Q: Occasionally I hear an alarm or a siren across the Snake River Canyon in Jerome County. What is it?
A: “The only siren that I definitely know of is the siren that blows at noon in Jerome,” said Linda Helms, Jerome County Historical Society Curator. “The siren was started in about 1919 to help notify the firemen and residents that a fire had taken place. The early firemen were all volunteers, and this was a fast way to communicate and ask the firemen to meet at the fire station then go to the fires. It also blew at noon signaling lunch break for workers and at 10 p.m. curfew.”
“At the present time it only blows at noon each day except Sunday. I don’t know that it can be heard completely across the canyon. I live near the canyon and do not hear a siren on any day,” said Helms.
She said “If a siren or alarm is sounding near the canyon it can’t be the noon whistle in the town of Jerome. That siren cannot be heard any farther than one mile outside of town because of all the noise from the traffic and businesses. In the 1950’s it could be heard as far away as four miles if there were no other loud machinery noises near the person.”
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There are three fire stations in Jerome. “There is a fire department at the two-mile road south of Jerome. They may have sirens at times. There is also another fire department at the five-mile road south of Jerome. A siren from there might be heard across the canyon into Twin Falls County as the Jerome golf course is just one mile further south at the six mile and the golf course is right on the north rim,” said Helms.
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