Restored warning siren piques public's curiosity

A historic warning siren recently rose above the EL Rancho Park in downtown Mountain Home. Removed from the roof of city hall about four years ago, the siren now sits on top of a 30-foot tall tower. Once used to warn residents of fires and other local emergency situations, the newly refurbished siren might sound during special memorial occasions in Mountain Home.

by Tim Bondy

Mountain Home News

A fixture in the Mountain Home community rose again late last month as crews with the city public works department, a local construction firm and the city fire department stood up a historic warning siren

The red warning siren was originally placed high atop city hall more than 75 years ago and used to warn residents of natural disasters and fires.

Technology slowly rendered the use of the public siren less effective. By the mid to late 1980s, the siren was seldom used, except for the daily noon-time siren tests. Those tests, however, ended by 1988.

The siren and its associated 60 foot steel structure remained in place on top of city hall until about four years ago, when leaks started appearing in the building's roof. City officials had the structure removed to prevent further damage to the roof.

At that time, plans were made to restore the siren and erect it as a historic memorial elsewhere the city.

Pierce Electric, a Caldwell-based company, donated hours of its time to completely restore the siren. According to Bud Corbus, the city's assistant fire chief, the refurbished siren "works great and is like brand new."

The city has given a local group of past and present fire fighters permission to turn a portion of El Rancho land into a fire department themed park. With a historic fire engine already in place at the park, the warning siren on its 30-foot platform was a good addition, according to local fire fighter and head of the group Alan Roberts.

There are future plans to refurbish the fire engine, create a brick paver patio, embossed with the names of all past and present fire department members and a put up flag pole when funds become available. Roberts said it was possible the siren could be sounded on very special occasions such as on the anniversary of 9/11.