EOWS
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An EOWS 612. Located in Lakewood, Ohio. (Taken in 2009) | |
| Type | Civil defense siren / Outdoor warning siren |
|---|---|
| Launch year | 1975 |
| Last production year | 1995 (612 around 2002) |
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Notes Tones: Alert, Attack, Pulse Wail, Pulse Steady, Whoop, Westminster Chimes, Alternative Wail, Alternative Steady | |
EOWS (Electronic Outdoor Warning Siren) is a series of electronic outdoor warning sirens by Federal Signal Corporation which began production in 1975.
Six types of sirens were produced.
Siren types/numbers
- EOWS 115 – omnidirectional siren on a hexagonal base, rectangular horns, first of two EOWS omnidirectional sirens.
- EOWS 408 – focused rotating siren, 4 horns and 8 drivers.
- EOWS 612 – focused rotating siren, 6 horns and 12 drivers.
- EOWS 816 – focused rotating siren, 8 horns and 16 drivers (largest/loudest rotating electronic siren.)
- EOWS 1212 – omnidirectional siren, an improved version of the 115, also on a hexagonal base but with the type of inversion horns/drivers used on the 408-through-812 rotating variants.
There was also a mobile mounted version, at one time, called the M*12. Most of the EOWS line was discontinued in the mid- to late 1990s and newer designs, like the Modulator and DSA, have replaced it. The EOWS is not in standard production, as of 2008.
Signals
A unique feature of the EOWS series is the ability to conduct routine tests with a Westminster Chime melody instead of the typical blast of a mechanical siren. Various signals could be programmed on special request.
The sirens were able to produce these tones:
- Alert - A steady tone
- Attack - A wailing tone
- Alternating Steady - Rapidly alternating between high and low pitched tones, at 0.5 second intervals.
- Alternating Wail - Attack tone, Using 2 of those tones, rapidly alternating.
- Pulse Wail - Rapidly pulsing tones at same time, instead of alternating.
- Pulse Steady - Rapidly pulsing tone, at 0.5 second intervals.
- Westminster Chimes - A Popular tone for test purposes. Came in dual tone, then single tone versions. Also came in 8 step, and 16 step versions, either half of hour chime, or full chimes.
- Whoop - Winds up, but cuts off all sound at peak pitch. Only ordered on demand.
- EOWS* Series
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EOWS*612 in Irving, Texas.
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Another EOWS 612, in the earlier CD Yellow color.
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EOWS 612 near a train station.
Colors
In Hawaii, most EOWS 612 sirens are green and yellow. In the rest of America, EOWS Sirens can be found in various colors, including brown, black, gray, blue, and yellow. The color of the siren can be indicative of its age. The sirens in the '80s were painted in either Civil Defense yellow or dark gray, and early 90s models were painted light gray, and were almost white. Custom colors, including red, blue, and green, were available, too.