Tooele County, UT

Tooele County, UT
Whelen 2806
Type	Chemical Spill, Natural Disaster, Fire Department Call
Location	Tooele County area, UT
Date installed	2006-2007
Status	Active
Testing dates	Every week on Wednsday
Testing times	Around 4PM

Tooele County, located in the U.S. state of Utah, operates and maintains an all-hazards siren system of 27 sirens, comprised of 14 Whelen WPS-2810s, 3 2809s, 9 2806s, and 1 2906. The system is tested every Wednesday at 4:00PM, depending on dispatch availability. The system sounds for any reason deemed necessary by the county authorities, whether it be for wildfires, severe storms, or earthquake aftershocks.

History

Various townships and settlements in Tooele County used sirens to alert residents of fires and other emergencies. There were a variety of sirens found throughout Tooele County, all of which were produced by Sterling, and Federal Electric Company (later renamed Federal Signal Corporation).

Fire and Air Raid Sirens

Tooele City

After holding a fundraiser, Tooele City purchased their first siren in October of 1919, a Federal Electric Type B. Mounted on a 65ft tower near the fire station, it later accompanied another siren in the same spot, installed in 1944. The model is currently unknown. The sirens in Tooele City were later equipped with heaters, to help mitigate freezing in the winter. These sirens were later directly replaced in 1965, after Tooele City purchased a Federal Signal Thunderbolt 1003. Civil Defense Funds covered $2,000 of the approximated $3,000 cost, installed. In 1953, a Federal Signal 3T22 was purchased and installed in the south part of town, on a water tank at the mouth of Settlement Canyon. These sirens served Tooele City until being replaced in 1993.

Grantsville

Grantsville City used sirens since the 1940s, eventually installing up to three sirens by 1980. The only confirmed siren is a Model 7 at the fire station. However, newspaper articles do mention a siren on Cherry Street, and another siren located in town, circa 1940.