Re: 911:: blind dispatchers

September 28, 2011

It was not all that long ago when emergency phones for public safety services

were answered by what now would be considered weird or offbeat methods even in

suburban areas like mine.

Until the late 1950's, one of our then neighboring suburban towns had its fire

reporting phone at a private residence that included a loud ringer outside so

that it those folks were not home the neighbors could answer it and then

activate the fire whistle. Another neighboring town had its fire phone along

with one of their Gamewell boxes in the boilerhouse of a mill in our town that

was attended 24/7/365. A third used the services of a mom & pop tavern in

which the family lived above the business. Other small towns across the nation

utilized services provided by businesses open 24/7 such as motel desks. In

some phone directories the fire reporting numbers included instructions to let

it ring until answered because that's the way the fire company's public alerting

sirens were activated.

Rich Dean, , New Jersey USA 07405

Member of FD since 1973, Telecommunicator at PD 1975 - 2009,

Driver at Tri-Boro First Aid Squad since 2000, Enterprise Rent A Car Customer

Service Driver since Dec 2010, Railfan and Roadgeek since birth.

OMG (ask me privately what this means, it might not be what you think)

Please try these groups if they interest you:

Re: 911:: blind dispatchers

>

> While not familiar with any, there was a story in Firehouse Magazine years

> ago about a very small town in New England where a bedridden man dispatched

> the fire company (including ambulance) from the phone and radio at his

> bedside for many years.

>

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