Embedded Files
ACA Cyclone 125 - At The Pine Room on the south end of town by the golf course. Was reverse wired until the tail end of 2020. This siren was installed in 1991. Copyright Christopher Aylward. white background photo taken 6/2020, other photos taken 3/8/21.
ACA Cyclone 125 - Veterans Park, replaced a Banshee which was moved to the north end of town (and still stands there), in the early 80s sometime. This unit had a handful of random issues that came out of nowhere in 2020, but those have since been fixed. This unit was installed in 1992. Copyright Christopher Aylward. Tag photo taken 6/2020, others taken 3/8/21.
Hormann Screamer SC-50 - Foster Rd, across the street from the fire station and next to the water tanks. This unit was installed in 1992. Photos taken on 3/28/21. Copyright Christopher Aylward.
ACA Banshee 115 - Diana Ct, in the trees between houses by a ditch that connects the golf course with Redmond Park. Taken on 3/28/21. Copyright Christopher Aylward.
ACA Banshee 115 - Devon & IL RT 83. This was Bensenville's first CD siren, and is the only yellow unit in town. Used to stand at the old police station on Church Rd until it was replaced with the existing Cyclone and was moved to this part of town to cover a neighborhood. The pole this stood on is behind the police station with a lamp on it, at half of its original height. Taken 2/9/2021. Copyright Christopher Aylward
FS&S STH-10 - Public Works. Copyright Christopher Aylward
(PRIVATE) FS&S 2T22A - Serial # 480274, Type 2T22-B75 - Owned now by Christopher Aylward (SirenDude1003). Unit came from 2500 Northmoor Ave in Waukegan, IL. Built in February of 1975. For a time this was Zion Nuclear Power Plant Unit I-11, but was owned by Waukegan. This unit was not directly replaced, as one of the 2001's that replaced a nearby Thunderbolt covered the area fine. Taken 1/30/2021. Copyright Christopher Aylward
REMOVED SIRENS:
ASC Alertronic AL-8000 - Siren was located at (41°57'20.71"N, 87°55'39.10"W). When O'Hare began their expansion project in 2007, they annexed the entire neighborhood and industrial area that this siren was in and demolished everything to add their runways. There were originally plans to relocate the siren, however it was decided to scrap the siren instead.
HISTORY - Bensenville's first known siren was a Darley Champion horizontal 8 port, which served as a fire siren, was purchased in 1930, and scrapped in the 1980s. At some point one chopper disappeared, however its stator remained oddly.
After that, a Federal Sign & Signal Model 5 was purchased in late March of 1956 and installed on the southeast corner of Lions park, and at an unknown time was either replaced with an STH-10, or the unit was removed and the existing STH-10 was first installed at the public works facility.
A Banshee 115 dual tone model was purchased at an unknown time and was placed behind the old police station on Church Rd next to Veterans Park. This siren was moved to the north end of town where it still stands today, and was replaced by a Cyclone a couple hundred feet away. The Banshee's pole is still behind the police station as of 2020, though at half height and with a lamp on it.
A Banshee single tone model was purchased in the 1980s and was put on Diana Ct. This siren was only discovered in the late 2010s.
3 Cyclone 125s were purchased in 1991 and 1992, and were placed at Pines Park, Veterans Park, and across the street from the Foster Rd Fire Department.
An Alertronic AL-8000 (omni directional) was purchased in the 90s and was put on a side street off Irving Park Rd in a part of Bensenville that is now property of O'Hare Airport and had a runway built on it around 2009. This siren was removed in 2007/2008 when Chicago annexed the part of town for the airport, forced hundreds of residents out of town, and build their runway on top of it. Chances are that if the siren survived, it would have been replaced anyway because according to EMA it was a piece of garbage. The siren is visible on 2007 Google satellite imagery.
Bensenville has, as of current knowledge, had 9 sirens total. 3 Cyclone 125s, 2 Banshee 115s, an STH-10, an Alertronic AL-8000, a Model 5, and either a Type B or horizontal Champion.
NOTES: Bensenville's emergency management coordinator plans to fix any sirens that break, and if they break beyond repair to replace them with refurbished Cyclones.
Historic Photos (credits to Google Earth, illinoisfiretrucks.com, Newspapers.com and Bensenville Library)
Darley Champion 8 port - was located at town hall where the Old Second Bank now stands, and was moved to the newer fire station a block or so north, until the siren was scrapped in the 1980s. In the black and white water tower photo, the rear chopper is missing.
ASC Alertronic AL-8000 - Stood at a fire station at the end of a side street off Irving Park Rd from some time in the 90s to 2007 when the part of town was annexed for the airport. Visible on 2007 Google satellite view.
FS&S Model 5 - Unit stood at the southeast corner of Lions park. Installed in the final week of March of 1956. This unit was thought to have been in an STH-10 until this photo was discovered. The STH-10 was either the replacement for this siren at some point in time, or this Model 5 was scrapped and the STH-10 was first installed on public works grounds.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse