Elmont Diaphone

[larry51@aol.com]

Does anyone have a recording of the old Elmont diaphone that was active in the 50s and 60s? The horn sat on top of the Fire Alarm Bureau building on School Street. I would also be interested in any photos (interior & exterior) of the building itself. I grew up on Amethyst St. in Elmont.

[gareee]

I remember hearing that blow in the late 70's when I was visiting Elmont High School.

[spin_the_wheel]

I have been searching for a audio recording for years have not found one. The photo is from the late 60's. The Gamewell boxes were removed in late 1985. Audible sirens (16 of them) and horn deactivated around 1982 or so.

[larry51@aol.com]

What a fantastic picture! Is that actually from Elmont's Alarm Bureau? Other than the tape readout, do you know the function of those panels we see in the picture? Do you have other photos? Thanks so much!

[gareee]

https://gamewelldiaphone.com/pictures/w ... 70/pt13136
I tried to copy a photo of an old photo of Elmont's Alarm house but it won't let me add to here
Photo Bucket where the photo is wants to charge me $13.00 a month to share my photos that are on Photo Bucket.

[larry51@aol.com]

Thanks for trying. That would have been a great picture. I grew up in Elmont and would walk by the Alarm Bureau building all the time. I was in awe of it and always wanted to go inside.

[spin_the_wheel]

Circa 1982.

[spin_the_wheel]

1962 Elmont fund drive letter. DO NOT USE TELEPHONE.

[spin_the_wheel]

Elmont FD LI NY working barn fire at Belmont Race Track on April 13. Alarm box was one of the first alerts to the fire.

[spin_the_wheel]

Article in FASNY magazine.

[spin_the_wheel]

Pole Blue lights and maintenance upkeep summary.

[Jim]

Very nice to see activity here.
This is one of the best threads in years.
Keep the posts coming.

[larry51@aol.com]

In addition to the fire alarms, the diaphone (and sirens) gave two blasts every day at 7 AM, noon, and 6 PM (except Sundays). It was also used to announce school closings on heavy snow days: 5 blasts at 7:10 AM, and ambulance calls (6 blasts).

Back then, we could never figure out who was setting off the school closing and ambulance call blasts since there was no dispatcher or any personnel working 24/7. Only later did we find out that the security office at Belmont Race Track - the only 24/7 watch center in Elmont - performed those duties for the FD.