Air Raid Siren, Blyth Fire Station

[c-side]

Just read your post again - the reason it took me a long time to find is because I didn't notice that you'd put the page number in your post   

[croftpark]

The sirens mentioned are two different ones.
The fire station one was used to alert off duty fireman that they were needed to man the second appliance, should they be out of the homes, after an initial call out for the on duty crew.  A bell was installed in the homes of all firemen who were available for a call out.  The bell arrangement was used at night of course so as not to awaken the whole town, but it was known for mistakes to be made, much to the annoyance of local residents.
The fire brigade use of the siren ceased when a pager system was introduced however it was still maintained as part of the civil defence system and I think is still in place.
The shipyard had a "hooter" that sounded at 7.25 and 7.30 each morning, and 12.55 and 1.00 in the afternoon as a warning that shifts were about to start.  If you failed to be in the gate by the time of the second warning you were locked out and lost time.  The time keeper was Mr Farley who enjoyed closing the gate on the stragglers.

[deebel]

There was a siren above our local police station and I seem to remember it was tested periodically when I grew up in the 60's. Was it not something to do with civil defence and cold war nuclear attack. Was there not a government information film about what to do like hiding under the dining table?

[2zpool]

We called one of those films "Duck and Cover"  if you were out on a picnic and the bomb went off you were to get under the checkered picnic blanket to protect yourself.

We still have sirens going off periodically for testing or the real thing - only they are to announce a tornado in the area.

Janis

[c-side]

Did someone actually get paid to think of the picnic blanket solution 

So pleased we don't get tornados in Blyth