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tunneltrain96
 
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Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:00 pm

Hello there again!

I'm back with another little retrospective/essay on the history of a county's siren system. This time I'll be discussing my home county.

I'd like to thank Doreen Birkholz from the Fayette County Emergency Management for finding me some good info.

The spreadsheet for the install dates used and a copy of the e-mail I got will be attached below.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... share_link

I will advise that some dates might be incorrect, so don't take them as the truth.



Fayette county's siren system dates back to the late 70's or early 80's, mostly likely for regular civil defense use during the cold war (seeing as the money to install the first system was provided from a Civil Defense grant), or as weather sirens since these were installed 5 years after the super outbreak of 1974, or even for the CSEPP program since Fayette county has been involved in the program since the opening of the Bluegrass Army Depot and is a neighbor of Madison county.
siren2.jpg
One of the original 2016s at an unknown location. Photo probably taken in the early 2000s
siren2.jpg (22.67 KiB) Viewed 1521 times
The legacy (or vintage) system comprised of Whelen WS-2016s at 15 locations, but a 16th was added in 1980 at Tates Creek Golf Course. No photos exist of any of the old sirens prior to 2010. The original tones are not known, since it isn't exactly clear if they had Whelen controls from the beginning.
Lexington WS-2016.PNG
Another photo of an intact 2016 at an unknown park. Photo from 2015.
Lexington WS-2016.PNG (203.82 KiB) Viewed 1521 times
In the late 90's and early 2000's, Fayette county added 11 sirens to their system, bringing the total to 27. These were the first wave of Modulators comprising of both 5020s and 4016s. These were also payed for by the government in the form of FEMA, with the exception of the 4016 installed at Kroger Field stadium on the University of Kentucky campus, which was payed for by the University itself. These had MCs and probably led to them being used for the rest for the system.

Replacement and upgrade of the old sirens began in 2008, when the first WS-2016 was replaced with a Modulator 5020 at Kenawood Park. The 2016s would be slowly replaced throughout the years from 2009 to the mid 2010s. Along with the replacement of the 2016s, the older mods were also replaced with Ultravoice around the same time.
Lexington 5020 5.JPG
A photo taken by me in 2022 of the 5020 at Shilito Park near the Fayette Mall
Lexington 5020 5.JPG (5.06 MiB) Viewed 1521 times
Also around this time, it appears that the standard test and announcement messages for the sirens were changed to what we know today. This is the current tone set for Fayette county:

Tests: Westminster chime and a voice announcement, usually text to speech but will rarely have live voice.
Severe T-Storms: Westminster chime and a voice announcement using text to speech relayed from the NWS message issued.
Tornado Watch: Westminster chime and a voice announcement using text to speech relayed from the NWS message issued.
Tornado Warning: I haven't heard this myself, but it is most likely an alert or wail signal followed by a voice announcement using text to speech from the NWS
Other: Also haven't heard myself, but it is most likely a wail signal followed by a text to speech voice announcement describing the emergency.

Sirens are tested on the first Wednesday of the month at 10:00 AM, although in my experience they can sound anywhere from 10:00 to 10:20. They also do polling tests, probably weekly but on an unknown date and time. It's been known that they can sometimes output their polling tones on the sirens themselves. They also have done voice tests, with the voice announcement being the usual message but with a countdown from 10-1 and then 1-10.

Moving forward just a little bit, a few more sirens were needed in Lexington. These were again Modulator 4016s, and 5020s, but of the B or Modulator II variety. 3 of these sirens were installed in 2016 and 2017 respectively, bringing the system total to 30 sirens.
Lexington 5020B Being Installed.PNG
Photo from WKYT of one of the 5020Bs being installed by WSS at Picadome in 2016
Lexington 5020B Being Installed.PNG (1.53 MiB) Viewed 1521 times
DSCI0085.JPG
A photo taken by me in 2023 of the 5020B at Picadome
DSCI0085.JPG (7.6 MiB) Viewed 1331 times
Now we're in the present. Turns out, the old 2016 from Jacobson park was saved or stored, and would be put to use again. However, 2 of its arrays were removed and would be upgraded with ultravoice. This siren was originally installed on top of a parking garage serving the police station in downtown in 2010, but was moved 2 blocks away to the roof of one of the courthouse buildings in 2019. It was also upgrade with Ultravoice around the time the old 2016s were getting replaced.
Lexington WS-2008.jpg
Photo taken by me in 2022 of the 2000-8 on top of the courthouse in downtown
Lexington WS-2008.jpg (1.52 MiB) Viewed 1521 times
In around 2020-22, the voice message for tests was slightly changed by removing a line. Old test message: "Siren test. This is a test of the siren system. This is only a test. No action is required" (remember to imagine this in the weird broken up text to speech style) New text message: "Siren test. This is a test of the siren system. No action is required." So far, I believe I'm the only person to have filmed the sirens with this newer message.

In 2023, Lexington got another new siren. This would be a Modulator 4016B. This was very recently installed, only being put into place just on the 29th of January in time for the February test, but it is unlikely it sounded for the test that day.
DSCI0045.JPG
Photo of the McConnell Springs Modulator 4016B taken by me in 2023
DSCI0045.JPG (7.91 MiB) Viewed 1331 times
And that's it! The history of Lexington's siren system. Before you go, I'd like to clarify some things.

Firstly, if you look at any maps of the system, you'll notice that all of them except for downtown are installed in parks (major parks only to be correct). This is probably just normal (but unique) since the main purpose of the sirens that has been stated is to warn people outdoors only. Not that it really matters anyway since you can barely hear the voice messages in the parks anyway.

Secondly, a lot of people (including the EMA employee I got an e-mail from) have confused the legacy system to be DSAs instead of WS-2016s, especially on videos of the single one left in downtown. I can confirm that the old system was 2016s since 2000 series has those angular bits where the drivers are held.


That's about all I have to say, thanks for reading! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them and I'll answer them to the best of my ability.
Last edited by tunneltrain96 on Sat Feb 11, 2023 8:32 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:51 pm

Nice write up but a few things to note:

*I think some of the dates are wrong. I didn't think the WS-2000 series was introduced until 1981 or 82 (you say the last was installed in 1980 and its possible). I don't have the knowledge to question the EM here, though. But even a quick look reveals errors: take Castlewood Park for instance. How could a siren installed in 2000 have been refurbished in 1997? I don't think you can take the spreadsheet as gospel truth.

*I will say the Federal MC came about around 1990 so the Whelens mated to an MC absolutely did not get hooked to them as original equipment. And they are not MC5020s. 5020 refers to a Modulator name (5 cells, 20 drivers). A WS-2000-16 would have only had 16 drivers. The labeling given to you by the EM is wrong.

*I will also say that the spreadsheet may be wrong in other ways and to take it with a grain of salt. Take Masterson State Park and go find the siren on Google Maps. It said it was a 1979 install upgraded in 2014. However, using Google Street View's old imagery, there's a Mod there in 2007. What is correct is it was mated to a MC. It was upgraded from a MC to a UV in 2014. But it was a Mod (and if it shipped with a MC, would have gone in sometime in the early 90s). So either the Whelen was gone by then or no siren was installed there in 1979. Or could "refurbished in 1997" mean they replaced the siren head?

*Also they list the sirens installed in 2000 as having MCs (which you also repeat) but there's no way, unless they had 10 Mods sitting around for 5 years collecting dust, that's right. Federal had been shipping the MCP for several years by that point. And indeed, if I look at, say, the Southland Park siren in the old street view imagery, sure enough, its a Mod 4016 mated to an MCP.

*The photo from WKYT is not a Mod 5020B. The B implies its a Modulator II. That's clearly and OG Mod.

*The MCP controller was debuted in 1996. Unless they had the MCs laying around the Whelens did not get mated to MCs in 1997.

*UV 4 and 5 aren't different versions of the controller. They're specifying how many amps are in the unit. UV-4s would be mated to Mod 4016s (400W amps 4 amps)

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Re: Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Fri Feb 03, 2023 9:19 pm

Thanks for the corrections, it's always nice to have someone know what's actually correct. I'm only kind of knowledgeable with the modulators, and pretty much nothing is known about the legacy system.

I'll try and make as many edits as possible to correct it a bit.
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Re: Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:18 pm

Randomizer wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:51 pm

*I think some of the dates are wrong. I didn't think the WS-2000 series was introduced until 1981 or 82 (you say the last was installed in 1980 and its possible). I don't have the knowledge to question the EM here, though. But even a quick look reveals errors: take Castlewood Park for instance. How could a siren installed in 2000 have been refurbished in 1997? I don't think you can take the spreadsheet as gospel truth.
The WS-2000 series was introduced in 1979 and made until 1990, so it's entirely possible that one could've been installed in 1980.
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Re: Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:16 am

Snowpix wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:18 pm
Randomizer wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:51 pm

*I think some of the dates are wrong. I didn't think the WS-2000 series was introduced until 1981 or 82 (you say the last was installed in 1980 and its possible). I don't have the knowledge to question the EM here, though. But even a quick look reveals errors: take Castlewood Park for instance. How could a siren installed in 2000 have been refurbished in 1997? I don't think you can take the spreadsheet as gospel truth.
The WS-2000 series was introduced in 1979 and made until 1990, so it's entirely possible that one could've been installed in 1980.
You’re thinking of the 1000 series that premiered in 1979. The 2000 series didn’t come out until a few years later, and was an improvement on the 1000 series.
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Re: Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Tue Feb 07, 2023 10:54 pm

nvanw27 wrote:
Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:16 am
Snowpix wrote:
Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:18 pm
Randomizer wrote:
Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:51 pm

*I think some of the dates are wrong. I didn't think the WS-2000 series was introduced until 1981 or 82 (you say the last was installed in 1980 and its possible). I don't have the knowledge to question the EM here, though. But even a quick look reveals errors: take Castlewood Park for instance. How could a siren installed in 2000 have been refurbished in 1997? I don't think you can take the spreadsheet as gospel truth.
The WS-2000 series was introduced in 1979 and made until 1990, so it's entirely possible that one could've been installed in 1980.
You’re thinking of the 1000 series that premiered in 1979. The 2000 series didn’t come out until a few years later, and was an improvement on the 1000 series.
https://www.airraidsirens.net/forums/vi ... 00#p195298
Are you sure? This says otherwise, with the WS-1000 being from 1977 and the WS-2000 being from 1979.
Just a wolf, siren enthusiast and railfan.
Owner of the Civil Defense Sirens Wiki, the best site for accurate siren information.
https://civil-defense-sirens.fandom.com ... irens_Wiki
Proud owner of an FS&S Model L and Sterling Type F!

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Re: Fayette County KY Siren Info/History

Sat Feb 11, 2023 8:31 pm

I've made some more slight edits to this post since I was able to get some things clarified today. Firstly, all the mods installed from 2016 to now are known to be modulator IIs, so I have corrected that.

I've also added some of the photos I got of the sirens today, so there is some more visuals.
Siren guy from the Horse Capital

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