canteen in the unit block of East Centre Street.
That building housed the air horn and air compressor for the system, which sounds a series of blasts corresponding with a number when a corner call box is pulled.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Jillian Mullen, executive director of the Schuylkill County Education Council, aired concerns about the idea of placing the siren atop the Senator Rhoades Downtown Center.
SCEC is a tenant in the building, which borough council owns. Council has said that replacement plans are merely being explored and are not yet set in stone.
She cited discussions at prior meetings in which various stakeholders were mentioned, excluding Rhoades building tenants.
“I know this is a want to have this fire whistle back, but it’s not necessarily a need,” Mullen said. “For 20-some years, some of the tenants have operated at this building, operations that have nothing to do with emergency response, nothing, and would cause a huge disruption to some of the operations of the tenants in the building, primarily my organization.”
The teen canteen also never housed emergency services-oriented activities.
She said that classes and testing would be interrupted by the siren and could jeopardize contracts for her organization.
She called the tests “high-stakes” and that disruptions are unacceptable.
Though, in Pottsville earlier this month, a criminal homicide trial was interrupted twice by the Humane Fire Co. siren, and those interruptions are a regular occurrence at the seat of county government. Additionally, the former siren location was less than 100 yards from the front door of the Rhoades building.
“It can void all of our contracts,” Mullen said, adding that it can void scores as well and “take revenue from us and displace us from the Rhoades center.”
Mullen alleged nostalgia was the driving factor in returning the siren, saying that technology like pagers and apps have replaced the siren.
“I know everybody wants it but there are so many things that have replaced it in the interim,” Mullen said.
Though, firefighters have said the siren is a helpful tool that can save lives, either helping wake a resident in the event of a nearby fire threatening their home or allowing that resident to quickly report the fire via a fire box if they did not grab their phone when escaping.
She also claims the borough does not have executive control over their own building because of a master lease agreement with a management group.
Mullen claimed a better place for the siren would be at a firehouse or other emergency services building — none of which are as centrally-located as the teen canteen or Rhoades building — which she says is the norm in other communities. Though, for nearly 20 years, Shenandoah’s was not located at an active emergency services building.
Borough council said they have not yet made a decision to replace the siren or where it would go.
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Not every firefighter has a pager or overly expensive new scanner that has the capability of receiving encrypted radio frequencies.
If you would do diligence and research the Game well system ,even though it might seem antiquated is more reliable and faster than to today’s. modern 911 systems.
You can have earthquakes ,power outages,and other natural disasters the system if maintained will operate flawlessly do to its simplistic nature.
We often complain about things ie sirens,firefighters,police,and ems until they are needed.