Hedberg Super Sirens
| Hedberg Manufacturing Company | |
 "If it's the loudest siren on the road - it's A HEDBERG!" | |
| Names | Hedberg Manufacturing Company
Hedberg Siren Company Hedberg Super Sirens
J.N. Hedberg
|
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 321 West Reed St., San Jose, CA |
| Founder | James N. Hedberg |
| Key people | James N. Hedberg
Selma Hedberg Charles L. Aplin |
| Founded | 1920 |
| Defunct | 1960s(?) |
Hedberg Super Sirens, also Hedberg Siren Company and Hedberg Manufacturing Company[1], was a manufacturer of vehicular and outdoor warning sirens, based in San Jose, CA, started by James Napoleon Hedberg in 1920. Hedberg's "long-rolling" vehicular sirens are widely renowned as having the longest coasting wind-downs of any vehicular siren ever made thanks to the use of a brush lifting mechanism.
History
The Hedberg Manufacturing Company was formed in 1920 by James N. Hedberg. After failing to hear a motorcycle officer's siren and getting a speeding ticket, Hedberg decided to build a better performing siren for the police department, creating so much demand that he was able to make a living from producing sirens for the next 35 years. Hedberg created both electric and friction sirens for vehicular use, and later would also produce large outdoor warning sirens for Civil Defense use. Hedberg was well-known for being an eccentric man, and there are many stories involving him. Lacking access to high-speed DC electric motors, Hedberg was known for scouring local scrapyards to take the Wagner Electric starter motors from derelict Studebaker automobiles to use in his sirens after rewinding them.[2]
Hedberg was known for producing its own fire apparatus between 1938 and 1954, based on Mack and GMC chassis. These were used by the San Jose Fire Department as late as 1970 before being retired. Hedberg also was the head of his own personal fire department in the 1930s and 1940s, with his own employees making up most of the firefighters. These "Hedberg Volunteers" fought fires outside of the San Jose city limits, who would be out of range of the San Jose Fire Department and would not otherwise have any firefighting capability.
In 1955, James Hedberg sadly passed at age 73. For the last three years of his life, ownership of the company was handed over to his wife, Selma Hedberg, as James was in semi-retirement. After Hedberg's death, the company was sold to Charles Leland Aplin, who continued to produce the same sirens with very few staff until around the early 1960s. The company's headquarters were abandoned upon the company's demise, and would be unfortunately demolished along with the rest of the area to make room for the Interstate 280-Gaudalupe Expressway interchange leaving no trace. Today, little to no Hedberg sirens are left in regular use, but many remain on display and parade fire engines, and in the private collections of many fire apparatus and siren enthusiasts. Only one Hedberg outdoor warning siren is known to still be in use, a vertical model in Comptche, CA.
Outdoor warning sirens
10 hp Horizontal
Hedberg's 10 horsepower horizontal siren was one of the company's best-selling outdoor sirens. The siren is presumably 10 port, with a single large 20 inch rotor that had curved vanes, similar to a B&M siren. It had a large intake horn on the front, and stood on a tapered motor stand. Some came with motor hoods, while others had exposed weatherproof motors. The siren saw somewhat widespread use in California, with installations of multiple units known in San Jose, Palo Alto, and potentially Oakland. It was in production as early as 1942, and presumably lasted until around 1955 when James passed away. None are known to exist currently.
10 hp Vertical
The 10 horsepower vertical Hedberg, despite not having as many documented installations, still seemed to sell fairly well. Like the horizontal siren, it has a single, presumably 10 port, 20 inch rotor with curved vanes. It has a large cylindrical intake with a cone cover on top, and sits on a 4 legged motor stand. The siren was advertised to be audible at 11 miles away. One example of the 10hp vertical siren is known to exist in Comptche, CA as an active community warning siren. No other locations are known.
20 hp Horizontal
WIP
Dual tone vertical
WIP
Vehicular sirens
WIP