You may not be aware of it, but the fire siren system in Florham Park serves a variety of beneficial purposes that could affect you or your family at any time. It is used to alert firefighters of life and property threatening situations in the borough, and as a backup to our radio paging system. It’s also used to notify parents that schools are closed due to weather or other emergency, and it is one of the methods for the Office of Emergency Management to notify residents to take action as a result of incidents occurring in or around the borough.

There are 3 different signals which are produced by the system.

1. One blast on the sirens for 15 seconds.
2. Three 12 second blasts with 8 seconds between them.
3. One three to five minute blast (FEMA requires 3-5 minutes).

Each of these signals are used for different purposes:

Signal #1 is used for daily testing of the system to insure that it is operating properly. Equipment and power problems can from time to time render all or part of this siren system or our paging system inoperable. It is imperative that we test the siren and paging systems so that we know of these problems and correct them as quickly as possible. This signal sounded at 7:00 AM on school days is used to confirm that the schools are closed due to weather or other emergency.

Signal #2 is used only for “General Alarm” calls. General alarms are those where life and property are in danger either from fire or entrapment. When our men are outside working in a noisy area or if they have left their pagers in the house, it is their only indication of an emergency. Response to a “General Alarm” is time critical and it is essential for all available firefighters to respond immediately. It is also used to alert firefighters for all calls if the radio paging system goes down for any reason.

Signal #3 is used under the direction of the Florham Park Office of Emergency Management (FPOEM) to alert residents to take cover, or shelter in place, if an emergency required those actions. Some residents may remember this as the “Air Raid” siren. This siren is still used in the event of a rapidly evolving threat to the borough. Examples of this type of threat would be a hazardous materials incident where going outdoors would be more harmful than remaining in your home. Another example would be if a funnel cloud or tornado was threatening Florham Park.

The Borough Administration is aware of the concerns of persons living in close proximity to the two siren units at the Broadway and Brooklake Road firehouses. It’s crucial that the system is operational and tested and that the residents understand the purpose and proper response to these warning devices. Your ability to respond correctly in an emergency situation either at one of the schools or in the event of a town wide emergency, is of prime importance to your safety and that of your children.