What are FIREBOXES and how do they work?

[@anthonyotoole8737]

Randy you are so brilliant - A national treasure !!!

[@mahafune]

Fascinating piece. Thanks for sharing.

[@JimmyZNJ]

I remember those around the neighborhood growing up. Somehow, even without cameras to catch you, we were raised not to mess with them, though the occasional kid did pull a false alarm when they were bored in the summer. Thank you Randy for all you share!!

[@ulexite-tv]

Very nice!

[@alfreddill3251]

Randy, your videos teach, inspire, and bring so much joy. Thank you.

[@TreyT16]

My neighborhood had one of these when I was a kid. Years later, they removed it, but the pole where it was mounted still has the red paint today. Poles that had the boxes were painted red above and below the box to make it more visible. I doubt many people remember it was there. I never knew how it worked - thanks for showing it to us! It was a lot more complicated than it looked.

[@paulsworkshop4179]

Awesome! I always wanted one of those.

[@joecampbell7719]

I remember the beat cop on foot had a key to the police box he also had no police radio either. Could you imagine you arrest someone then drag him to the radio box use your key and call for a patrol car to transport. Different times back then. Good work Randy!

[@johnh5701]

It did not connect to regular phone lines and was a separate system. In the fire station, yes, there was a bell, but also a punch tape machine (similar to a stock broker ticker tape) that would punch out the code. Some towns had a horn called a diaphone that would also blast the code so everyone in town knew where to go for the fire. If you are ever in Harrisburg, PA, the fire museum has a really good operating display on how these systems worked. There are still a few towns that have them but that number keeps dwindling because York, PA is removing their system.

[@fanplant]

my town still maintains ours. They put UV grease on the handles to identify someone making a false alarm

[@spaceman5091]

Our town of Rutherford , New Jersey in Bergen county has tons of fire boxes everywhere around town

[@BillNeese]

These boxes were connected to a dedicated "dry pair" and were not connected to the telco switch. Hence, no phone call. Think of itlikes a huge door bell circuit; push a button her,e and the bell rings there.

[@MainStreetRANDYLAND]

@@BillNeese I would assume they had a direct line, and I would also assume there is more then one way things can be done. Voltage drop from supply to box to station on a direct pair would have to be huge on a single pair, but it can be compensated and balanced.