SIRENS FOR BELLS

(29 Sep 1958) In Leicester, they tried out sirens on fire-engines, in the belief that they will prove more effective than bells, in clearing a way through the traffic.
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[@samanli-tw3id]

I can guess why these sirens didn’t last long. When people heard them they went” oh shit, the Luftwaffles are back!”

[@harrilewis18]

It’s not Luftwaffle you idiot it Luftwaffe

[@KingDogYT]

@@harrilewis18 ]Pretty Sure it was a joke, like saying "Wheres mac" instead of "Wehrmacht"

[@Londonfogey]

Four police constables on point duty in central Leicester. When was the last time you saw a policeman on point duty? And they wonder why there is so much crime/antisocial behaviour.

[@cemops8660]

when was the last time you could call the police from anywhere? when was the last time you saw cctv cameras in every public space? lol

[@flashstudiosguy]

Uh, you need to bare in mind this was back during the 50s.
Where we could actually punish Criminals because nobody gave a toss about their feelings besides the families who weren't sick of Bob always being nicked by the Coppers.

[@user-lz3vp8rq2s]

The simple fact is that with more traffic thousands of police officers would be needed for points duty and traffic lights were cheaper and not a drain on personnel.

[@user-lz3vp8rq2s]

@@flashstudiosguy I take it you would be happy to be wrongly convicted of a then capital offence?

[@flashstudiosguy]

@@user-lz3vp8rq2s Yes, well, thankfully, it's hard enough getting the evidence past the Crown Prosecution Service, never mind successfully using it in Court to secure a conviction against someone you set up purely because you don't like them,so I think I'm safe and even if they do get it past CPS, a good Lawyer will at least muddy the waters enough that the Jury will have cause to doubt the Crown's case

[@firejam78]

Two tones all the way for me

[@hayleywilliams8750]

What type electrical to hydraulic

[@paulmason8352]

Many brigades opted for American police car sirens in the 1950s, particularly in urban areas. Two tone horns took over in the 1960s but electronic sirens are generally used nowadays by all 999 (911 or 112) services.

[@samanli-tw3id]

Did people mistook these for air raid sirens? WW2 PTSDs were still fresh.

[@jonathanwilson2260]

Two tones were the best. I think northeast of England led way using American sirens back in 1950s

[@0ne-6right40]

@@jonathanwilson2260 I would have love to have heard these on new engines in Leics. Luckily, there is still one country sounding like Liecs was in the 50s-The Tokyo fire brigade still use mech sirens like most of the Americas, however they would sound more like this siren rather than a Q siren.

[@crusinclassicslucas6218]

The fire engine is a Dennis f8 water tender

[@iwasglad122]

Dennis F12 Pump Escape actually.

[@patrickcannell2258]

Nice machine with pump escape ladder. Rolls-Royce B80 straight 8.petrol engine.

[@knoodelhed]

If they'd started off using Federal Q's that would have been settled a long time ago!

[@crusinclassicslucas6218]

It does sound like a federal q siren

[@clivebuckley6511]

From the brief shot of the appliance it looks like a Carter siren, as used by the City of Birmingham, and which sounded rather similar to a British WWII air raid siren. Most UK brigades switched from bells to two-tone air horns (which are much missed); practically all, with very few exceptions, now use the ubiquitous electronic wail.

[@samanli-tw3id]

Qs would Americanize British fire trucks

[@flashstudiosguy]

Somehow, that type of siren just doesn't work, it hasn't got the same level of dignity..

[@TheBoysTopSecretisOrganization]

air raid be like...

[@Doc_Rainbow]

i mean a Bell and no emergency lights whats so ever in 1960? what the fuck is this 1920s?

[@flashstudiosguy]

Actually, the "FIRE" sign was the emergency light. Some flashed whilst others were illuminated even during the day.

[@Yanmotion]

Some fire engines and probably ambulances back in the olden days UK use forward flashing amber lights for emergencies since the 1930s. And until around 1961, blue rotating beacons were being introduced to some emergency services before this became standardised by 1963!

[@Doc_Rainbow]

​@@Yanmotion but still very minimalistic in times where Rotating lights where wide spread available...and also major Traffic in the days like you can see in the Video... pretty dangerous for the Firefighters

[@xaviert.123]

@@Doc_Rainbow Britain was strangely behind in some things, I agree with you on that.. Firemen used wool tunics and plastic/rubber leggings with minimal use of Breathing Apparatus until the early 90s, where they started switching to Nomex kit similar to the "Bunker Gear" of US firefighters.

[@jonathanwilson2260]

amazing that American sirens were used in 1950s

[@flashstudiosguy]

I know! I thought it went from Winkworth Bells straight to the Two Tones.

[@samanli-tw3id]

@@flashstudiosguy but the memories of the Blitz were fresh so the sirens were quickly abandoned

[@flashstudiosguy]

@@samanli-tw3id Yes, I can see how that'd cause an issue, especially considering that we were also sitting on the fence that was the Cold War..

[@nevillemason6791]

@@samanli-tw3id This wasn't just a one-off experiment. They were used everywhere. I came across their use in North Wales in 1975 while camping at Maentwrog. I think the fire engine had come from Blaenau Ffestiniog 5 miles north. I was surprised as two-tones were introduced in Liverpool (and I think London) in 1967.