1 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: From WBZ News Radio in Boston. This is New England 2 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,520 Speaker 1: Weekend where each and every week right here we come 3 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: together we talk about all the topics important to you 4 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: and the place where you live. It's great to have 5 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: you with us this week. I'm Nicole Davis. Driving or 6 00:00:21,280 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: walking through Boston. It's not unusual to see those red 7 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,319 Speaker 1: fire alarm boxes on telephone and power polls. Believe it 8 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: or not, about thirty five hundred of those a whole 9 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: network are up and running around the Hub. This is 10 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: a decade's old backup system to make sure that if 11 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: you need help and say the power is out or 12 00:00:37,159 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: you can't get access to a phone, you can still 13 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: get it now. Fireboxes have also been used around the 14 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: city of Salem for more than a century, but they 15 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 1: won't be for much longer. The fire department recently said 16 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: they're phasing out the system in the coming weeks. By Junie, 17 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: it will be completely offline. Salem's fire chief Alan Dione 18 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: is here. We're going to talk about the history. We'll 19 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: talk about why they're making this move. 20 00:00:57,960 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 2: Chief. 21 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: It's good to have you tell us about that history first, 22 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: as these have been around again for quite some time. 23 00:01:03,760 --> 00:01:09,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, the technology dates back to Boston in the eighteen hundreds, 24 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 2: late eighteen hundreds. Eighteen fifty two was the first time 25 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: they started installing these types of devices in the city 26 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,200 Speaker 2: of Boston, and as they became more refined and designed 27 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 2: a little better than the process expanded throughout the state 28 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 2: and eventually throughout the nation. 29 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: Now in Salem, this of course was a huge deal. 30 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,479 Speaker 1: It was very innovative. But you know, we have now 31 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: graduated to phones and computers and cell phones. I mean, 32 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,120 Speaker 1: how often are people using these boxes at this point? 33 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: Well, to be honest with you, we've had forty four 34 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:47,120 Speaker 2: activations of these street boxes as i'll describe them, this year, 35 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 2: and all of them have been false alarms. In the 36 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,720 Speaker 2: last eleven or twelve years, we've only had one activation 37 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,919 Speaker 2: where there was it was somewhat attributal to an emergency 38 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 2: or a fire, But we also received a dozen phone 39 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 2: calls for the same event, so they're not really vital. 40 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, that makes sense. So I'm sure that keeping them 41 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: up to date as well, that can't be easy either. 42 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 2: So that's exactly the problem that brought us to this point. 43 00:02:16,120 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: These circuits that run throughout the city and sale, we 44 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 2: have twenty seven circuits that monitor seven hundred boxes. Of 45 00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 2: those boxes, close to three hundred are street boxes and 46 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:30,399 Speaker 2: the rest are attached to buildings or other types of setups. 47 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 2: But what happens is these circuits have just totally aged 48 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 2: out the wiring. A lot of it's on the ground, 49 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 2: and it's old, and it's failing. And what happens is 50 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 2: if it fails, sometimes you have forty to fifty boxes 51 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: on that one circuit, and all of those boxes are 52 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 2: out of service until they can troubleshoot it. And it 53 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 2: generally when it fail at two in the afternoon when 54 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 2: the ten guys work, and it'll fail on a Friday 55 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,880 Speaker 2: night and February when it's snowing out and the circuit 56 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 2: could be out for days or weeks. And when the 57 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 2: circuits are out, the buildings that these boxes protect do 58 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 2: not have the protection that they need. So that was 59 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: the siding factor that forced my hand into moving forward 60 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 2: with removing these systems and mandating that the building owners 61 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 2: that are relying on them have to go ahead and 62 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 2: move into a different opportunity, whether it be a central station, 63 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:18,519 Speaker 2: alarm system, radio boxes, or something similar to that. 64 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: How many buildings just about would you say are still 65 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: relying on these boxes at this point. 66 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 2: It's hard to say exactly because some of the boxes 67 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 2: cover on an alarm system that would be proprietary and 68 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 2: takes care of five or six buildings. To a signecific 69 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 2: specific number of buildings is probably not easy to do. 70 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 2: But I would say we have close to two hundred 71 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 2: and seventy eight different entities that are relying on the boxes, 72 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 2: and I don't know how many buildings each of one 73 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: of those protect, But it's just a matter of them 74 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: switching there and monitoring over to a private alarm company, 75 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 2: or they could throw us get a radio box and 76 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: that would take the place of these boxes. 77 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 1: Well, it's going to take some time to get this 78 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,520 Speaker 1: done anyway, because you're not doing this completely until June, 79 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: so people have time to make that change. And what's 80 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: going to happen between now and then when it comes 81 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: to the boxes that are out there. 82 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 2: So it's going to be kind of in phases. And 83 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 2: currently there is a move on now to remove the 84 00:04:18,920 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 2: three hundred or so street boxes immediately. There's no need 85 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,039 Speaker 2: to have them, and what causes a lot of the 86 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,039 Speaker 2: failures in the circuits are in fact the street boxes. 87 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 2: They get damaged when they get hit or when they're vandalized, 88 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 2: or they're activated and they haven't been used in a 89 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 2: while and they cause a fault in the circuit or 90 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,520 Speaker 2: a shunt, and then we have no circuit and they 91 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 2: have to go out and figure out why. So we're 92 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 2: trying to eliminate that for the showt term and then 93 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,279 Speaker 2: between now in June. First, all the private property owners 94 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: have been advised to start seeking alternatives, and we've also 95 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 2: made ourselves available through our fire Prevention Department to assist 96 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 2: them in directing them towards the type of equipment they'll 97 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 2: need and the type vendors they should be researching. 98 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 1: I know in Boston we still have the fireboxes up 99 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,159 Speaker 1: and those are running and we use them actively. What's 100 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: going to happen with these boxes? Are you going to 101 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: donate some to Boston or other communities? Are they going 102 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: in the trash? What are you going to do with them? 103 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 2: So that's the million all the question. Since we've made 104 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 2: this announcement, there's there's a large amount of people that 105 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 2: want them for the nostalgic purpose. They look cool, they're fireboxes, 106 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:24,280 Speaker 2: and so forth. We have some of them in here 107 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:27,679 Speaker 2: in Salem, that are very very old and very historic, 108 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,799 Speaker 2: and so we're looking at certain ones that are within 109 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 2: our historic district that will be maintained and preserved for 110 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:41,159 Speaker 2: visual only. They'll be disabled and labeled for only to 111 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 2: basically saying they're not for anything. They'll just you know, 112 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 2: not for emergency use, to just be a visual The 113 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 2: rest of them will be collected and they usually we'll 114 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 2: auction them off through a vendor or something for that idea. 115 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 2: It's for the surplus equipment. There are rules that we 116 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 2: have to follow for getting rid of surplus equipment in 117 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 2: our community, and those are the rules we'll follow. Some 118 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 2: alarm company will buy them for parts. Other people will 119 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 2: buy them and try to restore them and sell them individually. 120 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 2: So there's a lot of different avenues and there is 121 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 2: some worth, but it's not a gigantic value. 122 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 1: Well sure, but it is kind of cool to walk 123 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: into somebody's house and say, hey, look this is a 124 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:16,119 Speaker 1: Salem firebox that was put up in the late eighteen 125 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: hundreds or whatever. I mean, that's really awesome exactly. 126 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 2: I would say there's a very few that date back 127 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 2: to the eighteen hundreds. I think there's probably a handful 128 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 2: and they've already been collected. The oldest ones. That the 129 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,320 Speaker 2: oldest ones that we'll probably see with some in the 130 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 2: nineteen thirties, and then a good amount of them will 131 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 2: date back to the nineteen forties and fifties. So those 132 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 2: are still pretty cool, the real, real old ones. They're 133 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,480 Speaker 2: different than the newer ones, and there's a lot of 134 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 2: character to them, the way they cast the box and 135 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 2: so forth, so they're very desirable for the collectors. 136 00:06:47,279 --> 00:06:50,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, So my question is, you know, I've heard 137 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: this from a few people. Obviously, this is a system 138 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,600 Speaker 1: that was able to operate without phones and cell phones 139 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 1: and internet and stuff like that goes out, like there 140 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: are emergence these where we get our internet knocked out 141 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: or the cell phones aren't working. What are you going 142 00:07:04,640 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 1: to do for a backup system or can you put 143 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: a backup system in place? 144 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's a big question, and that's something we've 145 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 2: talked about endless. See here we're not the first community 146 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: to do this. Many many communities have already done it. 147 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 2: I know Boston takes pride in maintaining their system and 148 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 2: there's a lot of historian history and nostalgia there because 149 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 2: they were the first we just can't continue to maintain it. 150 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 2: And it's one of those what ifs. Sure, we would 151 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 2: love to have a redundant system. We would love to 152 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 2: have this available for the indefinite future, but we just 153 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 2: cannot continue to maintain it. The phone lines, the copper 154 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 2: phone lines through Verizon are still reliable, and then cell 155 00:07:41,640 --> 00:07:44,440 Speaker 2: phone technology is still reliable. So I did say there's 156 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 2: two opportunities to in the event and ALAM and also 157 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 2: the technology is available to most of the box systems 158 00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 2: that will monitor the alarm systems that will monitor these 159 00:07:55,320 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 2: fire alarm systems where the boxers used to monitor monitor 160 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 2: are now using a radio signals through Starlink, which is satellites. 161 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 2: So there's basically three different ways that there's notifications. This 162 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 2: one is just a dinosaur and we cannot afford to 163 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:12,360 Speaker 2: continue maintaining it any and if we had all the money, 164 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 2: it's still going to fail. And when it does fail, 165 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 2: we go days and weeks until we can solve the problem. 166 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 2: And we have buildings without protection. So those are the motivators. 167 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, it makes sense, all right. So the private properties 168 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: that are going to be impacted here, you're going to 169 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,360 Speaker 1: let them know that they've got to find a new 170 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: system and the street boxes they're going to be phasing 171 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:31,440 Speaker 1: out here in the next few weeks and months, right, 172 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: that's correct. 173 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 2: The property owners have already been notified, mailings were sent, 174 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 2: and our fire Prevention division has begun contacting them individually 175 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 2: by phone, picking up the phone, dialing with them what 176 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 2: can we do to help you? And it's really not 177 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 2: a large undertaking. Once they make the move to do it, 178 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:50,760 Speaker 2: it's just a matter of hiring a private alarm company. 179 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 2: There's many in brands. I won't name any of them, 180 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 2: but there's many companies that will come in and they'll 181 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:00,559 Speaker 2: install a starlink connector and monitor it and the all 182 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 2: you'll have to do. And it's probably a day's work 183 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 2: for an alarm company to make that transition. And then 184 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 2: we'll go in and disconnect our equipment. 185 00:09:06,960 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: That's not so bad. And of course you're always available 186 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: if people need you nine to one one. That's just 187 00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 1: the way of the world, regardless of the alarms out 188 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: there or not. 189 00:09:14,600 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 2: That's correct. We're always available and most people know how 190 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 2: to get a hold of us. Nine one one is 191 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 2: a great system. And then here in Salem, they know 192 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: the non emergency number or emergency numbers that are always 193 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 2: reliable as well, and you know the response times. I 194 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:29,679 Speaker 2: don't want to speak for any other communities, but here 195 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:32,360 Speaker 2: in Salem they're really good. This wasn't a hasty decision. 196 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,240 Speaker 2: We made a lot of effort to find solutions to 197 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 2: these failing circuits. We've looked at dollar cost estimates, hiring 198 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 2: more manpower, and it's just not feasible to do so. So, 199 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: you know, and then the point that you made, you know, 200 00:09:47,120 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 2: what if the big what if if this happens or 201 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 2: that happens, and we are in the business of what if. 202 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:54,760 Speaker 2: But I really feel like we have enough options to 203 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 2: make notification possible during most types of emergencies. So therefore, 204 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 2: I'm comfortable we'll these systems. 205 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 1: Okay, Chief die On, great information. Thanks so much for 206 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: letting us know what's happening over in Salem. 207 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:06,800 Speaker 2: All right, you're welcome. 208 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 1: We've got a lot of snow coming this weekend. Be 209 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: sure to bundle up, stay safe and warm and healthy, 210 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,839 Speaker 1: and join us again next week for another edition of 211 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:19,359 Speaker 1: the show. I'm Nicole Davis from WBZ News Radio on iHeartRadio.