Fire Siren Falls Silent In Doylestown. Will It Be Coming Back?

DOYLESTOWN BOROUGH, PA — It's been quieter than usual in and around the fire station on Shewell Avenue. That's because the fire siren has been out of service for the last several months due to construction at 50 North Main Street.

According to the Doylestown Fire Company No. 1, the siren is in the process of being relocated from the roof at 50 N. Main Street to the roof of the Bucks County administration building at 55 E. Court Street. They expect the work to be completed and the siren to be back in operation by Feb. 1.

Once operational, the siren will be in service on the same schedule as the prior system from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

"We will continue to provide updates as we complete installation of the new system and will notify the public of the date and time of all planned testing," the firefighters wrote in a Facebook posting "We would like to thank the Borough of Doylestown and Bucks County Government for their cooperation and continued support with the siren relocation."

The firefighters also extended its thanks to State Sen. Steve Santarsiero’s office for assisting with a grant that made the relocation possible.

While firefighters today receive alerts through mobile phones and pagers, the siren system remains a critical part of the emergency response system, said the firefighters.

"The siren provides a real-time alert to the public that the fire company will be responding to an incident shortly," they said. "The system also serves as a backup alert for responders when the automated systems are offline. In addition, the siren can be used as a public warning in the case of extreme weather events or natural disasters."

Doylestown Fire Company’s use of an alert system dates back to the early 1900s when a member of the fire company would ring the station bell to summon firefighters to the station. In the 1940s, a mechanical siren was installed at the station at 68 Shewell Avenue. And in the late 1990s the siren system was updated to an electronic siren and relocated to the roof of 50 N. Main Street.

"We expect the new siren system to bring many years of continued reliable service," said the firefighters.