SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

[ShaneCarroll]

This is a stupid human trick that I performed by myself today. I am working in Ohio, never been here before, so still adjusting to the community and their routines. Well, as is custom with my job, I work in many people's back yards. I go to the Network Interface Device where the phone drop comes to the house. Me being tall and dark complexed, it does not always go well. Although the people at the space station can see the neon green shirt I wear, along with the safety vest, some people tend to think I might be breaking in. I don't blame them, but it would be nice if they had a nicer approach.

Back to my story: So I go into one yard today, about a block from the fire station in a town called Findlay. Just as I walk up to the NID at the back of the house, this deafening siren starts wailing, and it sounds like it's right in my ear!! Not knowing what to do, I hit the deck with my hands on my head. Like I said, I have never heard this before in Florida, new to the area. Well, this thing is going off for 15 minutes it seems, so after a couple minutes I get adjusted to it. I stand up, and continue to go to work, and out comes the homeowner.

He was a jolly old man, still wiping the tears off his cheeks from laughing so hard at me. His first words: "You must be new to the area, huh?" Well, in good humor I told him yeah, and said he must have had quite a show. He said he darn near choked watching the speed in which I hit the deck. We joked about it for a couple minutes, and I guess they test that thing the first Monday of every month at 10 AM. Yeah, I must have missed that bulletin. . . Needless to say, I am glad I had a change of pants in the truck. .:redface:

 

[Thad]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

That's hillarious

I started laughing probably almost as hard as the guy who actually saw it.

My day seems much better now, for some reason, thanks for sharing

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Hey, not a problem. Glad someone could get a laugh out of it.

 

[Splat]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Were you actually in Findlay ohio, or in Wellington ohio near Findlay state park?

The reason I ask is not only do they test them once a month, they also use them to call the fireman to the station for a call, just like the old days before the Tone Out system. This is in Wellington. A long constant tone is for a tornado or severe storm or a test, and a whailing tone(up and down). Is for a all call to the station.

Funny story here in medina county last year some genious figured out how they avtivate the county wide sirens wirelessly with a tone out stsem, anyways he decided to set them off with his two way radio, those darn things were going off for like 45 minutes before county dispatch realised their controll panel was flashing telling them the sirens were going off!

I know how you feel tho, we have a siren ontop one of the Blast Furnaces at work, we joke its the widow maker, even if it goes off you'd never make it to safety if there was a catastrophic failure.

Bill

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

I was in Findlay. I was working off of Bright Road, which I guess is one of their main roads.

 

[Ryanhdd]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

I to am familiar with these sirens. I lived in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba when I was a teenager and every Wednesday at noon they would test them. They had them at the top of the hills all over the base. Well no one told me or my brother about them, we used to ride our bikes all over the mountain like hills that surround GTMO. Let me tell you they are so loud. we were riding and they went off and they literally scared us silly we fell off our bike and got some pretty good burrs on us. (Burrs- Like cactus spikey things) My ears were ringing for hours. Anyway thanks for the memories.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

So that explains why I heard it when travelling through Ohio to Alabama on a business trip when I stopped for a coffee !!!

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

ROFLMAO Shane welcome to Tornado alley . Lived up there before moving here to Louisville ( actually in Green Springs just up the road ) . Grew up in your neck of the woods though Carrolwood to be exact near Fletcher and Rome ave. . You will get used to the Nado sirens just like the rest of us .


Rick

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

I tell you, the culture change is a shock to me. I feel like that stuff is foreign, however, I'm sure anyone moving down to Florida would feel the same about some of our customs. The one thing I like about Ohio is how friendly everyone is, they all wave and ask how your day is going. In Florida, well at least Tampa, that is no longer the tradition.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

LOL Shane the only things I remember being waved when I left Tampa 14 years ago were guns . On the flipside when I pull into my neighborhood here in Louisvile in the evenings if people are out on their porches they wave at you when you pass by . Same thing up there in Ohio .


Rick

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Yeah, I've worked in many small towns in Ohio, one had only a Subway for a restaurant in the whole town (Rockford). I like that small town feel, but it must get kind of annoying when the whole town knows your business. Tampa is still a great place, but there are many more rough areas than what there used to be.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

LOL Shane Green Springs which is north of Findley about 30 miles or so has a Pizza Shack ( note I said Shack not Hut ) it is litterally inside what we would consider a metal shed for the backyard LOL. The town doesnt even have mail delivery everybody has a PO box . The grocery was also the bank , hardware and pretty much everything else . There was one flqshing light when I was up there and one bar ( that closed at midnight when the Mayor turned out the light and rolled up the sidewalks ) , if you wanted a Burger you drove to Findley 30+ minutes away . I honestly dont miss Tampa and have been back twice this yer to be reminded why I dont miss it .


Rick

 

[Daley]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Now that ya mention it, I DO remember hearing those things every Saturday at noon having grown up in southeast Wisconsin cities. Now that I've been in Texas a few years, I haven't heard any since I left. I'm having a pretty good laugh at myself right now thinking how funny it'd be if I were to go back and forget about 'em, only to be reminded REEEELLY loudly

As for the courtesy/friendliness thing, that has a lot to do with why I moved to Texas. Anyone from around here knows about Texas Pride, and why it's so prevalent. I'm glad I'm finally "home".

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

When you say you weren't fond of Tampa, are you just referring to the Carrollwood area? I live out by Valrico and Brandon, and it's not bad at all out here. I grew up in Riverview, and it was great, a nice small town, but ever since they built Fishhawk, it has turned down hill. But, you know there's good boating down here, I love Egmont Key.

I saw one small town in Ohio, Montezuma I believe, and their post office was in somebody's garage. I don't even think that they delivered mail anywhere else in that town.

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Originally posted by ShaneCarroll-- I live out by Valrico and Brandon

So you probably know where Turkey Creek is??I went to high school at Turkey Creek Jr-Sr High.GO GOBBLERS!!!!!

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Yep, I work in Turkey Creek daily when I'm down here. I don't think they have a high school anymore, just elementary and middle.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

LOL Amazing how many Floridians or former come out of the woodwork . I know where Turkey creek is as well . I had a house in Brndon for a few years and SWMBO grew up out there . I hve also lived in Gibsonton ( carneyville ). Even Brandon and the outskirts is growing to rapidly for me . My Sisterinlaw lives in Plant city and it used to be a little 2 horse town now even it has overgrown itself . Best sausage biscuits and gravy I have ever had is at the farmers market in Plant city .

Rick

 

[Bart Sr.]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

Probably not. I went there in the '60s.

 

[Rickairmedic]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

My MIL is sitting out here in the garage and we just drug her back up here from Turkey creek she says the High school is still there .


Rick

 

[ShaneCarroll]

Re: SHT At Work. Air Raid Sirens?!?!

I have been corner to corner in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties. I worked for Verizon and Bright House, so I went into the houses to repair their phone lines and cable, and I would have to say Gib-town is the worst. The things you see out there never cease to amaze you. Do you remember Giant's Camp Restaurant, with the giant boot out front? The lobster family lives there, not to mention a bunch of illegal immigrants, and everything else. I love working in Plant City, well, parts of it. There are a lot of new developments in there. Yeah, I can safely say I have eaten at one or more restaurants in every town in the Tampa Bay area. Well, it don't matter how hungry I am, I get OUT of Gibsonton before I get food.