Firefighter says sirens misused

Font Size:

BY DEBORAH LAVERTY
dlaverty@nwitimes.com
219.662.5324 | Saturday, April 07, 2007 | (94 comment(s))

MERRILLVILLE | A veteran Ross Township Fire Service firefighter is hoping to ignite residential support to put an end to the town's emergency sirens sounding fire calls.

Michael Goodman, a 15-year firefighter, said he's been voicing opposition for more than two years without the support of town officials.

"I am only one of a few voices opposing the use of the town's emergency sirens that are supposed to scream with an ear-splitting wail to announce a tornado or other severe emergency," he said. "But instead, two of the four Merrillville fire stations use and abuse them to advertise they have a fire call. ... On busy days, these sirens may wail five to six times."

Town officials confirmed Merrillville Fire Station 2, 7905 Taft St., and Fire Station 3, 9264 E. 73rd Ave., use the sirens to signal fire calls.

Goodman said sounding the sirens for fire calls is an outdated and unnecessary practice because all firefighters have beepers and portable radios that alert them to fire calls.

The firetrucks, once rolling, also have sirens announcing their approach on local roads, he said.

"The siren going off at the station confuses people," Goodman said. "It puts them in danger, and it's just flat-out dangerous and annoying."

He said he has received complaints about the sirens from those in nearby day care facilities, churches, businesses and homes.

Town Councilman Joe Shudick, D-5th, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter, opposes Goodman in his stance.

"I personally think that -- unless proven wrong -- it helps with safety issues," Shudick said.

He said the alarm sounding fire calls has been used for 60 years and has never been an issue.

It not only serves as a warning device to residents, who may want to get children off the street, Shudick said. It also is a reminder to volunteer firefighters, he said.

Back to story 94 comment(s)

Please note: Comments from readers will be screened and may not be posted immediately. If you don't see your comment perhaps:

It wasn't clear, concise or focused on the topic in the story.
It was a personal attack, vulgar, explicit or degrading, used actual or implied profanity or contained potentially libelous statements.
It accused someone of being guilty of a crime.
It promoted violence or illegal acts.
It contained telephone numbers or street addresses, or e-mail addresses and links to Web sites other than nwi.com or government agencies.

In no way do these comments represent the views of The Times or Lee Enterprises.

Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude and profane language and personal abuse are not welcome.

Reader comments will not be edited - they will be approved or declined. They may be used in the print edition of the newspaper.

If you feel a posted comment has violated these guidelines, please email our New Media team the commenter's name, the comment and a link to the article.

For more information please read our Terms of Service.

stuck in iraq wrote on Jan 26, 2008 1:57 PM:

" a year later and no one cares. "

food wrote on Apr 9, 2007 5:57 PM:

" pancake breakfast at station #1 Saturday April 28, 2007 8am-12pm. $5 adults children 12 and under $3. Please show your support. "

a merrillville firefighter wrote on Apr 9, 2007 4:49 PM:

" I agree with Chief Yerga..It's time for the fire department to reorganize. Either with a full time approach or by hiring a full time administration to handle the petty circumstances that can happen. It is up to the Fire Departments to stop acting as individual stations and act as 1 fire department. We are bringing down something that was beautiful. Before we argued at our houses but the public did not know. But now what do we do. I love that I am a volunteer and would appreciate that the citizens of the town realize that until now most people did not know we were volunteer and respected us. Please don't bash us for volunteer ing for you. Thank You "

Ed Yerga former Fire Chief wrote on Apr 9, 2007 12:41 PM:

" I agree that the siren should not be used for fire calls, however I disagree in the manner in which Mike used to express his opinion. I cannot blame Mike though, I blame the Fire Service administration and the Town Council for not adressing the issue. The Fire Service needs to question the integrity of thier leadership across the board, and together find a solution. When I was Fire Chief, I tried to stop the use of all sirens on fire calls, and was met much resistance from Town Officials. They discounted the whole matter due to one Councilmans opinion. That is the real issue here, LEADERSHIP. The Town needs to do its homework and realize it is time for consolidation and a new approach to Fire and EMS services. As for the individual Departments, its time to refocus and reorganize. Toghetherness, hard work, ethics, and responsibility are the attributes that built all of the Fire Departments in Merrillville. And now, the actions of a few are going to destroy the lifetime dedication of many who built these Departments from nothing. "

hey mg wrote on Apr 9, 2007 12:28 PM:

" Hang in there buddy, you just expressed an opinion. Imature people did the rest. It's good to see that you did not participate in this behavior of personal attack. "

Thank you wrote on Apr 9, 2007 11:40 AM:

" Thank you for cleaning up this comment section "

sensoring wrote on Apr 9, 2007 11:08 AM:

" they are sensoring everything now so this board is in their control now. "

AS wrote on Apr 9, 2007 12:53 AM:

" What is most important now is that the public recognize these guys for their service. Don't put them down for being out there when no one else is, doing what no one else is willing or able to do. These guys provide a valuable service, they are needed and if things got out of hand on here, it's between them and it is not the end of the world. Real brothers find a way to get over it and although I would say some apologies would be warranted, even if they never come, life will move forward. If things are that bad between the departments, call in some counselors and work it out. If these guys were children, I would take three guys from each station and move them one station over for six months - mix things up for a while till they learn to get along. Can't do that, but it would be interesting, eh? Living in other people's shoes for a while? "

To: Glenda wrote on Apr 9, 2007 12:31 AM:

" I think I have had enough of the volunteer bashing!!! As a former member of a career department let me be the first to say that EVERY single fire department across this nation, career or volunteer has its internal stife. The fire department is no different from any other organization or business in any other industry. The point is everyone everywhere has issues with someone, the fact that Merrillville is a volunteer organization does not matter, and it is not the main issue here. Your comments are not constructive or helpful in the least, not to mention the fact that just like so many other comments on this board it is off topic. Go to sleep now and stop the hate. "

AS wrote on Apr 9, 2007 12:20 AM:

" Glenda - Did you notice that your post personally attacks people for personally attacking people? How does that help? "

Glenda wrote on Apr 9, 2007 12:17 AM:

" If you don't care to go through the departments chain of command, quit the organizaion and stop bringing the department down. The mud slinging and resentment has come to the surface and its shameful. There were proper ways of disputing Goodman's claims and your people have terribly dropped the ball. Stop volunteering. That way Gary and Hobart can come in and implement a unionized, career department which is what the tax payers should be screaming for anyway. And so should Lake Station. Crown Point and South Haven have made the moves to do so and they're not nearly the size, not to mention Schererville and Chesterton. These areas have seen a boon of growth in the past few decades. This isn't a rural, agriculturally based area anymore. Get your people to remove their heads from their posteriors and stop badmouthing each other in a public forum. You already know the area and the equipment. Turn your hobby into a career and regain the respect of the community that you all are currently losing. "

THIS NEEDS TO STOP NOW!!!! wrote on Apr 8, 2007 11:09 PM:

" There are people on each of the four stations that are good fireman and will not let this discussion effect their job. BUT there are the problem children that will continue to stir this storm until something happens. Guys enough is enough!!! More damage has been done in the past 48 hours then has been done in probably the last ten years. The needless bickering and name calling has to stop for the good of the service. Each hour that passes someone new is getting dragged into this mess, STOP NOW!!! This is not a forum for the fire department to air out its dirty laundry, nor is it appropriate behavior from professionals. "

st. 1 wrote on Apr 8, 2007 11:05 PM:

" yeah but we did not make ti personal or bring up anyones background. lets leave it at that and deal with it in a proffesional manner, not publicly to make us look like idiots. thank you brother, have a good night "

st. 1 wrote on Apr 8, 2007 9:27 PM:

" this has got to come to an end. we are not children. everyone should be ashamed that wrote personal things on this website. "

Firefighter wrote on Apr 8, 2007 9:27 PM:

" It sound like Merrillville Fire Department has some severe internal problems. Merrillville needs to bite the bullet, combine EMS and the Fire department going to a full time career department. The population and tax base are there to support it. The response times and staffing would be better with 24 hr stations. It would help their ISO ratings for the tax payers and you would not need to blow a siren to announce to the public there is an emergency. This would also create less confusion with weather alerts. Just a thought! "

Purdue Sociologist Lecturer wrote on Apr 8, 2007 9:03 PM:

" This whole country is goin down the toilet. This is just a slice of our society that is consumed by hatred. Everywhere in this country it is just the same. U.S of A is the land of losers. It is only going to get worse. As blogs and internet message boards become more pervelant, we all are accessing more information to determine that the rest of the world HATES this country, just as we hate each other. If you all can't agree on a siren, imagine how ugly it will get when their are real issues. Thank you "TIMES" for not censoring this discussion. Freedom of speech is just now being promulgated. As the wolf's fight amongst the pack, our rights and standard of living is being eroded into a classless society. You all did it to yourselves. "

THE BIG PICTURE wrote on Apr 8, 2007 7:41 PM:

" how about the fire service looking at the big picture and taking care of the pagers that have recalls on them because they only hold a charge for a hour....after being on the charger ALL day. don't know how many calls ive missed due to my pager being dead. boy when the pager fails a siren would be good to have to notify members of an emergency. no bashing in this letter intended just a support for the siren "

J.P. wrote on Apr 8, 2007 6:37 PM:

" I thought this was about sirens being misused. Looks more like the NWI times comment blog being misused. I think people have hit a all time low. "

concerned citizen wrote on Apr 8, 2007 6:21 PM:

" The people don't hear the sirens on police cars or ems equipment, so why not wake them up. One accident avoided. "

Siren wrote on Apr 8, 2007 6:09 PM:

" Ok people I heard enough. This is a comment blog, not a live chat room. If you want to have an online conversation go to AOL and start a live chat. "

trying to set a record wrote on Apr 8, 2007 6:07 PM:

" hey nwitimes, what is the record for most comments made for 1 article. are we close and if so will this close so that we can get back to normal. p.s. thanks for this stupid site for airing our dirty laundry "

a concerned merrillville resident wrote on Apr 8, 2007 5:55 PM:

" i am ashamed of all this mess. this was only supposed to be about the use of the siren at the fire station,not to insult one another. can we all just get along? "

Joey B. Lax-Salinas wrote on Apr 8, 2007 5:18 PM:

" I recently drove to Merrillville to look at a house that I was interested in buying just south of US 30 off of Taft. I went inside the house with my realtor, liked what I saw, then headed to the backyard just in time to hear the loud siren going off very nearby. I decided NOT to purchase the house due to the noisy siren. So in my opinion....that itself is enough to cease the noise. And if it is a matter of 'safety', wouldn't all the local towns and cities do it? Maybe they're just smart enough to realize that when there is a fire in the town, nobody really cares unless it is their own house. Fires aren't like tornados that travel many miles per hour in unknown patterns. Is Merrillville practicing extreme safety in the event that another Chicago Fire may happen and the entire town may burn down? "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 4:18 PM:

" Just my opinion, but if residents are not paying attention to the tornado siren, that indicates to me that the tornado siren is not distinctively different enough from the fire siren. I could present an argument that even if the fire call sirens are eliminated, residents will not know if the alarm is for a tornado, or a flood, or a chemical spill, or foreign attack. Do we run to the basement, don a rebreather, or head to the fallout shelter? If we are out in our gardens, will we get into the house and turn the tv to the right channel in time to be saved? I will not make that argument because it would negate the use of the siren altogether. I believe in using the siren as a supplementary tool for all emergencies, precisely as recommended by the NFPA. "

ff/emt wrote on Apr 8, 2007 3:55 PM:

" Wow you guys this is really heated. I am a volunteer Firefighter/EMT and i have to agree blue lights are a problem. Some do not use judgement when they use them. They are not emergency vehicles you are correct and you do not have to pull over but it is polite. Im not saying don't pull over, you would pull over if it was your family who was ill or your house on fire. Secondly, As for the sirens... i work for Porter County Emergency Management Agency who deals with the sirens. I do not think the sirens should be used. We have pagers and portable radios, but the sirens are not suppose to be used. THe purpose of the sirens is to alert people to turn the radio/tv on for incliment weather reports and directions incase of a natural disaster. Honestly there is a siren at almost every porter county FD and none of them are sounded when a fire comes in. With sounding the siren you are making people used to it and they won't know what to do when it is sounded to save their lives. "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 3:39 PM:

" Whether the area served by the siren is rural or urban is a factor. The rural areas are more likely to use the siren, except for when the volunteers live far from the station. One final consideration is whether the people served by the station respond when the siren goes off (does the bus driver have extra notice to plan where to pull over or hold kids on the bus for another minute or so) (does the neighborhood have little kids that play in the street - yes this was mentioned several times on the internet, I guess it depends where you live and how safe you think it is to allow this). Finally firefighters themselves and communities sometimes want to use the siren out of tradition. Most of the stations that no longer use the siren claim that once the volunteers get used to solely depending on the alert system without the siren, few go back to the siren. However the choice is up to the community. "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 3:31 PM:

" Ok, here are some considerations, based on fire fighter websites: The use of the siren for fire calls is usually related to several factors. 73% of departments use volunteer firefighters. Most stations are converting to a certain % of paid fighters and a certain % of volunteers. The higher the % of volunteers, the more likely the siren is used. Use of the siren is also related to dependence on the alert system. If the system is reliable, and volunteers are not missing calls, or delayed in responding to calls (such as because dad is in the garage and the pager is upstairs, kids run to the garage to tell him the pager went off, delaying response time by 60 seconds) as long as that is not happening, the use of the siren begins to decline. Also... "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:47 PM:

" At this point a previous petition may shed some light on public opinion, but without facts concerning whether the siren is installed properly, at the proper height and set at the appropriate decibel, whether there are other recommendations such as the report I posted from the NFPA that should be reviewed, and whether any studies have been done or recommendations of any board that would determine if the use of the siren for fire calls has any impact on response times, the public opinion so far may have been based on feelings, such as 'it keeps me up when I work midnight and have to sleep through the day.' However, when petitioning, this same person may say that the inconvenience is worth it if using the siren does in fact impact response times. These are the things the people need to know. Do you all see what I am saying? "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:33 PM:

" re: last formal election Thanks for the info, are you representing the fire department? "

forgot to leave my name wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:30 PM:

" I matt valant wrote the comment about the petitions "

asw wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:29 PM:

" am i mistaking or is this about a siren? "

DG wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:26 PM:

" I live in district's 2 area for about ten years now. I live west of Whitcomb street. I have never heard the siren from station 2. I hear Schererville's siren more and that is when I have my window down. "

live across the street from station 2 wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:20 PM:

" I have lived across the street from station 2 for 15 years now. The siren use to bother me at first, but now it does not bother me and it doesn't bother my family. When the siren goes off I hardly even notice it anymore. "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:19 PM:

" Because it is a holiday, and most people are having dinner with their family today, I would like to politely request that a representative from the fire department take a few minutes on Monday and post some data to this forum that addresses the questions raised the past two days regarding the use of the siren for fire calls. I am not from Merrillville, but I believe most decisions should be based on facts vs. feelings, so I will make the request for information for the benefit of anyone who wants to know. "

Citizen in District 2 wrote on Apr 8, 2007 2:16 PM:

" I have lived in station's 2's district for nine years. The siren has never bothered me. It is station 2's choice to have the siren or not. I personally think it is not necessary but i am not going to argue with them if they want it. Why does Mike G. have to go to the newspaper to state his opinion on it. I know he has that right, but why inform the public that station 1 has a huge problem about station's two siren. Does Mike G. live in station 2's district and he personally gets annoyed with it. The article in the newspaper did absolutely no good at all. It made matters worse. Station 2 does need to educate the public between the sirens. Maybe there should be a vote. Either all stations use the siren or no one uses the siren. OR maybe there should be a survey done. Let the citizens who live in district 2 make the choice to have the siren or not. "

Brandon wrote on Apr 8, 2007 1:58 PM:

" Mike you've been fighting this battle for far too long. I understand to some this may be annoying but to the people of that district that is theirs to choose even with all the advancement in "volunteer" notification systems out there somehow the response is not what it should be. Not to mention the knowledge of some of the individuals that get on the rig that the people of this taxpaying community count on to make a difference when they are in need of help. It would be better suited to put yours and everyone involved energies together to come up with a solution to the problem and that is staffing at a paid level so when there is a true life and death emergency the response time by commited trained knowledgeable personnel can make a difference in someone's life. As you well know the questionable standards that are set forth are not in the best interests of the citizens but that of the clique. "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 1:35 PM:

" This is basically in response to hey steven... I have posted data related to my reasoning and my defense for keeping the siren, albeit with concessions that the siren may be installed improperly or set at the wrong decibel level. I have questioned whether the siren, when used for fire calls has any impact on response times. I have also asked if two distinctively different sirens can be used on the same system, instead of one siren with different blast settings. Not one representative of the fire department has posted any data sources or even suggested where we can get answers. I am just a citizen, and I have posted more data than anyone who should know. That being said, I think it's clear that an intelligent, respectable debate is not feasible in this forum. "

Kathy in merrillville wrote on Apr 8, 2007 1:14 PM:

" I don't like the siren. I think that if you really NEED to have one, it should be distinctly different from the tornado one. People aren't going to listen if it goes off for a tornado when they hear it everyday. What's the big deal? according to the article 2 other stations get by without it. I hope the immunity people have built up to that siren doesn't come back to bite them in the event of severe weather. Will it take injuries and deaths during a tornado to make a point? I hope not.......... "

Tommy D wrote on Apr 8, 2007 1:03 PM:

" Wow! I have been reading this silly message board and I am shocked on how everyone has been acting. Why? Bashing Mike Goodman,the Minchuk's, Shudick, Bunnell, station 1,2,&4. Has everyone lost their minds.IT'S A SIREN. To the good citzens of Merrillville,don't worry your firefighters and police officers are some of the best public safety personel in the NWI. Please stop this and direct your energy towards something else. Stop tearing apart the best volunteer dept around. I know all these people some better then others but all of them are truely decicated to the people of Merrillville. To the Times please put a stop to this nonsense and turn this message board off. "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 10:57 AM:

" Well, I am not going to visit the issue any further. I think the siren is a good idea. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Sometimes I am amazed how people think. There are people in Portage who want the trains to stop blowing their whistles at crossings. I guess it is outdated. The lights will blink and the gates will come down if there is a train. Who needs any extra notice? I live beside the tracks and I sleep right through it. My baby sleeps right through it. But I guess since it's outdated and unnecessary, I will have to get with the times and soon the whistles will stop. Thanks for the enlightenment! "

mazoomda wrote on Apr 8, 2007 10:50 AM:

" As a meteorologist, this siren is in fact being misused and is confusing people. While at Art Hill Mazda last Thursday, the siren sounded, leaving me wondering whether a tornado was actually bearing down on us during a snow shower or the US was under attack. These sirens are used for two things in just about every other community in the nation; one is civil emergenicies (a.k.a. warfare) and the other is weather emergencies. Unfortuantely, Mr. Shudick, your reasoning to use the sirens is ridiculous. First, children should not be playing in the street and second, why should parents in the entire community bring in their kids when there is a fire or EMS call? That's what vehicle sirens are for. Another issue I have with your reasoning to use the sirens is I am originally from a small town in Ohio with an all volunteer department and even they have pagers to alert or "remind" the volunteers there is a call. If more "reminders" are needed, tones are dropped again for more manpower or mutual aid. Please Mr. Shudick, use some common sense when protecting the community. "

To: Concerned wrote on Apr 8, 2007 9:36 AM:

" Do you live by that siren CC? Have you heard how loud it is? Have you been in the church across the street for a quiet Sunday service and have to hear it, or do you live in AHEPA apts. right behind it or a house near it? Did you know you can hear it in Highland and south Crown Point? Its too loud, why do we, in this particular area, need to sound a devastatingly loud siren to tell people there MIGHT be emergency equipment coming. Full time departments don't announce they may be rolling, police and EMS don't....thats what the trucks sirens are for..alerts the people around them they are responding to an emergency call. Why set off a early alert emergency siren to tell all of merrillville there is a fire alarm at BMH again? Why, if you lived at 64th and Taft, care if Station 2 is going to a car fire at 91st and Taft? If your theory worked, ALL fire departments, fulltime and volunteer would set off a siren to say "we MIGHT be coming your direction"? It's just kinda useless, they have sirens on the rigs for that. "

Concerned Citizen wrote on Apr 8, 2007 9:28 AM:

" Why not use the siren as a safety device. Let the public know when emergence equipment will be out. What a consept SAFETY insteed of HIDDING from the public. "

AS wrote on Apr 8, 2007 8:19 AM:

" Is it possible to have two distinctively different sirens on the same system? Instead of just one siren, with two blast patterns? Tommy 10 Years, thanks for being on topic! "

Tommy 10 years wrote on Apr 8, 2007 7:59 AM:

" This is getting way out of hand. I'm a member of station 1 and have many friends, and family there, but I am also good friends with many if not more of the St.2 guys... wait 1 of them is my best man. The problem should not be with a stupid siren use or non-use. It should be with the town/trustee for replacing out-dated equipment, gear, hose, etc... If 2s wants a siren fine. I do disagree with the weather siren being used but why can we not get the old siren that was used. Come on guys, we all do the SAME job, so lets just end this and work on the REAL problems. "

new in town wrote on Apr 8, 2007 1:06 AM:

" how many blue lights does one need ? I mean come on? You are not the police . "

new in town wrote on Apr 8, 2007 12:41 AM:

" how do you think Bunnell and Minchuck got on the PD. "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 11:57 PM:

" Goodnight, Happy Easter to all. "

Becca W wrote on Apr 7, 2007 11:33 PM:

" Well if I told you what I do for a living you wouldn�t believe it. No not from lake station either. Sorry you were wrong. And you are correct. not towns with full time FF, its cities. I stand corrected. Well you guys stay on the right track here tonight. That being the siren. I�ll check in tomorrw. . "

asdf wrote on Apr 7, 2007 11:00 PM:

" this has been going on for 21 hours now "

someone who knows a little about alot wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:48 PM:

" Becca W., you may want to check your statement on volunteer and career firefighters, we are all professionals, a few bad eggs, doesn't mean we throw away the whole carton. And Kevin, a blue light vehicle is not an emergency vehicle, therefore you do not have to move over for any blue light vehicle, only a courtesy, like a tow truck coming through. And Becca W., you must live in Hammond, East Chicago, Whiting, Gary or Hobart because the rest of the county in Lake, has volunteer firefighters, two have a small amount of paid personnel, Crown Point and Schererville. And Becca, you may want to check your facts, because nationally, there are more volunteer fire departments then there are career, but we are both professionals and have to pass tests, pratical and written. But this article was about a siren, now it is a open bashing volunteer firefighter session, with a lot of slander, mixed with a lot of lets bring up someones past and shooting someone when you had the chance. "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:43 PM:

" Likewise, Becca W, if you don't agree with the Goodman bashers, state why, instead of making public safety threats. I agree with your principles, but I take exception to your methods. "

Re: Kevin wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:42 PM:

" I hate to say this but the blue lights on personal vehicle doesn't constitute an emergency vehicle. All it is a courtesy light. It doesn't mean you have to pull over. "

Becca W wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:41 PM:

" Sorry a blue light is not considered an emergency vehicle. Moving over is just being courteous. Check the State Statute And I still will not move over for one. "

Kevin wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:33 PM:

" Call your local police dept. Laws may vary town to town. "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:31 PM:

" Kevin - I thought it was still a courtesy to yield for blue lights, a necessary one, but a courtesy nonetheless. Please correct me if I am wrong. "

Sirens Smartest Fan!!! wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:59 PM:

" The siren is tradition, don't mess with tradition! Plus what if the pagers or beepers didnt work for some reason, you got the siren!!! "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:58 PM:

" According to the professor's analogy, none of us would answer our phones unless they rang all day and stopped ringing when someone calls. "

Professor Sadinan wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:45 PM:

" The bottom line is that the when any signaling device is used constantly, an immunity builds up in normal individuals and then it is ignored, thus defeating it's purpose. So when their is an urgent situation, the desired response is negated. Analogous to "crying wolf" syndrome. Therefore, for those who like hearing it for needless situations, it should blow constantly and when there is an emergency, it should be shut off. "

fas wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:40 PM:

" seriously this is over a siren "

bvg wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:23 PM:

" has ne one took into consideration that maybe it is not all guys from st2 writing this bad stuff...ne one can write on this. just something to think about "

asd wrote on Apr 7, 2007 8:55 PM:

" oh great here we go...this needs to stop before it gets worse "

2 years wrote on Apr 7, 2007 8:21 PM:

" you claim you have been voicing opposition for two years. well what does that tell you.i would think they dont care what u think or else they are DEAF from the SIREN my man.the previous 13 years u didnt have a problem with it i guess. "

maybe wrote on Apr 7, 2007 7:26 PM:

" you never no maybe one day u can say that this siren did save a life or lifes by awakening somebody that was in a deep sleep. isnt that the purpose .smoke detectors are annoying also but they serve the purpose . "

Comedy Club wrote on Apr 7, 2007 7:04 PM:

" I think the personal attacks are ridiculous but some of this is really funny. "

Concerned Brother wrote on Apr 7, 2007 6:47 PM:

" The residents of Merrillville are getting quite an inside look at the lack of respect inside its fire department. Yet the next time you want to buy another useless grass rig who are you going to ask to foot the bill. The residents of this town deserve way better. All of you that have participated in these cowardly and slanderous personal attacks should be immediately relieved of duty... PERMENANTLY!!! Mike, thank you for voicing your opinion, and know that your concerns are shared by many others; the difference is you had the courage to stand up for what you believe in. Keep The Faith Brother, We're With You!!! "

Concerned Brother wrote on Apr 7, 2007 6:46 PM:

" As for the comments attacking Mike's past... you guys have to be kidding! The past is just that, THE PAST!!!! What has he done since? Well lets see, he has devoted his life to helping others in need and being a loving and devoted husband and father. Any of you should be proud to be able to say that about yourselves. We have all made mistakes in life, its what we learn from those mistakes that is important. You guys from 2 really need to stop now before any of your dirty laundry gets out, GROW UP, that means you as well councilman, you know as well as the rest of us that Mike is right, but your not strong enough to stand up and say so when pressured by the "kids" at that station. Somebody needs to take the reigns down there and stop all of this nonsense. It�s fine to disagree with an opinion, but its not fine when it goes this far. "

MIKEY BOY wrote on Apr 7, 2007 6:32 PM:

" if mike is so concerned about public and personal safety maybe he should also try to ban cell phones from people when they are driving so they are focused on emergency sirens and pulling over when they are suppose to for emergency vehicles "

Air raid wrote on Apr 7, 2007 6:19 PM:

" We need that siren! When Iran starts bombing us how will we know? Air raid, duck and cover everybody! "

Bottom line wrote on Apr 7, 2007 6:05 PM:

" no onde can make them turn it off, so who cares "

Randy Bard 406 wrote on Apr 7, 2007 5:47 PM:

" I have know Mike Goodman for three years now. I have nothing but the utmost respect for him. If he has skeletons in his closet, that's his business. What matters is his character now. Mike is concerned about public and personal safety, regardless of the type of call. I question the person who didn't have his or her pager, did they also leave their cell phone at home too when they went about their normal life? My parents live out by Ainsworth and they are constantly calling me to ask what the call this time is when they hear the siren. It is a throwback to a bygone era. There are other things we have gotten rid of that no one else has questioned. How about open cabs and riding on the tailboard? Stations 1 and 4 don't use their storm sirens for calls and we have no issue with people getting run over by apparatus or our personal vehicles. Things that make you go hmmm... "

dsw wrote on Apr 7, 2007 4:58 PM:

" woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooew "

Merrillville Town Resident wrote on Apr 7, 2007 3:48 PM:

" Mr minchuk, Thank you for apologizing for one firefighter opinion what about the inviduals who know this gentleman and talking about him in a rude and uncouth manner it seems inapproriate and little class the fire dept. has. i thought there is a underling brotherhood with in the fire dept. i am ashame to call my self a merrillville resident. the siren keeps my new born baby up every time the siren goes off. "

sad day for mfd wrote on Apr 7, 2007 3:44 PM:

" i agree w/ steven dont let the actions of a couple and their past problems reflect the mfd in any way. mfd has worked hard for its reputation...who ever has the beef, settle it like men and quit making the rest of us look bad. these couple of people just made a whole lot of guys look bad. "

STEVEN MINCHUK wrote on Apr 7, 2007 3:10 PM:

" TO ALL THE CITIZENS OF MERRILLVILLE I'M SORRY THAT YOU HAVE TO SEE ALL OF THIS, I APOLIGIZE FOR A CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS PERSONAL ACTIONS.THE SIREN HAS BEEN IN MERRILLVILLE FOR YEARS AND NOW ONE FIREFIGHTER HAS A PROBLEM HE IS AIRING OUT HIS PERSONAL FEELINGS. I HOPE YOU AS CITIZENS DO NOT LOOK DOWN ON YOUR FIRE DEPT. FOR ONE PERSONS ACTIONS, NO MATTER WHAT WE WILL BE HERE TO SERVE YOU TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES. AGAIN I APOLIGIZE FOR THE COMMENTS THAT YOU HAD TO SEE "

src wrote on Apr 7, 2007 3:02 PM:

" honor???respect???brotherhood??? this just made the fire department look real good...way to go guys...im almost embarressed to say im a part of this organization after seeing all this... i can only imagine how the public is looking at it "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 2:17 PM:

" Mr. Goodman, like "Robin," I do not know you or anything about you, I am not a firefighter, or the wife of a firefighter, I do not have any family members that are fire fighters. I am not on any public board, and I do not live in Merrillville, but I do live in a nearby community that utilizes the fire siren for fires. I am in favor of it because it is recommended by the National Fire Protection Association and it makes common sense that the public should have a warning that those heroic people will be traveling to and fro to respond to someone's emergency in the next few minutes. It use seems likely to help maintain critical response times, something leaders of the community are charged with providing to the public. If you have any documentation that suggests otherwise, please post it for my review. Thank you. "

honestly wrote on Apr 7, 2007 2:04 PM:

" seems there are alot of other problems that could be handled instead of what happens at a volunteer fire department which no one can influence anyhow? "

DH wrote on Apr 7, 2007 1:31 PM:

" I am a citizen living in station 2's district for eight years now. The siren has never once bothered me. I think it's cool knowing that there is a fire call going on and it makes me become aware of the volunteers with their blue lights on. It is each station's decison to have a siren go off for fire calls or not. Why do other fire stations make it a problem. All the fire stations need to get along. As people grow older they are suppose to know to mind their own business. This is how drama happens that doesn't need to be going on. "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:58 PM:

" (focusing on the siren)Goodman asserts "I am only one of a few voices opposing the use of the town's emergency sirens...(wouldn't that qualify as a minority opinion?)...that are supposed to scream with an ear-splitting wail to announce a tornado or other severe emergency(or fire, as recommended by a panel of experts reporting to the NFPA)But instead, two of the four Merrillville fire stations use and abuse them to advertise they have a fire call (in accordance with NFPA guidelines)...On busy days, these sirens may wail five to six times (only suggesting that that emergencies occur often)...sounding the sirens for fire calls is an outdated and unnecessary practice(also in contradiction to expert opinion) because all firefighters have beepers and portable radios that alert them to fire calls (what about the duty to inform the public?) The siren going off at the station confuses people (possibly due to lack of educating the public in the difference between the fire alarm and the tornado alarm)"It puts them in danger, and it's just flat-out dangerous and annoying"(blatant use of charged words to instill panic and gather followers to adopt his opinion - a tactic very unprofessional and abusive in itself) "

Robin wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:47 PM:

" Hero's I think NOT! "

Robin wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:44 PM:

" First off let me say I am not a firefighter, not married to a firefighter, no one in my family is a firefighter and I do not live in Merrillville nor do I know Mr. Goodman personally. Now within the last few years there has been some negativity in the papers about firefighters and fire departments. There seem to be two sides on every fire department. It amazes me how grown men can fight and act like children. Every time there is a problem posted in the paper every firefighter has too jump on the bandwagon and make some sort of a comment either for or against their coworker. If there were a problem with Mr. Goodman in the past why wasn�t he made to seek counseling and not return to the department until he had a clean bill of mental health? Why bring up his past problems now just because he has an opinion. Shame on all of you. Firefighters seem to love to air their coworkers dirty laundry every chance they get. "

Re: actually they're for calls wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:37 PM:

" The warning sirens are not for fire calls, they're to alert the public of severe weather, and natural disasters. The town, cities test theses sirens once a week "

dissapointed wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:25 PM:

" real great guys lets put all are dirt out there to the public real mature "

where's the love? wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:22 PM:

" this is getting out of hand...cant we all just get along...stop the personal attacks and focus on the problem at hand...the siren "

actually they're for calls wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:20 PM:

" check your facts "

NOAA wrote on Apr 7, 2007 12:07 PM:

" they don't use their sirens for fire calls. They test their sirens onces a week. "

A current station 2 member wrote on Apr 7, 2007 11:52 AM:

" It seems that everyone deciding to bring up your past, forgets that they have pasts also. One who lives in a glass house, should never throw stones. It seems that the siren is usual to put our beer down and get up from the stool and respond and I thank Councilman Shudick for that, I really do. It was about five years ago, I was called at station 2 and asked how bad the storm was from a pop warner football coach, I then proceeded to tell him, no need to throw 300 kids in the ditch for the tornado; it is a fire call. The humor in all of this chatter is that we are all one brotherhood, to be stating about ones personal record, reminder, us at station 2 also have some "records". I as a Station 2 member have no problem in fighting a fire with any firefighter (male or female) from any town or city, especially my own. Cheers, woops, just finished another one, but hey, it was only my second, must go, fire call. "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:53 AM:

" -The siren may be a nuisance due to improper installation. The height at which it is mounted can be a factor. Is the alarm set at approved decibel levels? -As for being outdated and for solely used for the purpose of notifying responders, please note the following excerpt from the National Fire Protection Association : Report of the Committee on Public Emergency Service Communication NFPA 1221 � May 2002 ROP � Copyright 2001, NFPA SUBMITTER: Technical Committee on Public Emergency Service Communication RECOMMENDATION: Add a new chapter. Chapter X Public Alerting Systems X.3.1* Systems shall be used for alerting the public to natural and man-made events that can be expected to result in the loss of life, health, and property, which may include tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, fire, and chemical release. X.4.1 The following types of system shall be permitted. 1. Automated telecommunications dial-out systems delivering recorded voice messages. 2. Automated telecommunications dial-out systems with signals transmitted to Public Alerting System Alerting Appliances (PASAA). 3. Radio broadcast systems and tone alert systems using PASAA. 4. Cellular with PASAA. 5. Pager with PASAA. 6. Sirens with loud speakers. "

Bob wrote on Apr 7, 2007 10:19 AM:

" the siren should only be used as a tornado warning....anything other than that is abuse and will lead to confusion by the residents thus greatly limiting the effect of the siren for tornado warnings. get with the times merrillville and quit using this old practice. "

Unknown wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:45 AM:

" Having been on a volunteer department and then onto a career department, I would have to agree that the days of blowing the sirens from the stations is unnecessary. The purpose was to alert the firemen that there was a call. Most department do not use them any longer. It also creates confusion with the weather alerts. With todays technology there are many ways for the firemen to get notified for an emergency. As for notifying the public, the sirens are usually done blowing long before the responders are even near the station. "

AS wrote on Apr 7, 2007 9:01 AM:

" Response time is critical. If the siren helps in any way to alert citizens that emergency personnel will be on the way to the station or to to a scene in the next few minutes, the practice should continue. Also, too many people do not pay attention and recognize the people on the way to the station with their blue lights flashing. We need more reminders of the valuable service these people are providing, not fewer reminders. Inconvenience is a small price to pay when it comes to protecting the community and saving lives. "

duck dodge hide wrote on Apr 7, 2007 8:47 AM:

" �Reminds people to get their children off the street.�??? Is Shudick for real? By this statement, we must assume that the firefighters arriving at the station and the trucks leaving the station are driven with reckless abandon, endangering the community. I strongly suggest that the police department also respond to a fire call at the station and do their best to control this admitted, dangerous situation. A fire call should not be a reason for the citizens to run for cover out of fear of the firefighters causing mayhem, perhaps killing someone, as they respond to the emergency "

woody wrote on Apr 7, 2007 8:25 AM:

" I agree with Mike. Try living less than a block from the sirens. Ears ring, babies cry, life stops till the sirens stop. Merrillville is the only town that I know that still uses this 50 year old pratice. "

Back to story 94 comment(s)

Post a comment Once your comments are approved, they will appear here.

Marketplace

Sections

Services

Other Publications

Search