Hahndorf CFS News ‐ “The Town Fire Siren”
The financial year 2009/2010 for Hahndorf Brigade has seen our volunteers respond to 83 incidents. This is up on the last financial year in which we responded to less than 70 calls for help. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of our brigade for their efforts!
Some members of our community, both new and old, have approached me seeking to clarify the role of the Town Fire Siren. Why we still use it, when we use it and what the different siren sounds mean.
When does The Town Siren sound?
The Hahndorf Town Siren is sounded during the day, between 8am and 8pm when Hahndorf Brigade is responding to local incidents or assisting a neighbouring brigade. We could be responding to a house fire, car accident, grass fire, monitored alarm or any number of other incident types.
Why does The Siren sound?
Hahndorf CFS is an organisation of the community for the community. Our volunteers are part of this community and we want Hahndorf to know when one of its own, a visitor to our town, or a nearby community needs help. The siren is also a request for help from the township, to clear the road of horse drawn carts and other slow moving vehicles. This makes it as easy as possible for your volunteers to get to the station. As you are all aware our main street can often be difficult to navigate and the source of much frustration.
Some of you might know that our volunteers carry pagers, which alert us to incidents, however if the battery is flat or if we aren’t carrying it at the time, the Siren is essential to alert us to respond. Volunteers from other areas may also be in the area and can assist when the siren sounds.
Most importantly, on days of raised bushfire danger, the Siren should be one of the many alerts to the potential danger of a fire in our area.
What do the different sirens mean?
Hahndorf’s Town Siren is activated automatically whenever Hahndorf Brigade is responding locally or to adjoining townships. It is set to sound constantly for one minute and produces a continuous tone.
As mentioned before, we do rely on volunteers to provide a service to our community and we are always looking for more people to help. Especially during week days! If you would like to find out more about what we do or even possibly join, please contact us on 8388 7771 or email on:
[email protected] or drop in one Monday night after 7:15pm.
If you would like more information on how to prepare yourself and your home for the coming fire season please visit www.cfs.sa.gov.au or phone 1300 362 361.
Jason Sanders Brigade Captain CFS Hahndorf
