| Home | Links | Contacts | Directions & Maps | About Us | Emergency Information |

(click on topic

Dear Bradford Woods Residents:

How would you like to make a lasting impression in your community? You can by ordering a personally ENGRAVED brick and becoming a permanent part of Bradford Woods. Evan from Boy Scout Troop 81 and a local resident will be making changes to the front driveway at the Bradford Woods Borough Office and Fire Station for his Eagle Project. The new area will include an island with a 35-foot flagpole, a borough and fire company sign, plantings and a brick walkway leading from the front door to the island. The flagpole and sign will be accented by neighbor-friendly lights. Donate by ordering an engraved brick to be placed in this walkway.

Officers

Rental Information

Letter from the BWVFC President

What Does the Siren Mean

Bradford Woods is proud of their Fire Company and the many services they have performed for the residents as well as assists to other communities. Our new fire truck is certainly a great addition to our borough and service to the community. 

Rental Information  
Tables and chairs are also available for rental. Please call the fire company at 724-935-2460.

Letter from the BWVFC President
Dear Bradford Woods Residents:
Since 1950 the Bradford Woods Volunteer Fire Company has been providing emergency services to our community. This protection has been professionally performed by dedicated volunteers who live here in Bradford Woods. Our firefighters take great pride in ensuring that our neighbors enjoy the absolute best safety and the comfort they deserve. However, as we strive to protect you, we are looking for some help – your help – as both firefighters and non-firefighters!
The Bradford Woods Volunteer Fire Company has approximately 25 members who donate many hours per year to help their neighbors, many of whom they have never met. These volunteers are everyday citizens who work full-time jobs, but also donate time from their personal lives to train to be the best firefighters they can be. This "hobby" can be very rewarding, exhilarating and challenging. Most people who choose to become involved with the volunteer fire company enjoy it. The friendships that are made will last a lifetime. We call it a family working together to help those in need.
We have many different roles for citizens to help with: assisting with fire prevention and education, helping with administrative work, driving fire apparatus’, operating water pumps, assisting with traffic, and of course, performing interior firefighting. All of these roles, individually or cumulatively, are equally important to us.
We are excited about sharing these opportunities that exist and showing how you can contribute to our organization. Please stop by our station usually the first Saturday of any month at 9:00 a.m. (check our website for exceptions). We will have personnel on hand to discuss the many roles in which you can assist us as well as learn more about your fire company.
If you are not available to visit us at our station but would like to learn more about how you can contribute, please visit our website at www.bwvfc.com, or contact me at 724-935-2460. Our website offers a tremendous amount of information about the fire company, how to keep you and your family safe from fire, and how to contribute to our organization through volunteering or donations.
We look forward to meeting you and starting you on a rewarding journey that will offer countless opportunities. Try it, you may like it!!
Lastly, we thank the many of you who have donated throughout the year!
Thanks!
Robert M. Farrell
President – Bradford Woods Vol. Fire Co.

WHAT DOES THE SIREN MEAN?

Bradford Woods is one of two communities in the North Hills still using a siren. The other is Franklin Park and on a clear day you can hear theirs in our neighborhood. This year it seems I have received an unusual number of inquiries about what our siren means. So I thought I’d make it a newsletter article.

The siren has two purposes. It is to alert fire people that there is an emergency of some sort and it is also used to alert citizens of imminent bad weather, usually translated as tornados.

The original siren of 1950 was, as you might expect, a World War II surplus air raid siren. It died in 1997 and was replaced by a then modern version that cost several thousand dollars. The newer siren is still driven by the same electronics as the original. This means it plays a “record” of about 15 up and down cycles when it is set off. This “record” can be manually interrupted or stopped. It may also be overridden to play continuously.

The unwritten policy has pretty much been the execution of one record play for an emergency and a second record play if more manpower is needed. If there was a tornado it was to play continuously, I supposed until the tornado was over. This policy has been in effect as long as I have lived here, about 15 years.

In 2008 the Allegheny County 911 system made a change to its policy of setting off the siren. This has caused some confusion and hence this news item. Prior to 2008 a Fire Company had 4 minutes to respond to a fire before a second alarm was dispatched if no one answered. Most of the time I as Chief , or one of my officers, managed to be on the radio acknowledging the siren before the 4 minutes were up. In 2008 the County adopted a process known as “acknowledgement”. Someone had to acknowledge the fire before the 4 minutes and that someone had to be in the fire hall. No longer could I call from my garage and stop the 4 minutes by saying I was on my way. Since we were not in the fire house in 4 minutes we received a second tone of the siren.

I have since worked out a system with the county where I may “acknowledge” the original alarm and I am hopeful that will stop the second call in 4 minutes.

The long term sounding of the siren for tornados continues as it has in the past. So if you hear continued play beyond the 15 cycles, you should be prepared for bad weather or other significant emergency.


Now we will change to a related topic on sirens. As I stated only Franklin Park and Bradford Woods have retained their sirens. So you may be asking, why? For some, Wexford for example, the sirens just broke and have not been replaced. For others, Marshall Township for example, it was a policy change. Many have decided that the radio dispatch system suffices for emergency calls and weather is handled by radio and television. Plus the police system of recorded calls to all homes that was implemented in the past two years. Bradford Woods has not adopted this for assorted reasons. One reason is we lack sufficient radios for all members, they are extremely expensive. Another is that radios are not always on our person, for example when we are working in the yard. Yet another is that many emergencies happen while you sleep, so you miss radio and television. One last reason I will forward is that helps you be aware that some event is happening within our borough.

As always I welcome any enquiries about our siren and I hope this has put your concerns at ease.


Michael A. Slater
Chief, Bradford Woods Vol. Fire Co.
Borough Emergency Manager