| Chrysler Siren Systems - Second Generation |
|
This is not a complete list, it is a work in process. Last updated: Sunday February 05, 2006. Here are the communities that we have identified since March 8, 2003, as having had Chrysler Air Raid Sirens in their warning system. This represents approximately 33% of the Chrysler Sirens believe to have been sold between 1952 and 1957. [ 1950 population data ] [ Click on community name below to jump to description and more information. ]
————————————————
Chicago, Illinois On July 15, 1954, the Chicago Civil Defense Corps issued a list of 77 siren locations, of those two were vacant, one was equipped with a 5HP Federal, 15 with a 7-1/2HP Federal, 48 with a 10HP Federal, five with a 40HP H.O.R., and five with a 180HP Chrysler. In 1955 there were 87 sirens in Chicago with plans for 12 more. The Chicago Civil Defense Corps offices were in room 1188 of 140 S. Dearborn Street. Chicago civil defense sirens were tested at 10:30 a.m. each Tuesday. Also see Rockford, Illinois. [ Jump to Rockford ]
»
Sanitary
District Building,
3838 South Racine (Siren Station 3010)
[
Top of Page ]
Miami-Dade County, Florida Dade County purchased and installed ten Chrysler Air Raid Sirens in 1953. The location of nine of those sirens has been identified (below). None are known to remain in place. It's likely that the Chrysler Siren owned today by "Big Daddy" Don Garlits was once one of the Dade County Chryslers. This is the only system known to include both 12-0 and 13-2 engine cowlings.
»
North Miami Senior High
School at 800 North East 137 Street - Roof - 12-0 engine cowling
[
Top of Page ]
Detroit, Michigan According to an advertisement published by Chrysler in 1952, Detroit purchased twenty Chrysler Air Raid Sirens [ advertisement ]. The first three were located at the Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel, General Motors Building, and the Chrysler Jefferson Plant. These first three sirens were tested on March 28, 1952 [ article ]. One Detroit siren is now owned by collector Harry Barry of Pennsylvania. Mr. Barry's siren is tagged, "Property of CD 307629 City of Detroit" [ photo ]. A second Detroit siren was owned by Jim Carruthers of Oregon for twelve year until acquired by the VictorySiren Foundation in June 2003. The Foundation's siren is a Model IND-20A; Type 486; Serial Number S120; tagged, "Property of CD 307523 City of Detroit" [ photo ]. Both of those sirens have 12-0 engine cowlings and were painted yellow at the time they were taken out of service in Detroit. In 1991 Mr. Barry traded a private party an air horn for this siren in working condition [ article ] [ sound ]. Since then he has reconditioned the siren, painted it bright red and mounted it on a trailer.
»
Sheraton-Cadillac Hotel
at 220 Michigan Avenue at Washington Blvd -
Roof (24 floors)
[
Top of Page ]
Greenville, South Carolina Greenville had at least one Chrysler Air Raid Siren. » Westin Poinsett Hotel, 120 South Mainstreet - Roof (12 floors)
[
Top of Page ]
Kansas City, Missouri The Kansas City Fire Department dispatch was the city's warning point. Kansas City sirens were tested monthly. These sirens were painted yellow at the time they were taken out of service.
»
City Hall at 12th & Oak -
Roof (30 floors)
[
Top of Page ]
Los Angeles County (Los Angeles), California Los Angeles County (Los Angeles), California Los Angeles County had at least eight Chrysler Air Raid Sirens and by one report fourteen. The location of seven of the sirens is known for certain as of October 26, 2003. Twenty-four sirens were installed at a cost of $200,000 in 1955. On February 28, 1955, the county participated for the first time with the City of Los Angeles for a joint air raid siren test. That single test generated more than 500 calls to emergency switchboards. [ story ] Los Angeles County sirens were activated from the Sheriff's Department Communications Center (SCC). County-wide civil defense sirens were tested at 10:00 a.m. the last Friday of each month. The test was initiated by the "Radio Sergeant" (that's what the supervisor of the dispatching center was called) from a little CD console at the left-hand side of his operating position. A White Alert or All-Clear signal was used for the monthly tests. The last test of the Chrysler Sirens may have been conducted as late as 1985. The siren control panel was removed in about 1995 during an upgrade of the SCC. Machinery and equipment owned by Los Angeles County during the 1950's was uniformly painted a forestry green color. There is good evidence that the Chrysler Air Raid Sirens purchased by Los Angeles County were ordered from the factory painted green.
»
Cerro Negro
Lookout, Glendale - Tower - 13-2
engine cowling
- Green paint -
[
Top of Page ]
Newark, Delaware Newark, Delaware had only one Chrysler Air Raid Siren and it was donated to the Aetna Hose, Hook & Ladder Company by Chrysler who had a parts plant in their Newark fire protection district. This was Newark's second Chrysler Siren and replaced the earlier model.
»
Aetna Hose Hook & Ladder
Company, Volunteer Fire Department -
75ft Tower
- 13-2
[
Top of Page ]
Oakland, California Oakland had five Chrysler Air Raid Sirens in 1953. As of 2005 two still remain on roof tops. » Fire Station 26 Siren #1 - Tower - Located at 98th & Mountain Blvd, Oakland, CA - Siren &tower removed when fire station moved across the street circa 2000. » Fire Station 29 Siren #2 - Tower - Located at 1061 66th Street, Oakland, CA - Siren removed. » Lafayette Siren #3 - Roof Top (2 story) - Located on the Lafayette Elementary School, 1700 Market Street, Oakland, CA - Reported still in place as of AUG-2005. [ aerial photo ] » Buckingham Place Siren #4 - Concrete Pad - Located above Hiller Quarry - Removed. » Woodminster Siren #5 - Roof Top - 12-0 engine cowling - Located on the Woodminster Amphitheater, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road, in Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland, CA. - Reported still in place as of JAN-2006 [ photo ].
[
Top of Page ]
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh had ten Chrysler Air Raid Sirens that were installed in 1953 at a cost of $100,000. The location of only two of these sirens has been discovered. Both of these sirens are now owned by collectors. During the late 1950's and early 1960's Pittsburgh's sirens were tested every Monday morning.
»
Carrick High
School - Roof (3 floors) - 12-0
engine cowling
- Now owned by David Stall in
[
Top of Page ]
Rochester-Monroe County, New York Rochester-Monroe County had at least two Chrysler Air Raid Sirens. The sirens were activated by the Rochester Fire Department.
»
Rochester Fire Department Maintenance
Shop - Roof - 13-2
engine cowling
- In place
[
Top of Page ]
Rockford had at least two Chrysler Air Raid Sirens. For some period of time the sirens were maintained by Strandquist Motors, the local Plymouth dealership.
»
Essex Wire Building on North
Main Street - Roof - Removed circa 1983.
[
Top of Page ]
San Francisco, California San Francisco had at least one Chrysler Air Raid Siren. There are records of truck mounted Chrysler-Bell Victory Sirens having been used in San Francisco during the 1940's.
»
Saint Francis Hotel
at 335 Powell Street on Union Square - Roof (32 floors)
[
Top of Page ]
Seattle, Washington Seattle had a 21-siren system during the 1950's. At least six of those sirens were Chrysler Air Raid Sirens. Seattle sirens were tested every Wednesday at noon.
»
Seattle Police Garage at
5th Avenue and Cherry Street - Roof
-
Erected in 1952 (likely an » Washington Athletic Club, 1325 6th Avenue - Roof - Installed 17-OCT-1952. [ photo ] » Georgetown Steam Plant (City Light Department), 6605 13th Avenue South - Roof - Installed 08-APR-1953. [ photo ] » Northacres Park, Tower - In place NOV-2005. [ photo ] » Unknown, above Rainier Avenue, south of Columbia City - Tower - Circa 1953 [ photo ]
[
Top of Page ]
Spokane, Washington Spokane had at least two Chrysler Air Raid Sirens. Spokane sirens were tested every Wednesday at noon until 1973 when the tests were reduced to once a month. From 1984 to 1986 the siren system was shut down because of numerous false alarms. In 1986 the system was reactivated using radio controls. In 1995 the siren system was again taken out of service.
»
Fire Station - Tower - 12-0
engine cowling
- In place. [
photo ]
[
Top of Page ]
, Michigan Trenton, Michigan Trenton had two Chrysler Air Raid Sirens. The Trenton Plant siren was installed before the King Road Fire Station siren.
»
King Rd Fire Station,
Trenton, MI - 90ft Tower - 13-2 engine cowling - Installed August 1958 [ Top of Page ]
Willow Grove Naval Air Station, Pennsylvania Willow Grove NAS had a Chrysler Air Raid Siren outside the Fire/Crash/Rescue Station. The report of this siren comes from a Naval reservist who in 1970 attended Reserve Anti Submarine Warfare Tactical School and observed (heard and felt) a test of the Chrysler Air Raid Siren. » NAS Fire/Crash/Rescue Station, Horsham, PA - Operational to 1970 or later. [ Top of Page ]
|
———————————————
Copyright 2003, VictorySiren Foundation, Inc.
