Severnside Sirens – Wikipedia

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Severnside Siren locations

The Severnside Sirens are a system of Civil defense sirens located along the South Severn Estuary coastline from Redcliffe Bay to Pilning, northwest of Bristol. They are activated by Avon and Somerset Police[1] in the event of a potential incident at one of the COMAH sites located in the area, mainly in and near Avonmouth.[2] The system was setup in 1997 following a fire[3] at the Albright and Wilson site in 1996.[4]

Severnside Sirens Trust[edit]

Severnside Sirens Trust Limited is the organisation responsible for maintaining the system. It is a registered company (number 3348008) and charity (number 1063224)[5] and was incorporated on 9 April 1997.[6] The trust’s activities are funded by the 3 local authorities whose constituents the sirens serve, North Somerset Council, Bristol City Council, and South Gloucestershire Council, and from donations from the organisations running the COMAH sites themselves.

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A large pole with two sets of loudspeaker horns mounted opposite each other at the top.

The sirens themselves are mounted on dedicated poles and all but one[citation needed] are manufactured by the Federal Signal Corporation. Most of them are Federal Signal Modulators. They are operated via radio signal from a control system at Avon and Somerset Police Headquarters in Portishead.

Severnside Sirens, as of Sept 2019[2]
Designation Location Coordinates Comment
Siren 1 Shirehampton – in Lamplighters Marsh.

51°29′04″N 2°41′03″W / 51.484522°N 2.684222°W / 51.484522; -2.684222

This siren is directional, with loudspeaker cones pointed across the river to Pill and towards Shirehampton proper.
Siren 2 Lawrence Weston – behind the Lawrence Weston Clinic 51°30′03″N 2°39′32″W / 51.500824°N 2.658872°W / 51.500824; -2.658872
Siren 3 Portishead Fire Station car park 51°29′11″N 2°46′06″W / 51.486291°N 2.768267°W / 51.486291; -2.768267
Siren 4 Royal Portbury Dock 51°29′18″N 2°43′21″W / 51.488276°N 2.722614°W / 51.488276; -2.722614
Siren 5 Avonmouth, at the end of Victoria Road 51°29′44″N 2°41′39″W / 51.495548°N 2.694250°W / 51.495548; -2.694250
Siren 6 Royal Edward Dock – opposite St Andrews Road railway station 1°30′45″N 2°41′52″W / 1.512590°N 2.697728°W / 1.512590; -2.697728
Siren 7 Chittening, towards the north end of Chittening Road 51°31′55″N 2°40′24″W / 51.531813°N 2.673405°W / 51.531813; -2.673405 Located across the road from the site of the former Sevalco carbon black factory.
Siren 8 The former AstraZeneca plant off, Severn Road 51°32′42″N 2°39′36″W / 51.545079°N 2.660126°W / 51.545079; -2.660126
Siren 9 Pilning – behind the Pilning Surgery 51°33′51″N 2°38′29″W / 51.564183°N 2.641430°W / 51.564183; -2.641430
Siren 10 Hallen, In the vicinity of the Hallen Fuel Depot between the village and Henbury 51°30′52″N 2°38′08″W / 51.514390°N 2.635454°W / 51.514390; -2.635454 Added to the system in 2013.[7]
Siren 11 Redcliffe Bay, on the Arqiva transmitting mast 51°28′20″N 2°48′31″W / 51.472287°N 2.808737°W / 51.472287; -2.808737 This siren is directional. Added to the system in 2006 as a klaxon, replaced with a Federal Signal in 2019.
Siren 12 Redcliffe Bay 51°28′30″N 2°48′44″W / 51.474966°N 2.812173°W / 51.474966; -2.812173 This siren is directional. Added to the system in 2006. Made by Klaxon, running on Federal Signal controller.

Testing[edit]

The sirens are tested at 1500 on the 3rd of every month. The test comprises the following:[8]

  • 3 minutes of the alert warning (a continuous, stepped, rising tone)
  • 1 minute of silence
  • 1 minute of the all clear siren (a continuous constant tone)

Local volunteers monitor the sirens on test day.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^

    “SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST Ltd Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2014” (PDF). Charities Commission. 31 March 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2019.

  2. ^ a b “Severnside Sirens Safety Advice” (PDF). North Somerset Council. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  3. ^ “The Fire at Albright and Wilson, Avonmouth. 3rd October 1996”. www.hse.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  4. ^ Pickstock, Heather (8 August 2017). “There is a glitch with Bristol’s emergency warning siren”. bristolpost. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  5. ^ “Charity Details”. beta.charitycommission.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  6. ^ “SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED – Overview”. beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  7. ^ “Emergency siren network expanded”. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  8. ^ “Hazardous Chemicals and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) – bristol.gov.uk”. www.bristol.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
  9. ^ “SEVERNSIDE SIRENS TRUST LIMITED Report and Financial Statements Year Ended 31 March 2018” (PDF). Charities Commission. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.

External links[edit]

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