NJ Shore Town’s Fire Siren Silenced By Osprey Nest

[The Straight Story]

SPRING LAKE, N.J. (AP) — A pair of ospreys has quieted a fire alarm in one New Jersey shore town.

The raptors have built a nest inside the fire siren at Spring Lake. By law, the nest can’t be disturbed. Ospreys are listed as a threatened species in New Jersey during their breeding season.

So the siren has been turned off for the spring and summer, while firefighters and paramedics rely on pagers and cellphones to alert them of emergencies.

Borough Administrator Bryan Dempsey said a police officer notified him in March that an osprey appeared to be building a nest on the siren, which is mounted on a pole about 100 feet off the ground behind the police, fire and first aid squad headquarters.

“We had to shut off the siren for the rest of the season,” he said.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/05/06/nj-shore-towns-fire-siren-silenced-by-osprey-nest/

[RGinNJ]

1. I live a couple of towns north...

We also have a nest. These birds catch the biggest fish from the ocean. Sometimes they
have a very hard time getting their fish up to their nest.

[sweetapogee]

2. cool

I grew up in Belmar.

[RGinNJ]

4. Love to party in Belmar but, it does get a bit stupid in the summer.

[sweetapogee]

9. left Belmar in 1985

for Tuckerton. Left Tuckerton in 2004 for PA. Not going back.

[Omaha Steve]

3. The Bellevue fire two weeks ago displaced several Bald Eagles

Original post: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014784132

K&R!

[DreamGypsy]

5. We have many osprey along the McKenzie River where we live

... and on warm spring days we may have three or four fish hawks circling high and higher above the farm, chirping as they ride the air currents.

The local utility company builds platforms on top of some of the power poles for nesting sites. One of the routes for my morning run leads from a nearby catchment pond back home under one of these poles. For the last month or so I have slowed down as the parents leave the nest when they observe my approach. I move quietly so as not to disturb the chicks, who are noisily wondering where their food suppliers have flown. Last Sunday the nest was empty. Perhaps the chicks were just off for a fishing lesson with mom and dad, or maybe the fledglings had left their childhood home.

Another pair will probably return next year...I hope...

I wish I had carried a camera on some of my runs...I might have recorded something like this:

Thanks for the post TSS.

[Renew Deal]

6. Why are these sirens still used?

I understand that communication was difficult in the old days, so they were needed to rustle the firefighters. But these days almost any device can be used to do the job.

[Throckmorton]

7. Many departments have stopped using them here in Connecticut

at least to summon fire and medical responses. They are still used to alert the public to emergencies, our town has three siren alert tones, one for tornado warnings, one for nuclear plant emergencies, and as we have a major prison complex in out town, one for prison breaks (only heard that one twice in 20 years). The prison break sirens are selective, they don't alert the whole town, just the people near the prisons.

Pagers, tone alert radios, and cell phone texting apps have replaced sirens for calling the emergency personnel.

[sweetapogee]

10. Probably all

volunteer FF and EMS use personal pagers. I have one for Fire (Motorola Minitor V daul band) and all of the FF in my county are dispatched by pager but most of the towns still use their sirens. Tradition I suspect.

[greytdemocrat]

8. I'm from Central Jersey..

And I smell a lawsuit...

Down in FL now and those birds are all over.