Broadmoor Sirens

One of the Broadmoor Sirens

The Broadmoor Sirens were a series of thirteen warning sirens (Klaxon CS8) based in towns and villages surrounding Broadmoor Hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. They were first installed in 1952 and are based on air raid sirens with the intention of warning residents living near the high-security psychiatric hospital of an escaped patient.[1]

History

The Broadmoor Sirens were installed in 1952 after John Straffen escaped from Broadmoor and murdered a child in Farley Hill, Berkshire. They are similar to air-raid sirens but employ shutters to produce an alternating "high – low" warning tone.[2] More sirens were added in the 1960s[3] after discussions in the House of Commons raised the issue that the sirens' two-mile (3.2 km) radius was insufficient for nearby towns such as Camberley and Wokingham.[4]

The thirteen sirens were created with the intention of warning residents in surrounding towns and villages to remain in their homes and keep their children supervised following the escape of a Broadmoor patient. The sirens were activated as a test at 10 am every Monday.[5] The sirens are susceptible to electrical interference. In 2014, the Bracknell siren was activated accidentally during an electrical storm.[6] In 2019, the sirens were also accidentally activated due to a technical fault.[7] The thirteen satellite sirens were due to be decommissioned during 2018, with one siren remaining in the hospital grounds.[8]

The 1978 hit song "Sound of the Suburbs" by Camberley group the Members refers to the regular testing of the sirens.[9]

Future

The last time the Broadmoor Sirens were activated because of an escape was in 1991, although they were activated in 1993 because of an attack at the hospital.[10] In 2014, there were plans to remove seven of the thirteen sirens. This was because Broadmoor had added a second security fence around the hospital and intended to upgrade the remainder of the sirens so they had a five-mile (8.0 km) radius to improve on the two-mile radius of the sirens, which were installed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[11] Local residents objected to this on safety grounds due to there being sixteen primary schools within the radius of the sirens.[2]

It was reported on 2 June 2016 that Broadmoor planned to remove all except the hospital siren, with alerts issued instead via television and social media.[12] The individual sirens were replaced by a single longer-ranged siren at the hospital.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Broadmoor Hospital sirens 'not as good as Twitter'". BBC News. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b Lyons, Rick (24 March 2013). "Fears for kids as prison sirens axed". Daily Star. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  3. ^ Slevin, Jennie (9 June 2014). "Councillors hear plans for future of Broadmoor sirens". Get Reading. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  4. ^ "Broadmoor Institution". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 22 February 1960. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Broadmoor Hospital sirens 'not as good as Twitter'". BBC News. 14 March 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  6. ^ "UPDATE: Trust apologises after three hour fault with Broadmoor siren in the early hours of this morning". Bracknell News. 18 July 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  7. ^ "Alarm triggered at Broadmoor Hospital". Berkshire Live. 5 December 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
  8. ^ "The Broadmoor Siren". West London Mental Health, 6 January 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2013. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  9. ^ "The Members – Sound of the Suburbs Lyrics". Genius Lyrics. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  10. ^ "The Broadmoor Siren". BBC. 19 November 2007. Archived from the original on 5 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Plan to scrap Broadmoor Hospital satellite sirens". BBC News. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  12. ^ Willgress, Lydia (2 June 2016). "Broadmoor plans to axe escaped prisoner warning siren and rely on TV and Twitter alerts by 2018". The Telegraph.
  13. ^ "New Broadmoor hospital". West London NHS Trust. Retrieved 6 December 2024.