Fire Alarm Boxes

**Meddle** · August-24-12, 02:02 PM

Before the days of widespread telephone and radio usage, the watch desk in each station would be manned 24 hours a day. When a Box came in that they were due on, the watchman would manually sound the gong to wake everybody up. Later on, the gong was automated as well as the station lights.

There was also a log book at each watch desk in which the watchman would manually write down the box number, location, time and which companies rolled.

I know this system continued into the 90s sometime, long after the street boxes were removed. It was eventually replaced by computer terminals. While the numbering system is no longer in use in the same manner, the last time I listened to DFD radio, they still used the Box Alarm terminology when dispatching runs.

**cman710** · August-24-12, 03:22 PM

Growing up in New York City, I always noticed the fire alarm boxes, and until the cell phone era, I think they were very useful. As this article discusses, the city has tried to get rid of them but a judge did not allow it. Many of the New York City boxes have a pull lever for fire and a separate one for the police, though as this article discusses, it remains unclear how many actually work.

In Massachusetts, the cities of Cambridge and Somerville also still have fire alarm boxes. In fact, I have seen them placed even in new developments. This link includes some very basic information about Somerville's system, which appears to be fully operational and well maintained.

**Gune** · August-24-12, 08:20 PM

We have a couple of departments out here on Long Island, NY that have boxes - one is New Hyde Park - and not only are there boxes, there are external air horns - known as "diaphones" that sound out the box number [[as a gong would) with ear-shattering blasts. There used to be over 20 departments with box systems, we are down to a mere handful. And the residents have almost no tolerance for sirens and air horns.