Old Cleveland School Fire Alarm
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- Опубликовано: 25 фев 2019
- I am overjoyed to report that this school is 104 years old, still standing with its original fire alarm system, and in full operation as of 2024. The school's original name was, Miles Standish. Later it was renamed after a former Cleveland mayor, Michael R. White. Today the school is part of the Stonebrook-White Montessori Campus. It is in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The school had been slated for demolition when this film was first produced in 2018. Those original plans have since changed and the school is no longer scheduled to be demolished.
At least the plans to demolish this cool school building were dropped and they decided to keep this school building and it’s still open. I wish they didn’t demolish these awesome historic buildings. I’ve never seen a tele-call fire alarm system before either so these must be super rare
I'm glad to see this system go for almost a hundred years.
That system looks like it can go for another century or so as long as maintained properly.
This is probably the best fire alarm control panel design I've ever seen. Way better than those digital ones today. Does that particular one have a timer?
@@sigglass2183 No, this system does not have a timer. It has to be manually turned off once activated.
@@sigglass2183 That's like saying a Model T is the best car ever designed, yes it's an amazing and interesting piece of history, and the fact that it still operates after all this time is very cool, but to say it is the best design ever is ludicrous!
@@anythingalarm5429 Sorry for the late reply but excuse my pun because this system sounds really impressive to face the test of time.
Very nice video ! I had no idea that automatic fire alarms and Code 3 both already existed back in the 1920's ! Also something impressive is that this alarm is nearly 100 years old and still working like a charm. I really like that code wheel with the big "spikes"!
I'm from Holland. We don't have temperal 3 fire systems. So I'm always fascinated by US/Canadian system especially with bells. And now seeing mechanical temp 3 now that's really awesome. Cool video
Thank you for watching and for your comment.
I love the sound of the 3 bells . Reminds me of elementary school.
Yes we want more this. It’s it’s been some time now since you put out a video. I hope you’re back in the game for a long while. The video editing and detail of buildings is just getting better and better every video that you produce. Keep the good content coming. 💯
Thank you brother, most appreciated.
You are the most underrated youtuber I've ever seen
This is probably my favorite out of all the videos you’ve done so far. Love those old bells and how they echo through that beautiful old building. I’m sad that none of the buildings here in Alaska are that old :(
Thank you Nicole for watching and for your comments. Most appreciated.
For a century old system, I’m amazed to see it running strong. Too bad the school is being demolished soon :(
R.I.P. Cleveland School
Back when this fire alarm system was manufactured, hardware was made to last. It was a time when hardware was truly hardware, not the cheap plastic junk that is made today. Thank you for watching and for your comment.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms, you're welcome and I love your videos.
@@calumbrooknicolson Thank you so much, most appreciated.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms, you're welcome.
This is amazing! I had no idea automated fire alarm systems were made in the 1920's; it looks very advanced considering the time period in which it was made. It's a shame this building will be torn down. The outside architecture is amazing. I have never seen a school with that type of architecture before, and I hope they can save those stone carvings.
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Thank you for showing these historic buildings and the fire alarm systems installed in them. In this video (along with several others of yours) I spotted wall inlets to an original Spencer Turbine Central Vacuum system. I keep hoping to catch a glimpse of the main unit! Some schools (like one I explored in Cincinnati last year) have had the equipment removed sadly, but many I am sure are still intact.
Most interesting. Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing the main vacuum systems in some of the school buildings I have visited over the years. The main units are always housed in the boiler rooms, in the lower sections of the buildings. Great observation on your part. Thank you for watching and your comment.
I revisit these videos once in a whole - for this one I can't get over how primitive the "alarm panel" is but it works, basically does the same thing as the fancier ones.
Primitive indeed but gets the job done. What I love is that it is 100 years old and never needed any maintenance or replacement parts. Unlike the cheap, junk systems that are made today.
What a gorgeous school. Thanks for taking the time to make these videos, they serve as a great piece of fire alarm history, and they help to capture some of these schools that were truly unique. Now, many school districts near me are also tearing down old buildings just to replace them with new ones. One county has built three high schools with nearly identical designs. I understand that cost is a factor when they decide to demolish and rebuild rather than update, but it really is unfortunate nonetheless.
Thank you for watching and for your kind comment. Most appreciated.
Very glad to see another video from you. Really enjoy your videos.
Thank you so much, most appreciated.
All of us do
this sounds like my high school fire bell system! love it!
Nice
I absolutely love your videos and I wish you could make more. I think the reason you don't make many videos is because of the frequent demolitions of these absolutely beautiful schools. The great Hall is something else how did they manage to fit a cafeteria, lunchroom, and entrance into one space? Also like the unusual slower temporal coding.
It truly is a beautiful school with that great hall. The great hall was actually a concept that was used in many older schools. It was efficient and saved money in construction cost. What a wonderful old fire alarm system too. Thank you again for your thoughtful comments, most appreciated.
They sure dont make fire alarms like that anymore or build schools like that anymore ether.
You are 100% correct. It is a time gone by never to be seen again. Thank you for watching.
Very nice footage!! Love hearing these old bells.
Thank you Jared for watching and for your comment.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms No problem. Btw, when I went on your website earlier it appears that when you hit the tabs to go to a different page it only gives you a second to select which section you want to go to. Thought I would just let you know.
Thank you for that, I will look into it.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms Just recently learned that the older portion of our school had Simplex 4080 fire alarm bells (which were in were most likely installed in the 50's). However, it doesn't appears that a pull rod system was installed thus probably being coded pull stations. I don't know what kind of panel it had. Probably either Autocall or Simplex. They replaced/upgraded the system in the 90's to Simplex 4903s which some of them were being replaced by TrueAlerts. I recieved a few comments on potentially salvaging the system once the time comes. I'm wishing you the best of luck with saving this bell system from getting destroyed. Its really heartbreaking seeing stuff like this get destroyed.
3:08 The "Fire Use Only / Hands Off" sign was made by the Stonehouse Sign Co. of Denver, Colorado. That particular font style dates to the 1920s, so that sign was likely original to this installation.
Great observation! Thank you so much for watching and for your comment.
I expected a constant ringing, but we get a code 3! To think such old systems wouldn't be like this!
Another cool historic fire alarm system, old technology like this does not last much long, and it’s a shame to see some of it go, but it’s cool to get the opportunity to see these and get this old system on camera, maybe one day I’ll get to see one myself, and nice suit by the way, I hope your doing well, you have great videos, I also subscribed to you, i thought I already was but I guess not, I hope everything is ok on your end, keep up the good work and finding old systems like this!
Thank you so much for your comments and for subscribing to my channel.
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It’s nice to see the old fire alarm system
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The school I go to was built sometime in the 1950s, and it only has 1 or 2 of what I think are original fire alarms im the gym, the rest are all Edwards 757s that were installed in the major renovation the school had in the 1990s or 2000s.
I dunno, I feel like the bell would sound better on a code 4 wheel. But it’s interesting to see that code 3 has been around longer than we thought.
Wow I never even heard of "Tele-Call" until this video! You should've demonstrated the on/off switch in the office too that would've been cool to see operate but in all a neat old system!
You’re back!
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Wow, nearly 100 years! That thing is a trooper!
It most certainly is.
That is so cool that these classic fire alarms are in code 3
Hello! I was wondering what museum you put these alarms in because I would like to go visit it some day.
There are over 250 fire museums throughout the United States and Canada. You can go to the website, Fire Museum Network and go to their directory. All the fire museums are listed state by state. You will see them all listed there. Thanks for watching and for your interest.
They should just update the inside
Wow ! Just another perfect video !
Thank you Brian, most appreciated.
I am absolutely in LOVE with that building! Everything about it. The design with the tower up top, the radiators caged into the walls, and the entire "Great Hall" is absolutely spectacular!! I've never seen anything like that! And the fact that the fire alarm system is still working great after 100 years. The very thought of demolishing a place like this gives me a weird feeling. Whoever is making these decisions should be locked up before they hurt anything else, lol. It looks like it's still standing though. Are there still plans in the future for demolition?
For now, the building is still standing and being used as a school. As of this writing, there are no immediate plans for demolition.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms That's good to hear. Hopefully it stays that way.
@@plumbingstuffinoregon2471 I certainly hope so. It really is a beautiful school and very well built.
Toilet
@@missbleach8767 You again?
So sad to see this old school go down, If I was an investor, I would purchase the school and turn it into a museum and still have the old alarms working.
It's way too sad that these magnificent buildings couldn't be repurposed for other community uses.
What a waste to those old buildings that are gone
wow This is a piece of History by its self. It's such a darn shame this is being destroyed. Very cool system
That is cool I wish to keep the bell system I do love to collect antiques and yes fire bells from the 20s that I would of like to owen it's sad that buildings like these every day something that is antiques is gone
Why do people on the internet talk like this?
@@jeremydunn6089 Because they don't know English and they think every single thing is bad.
You dont by any chance have a vid of the pull rod alarm at the old Whittier elementary school do you? It was a later model and had the bells as well as did a voice announcement through the pa speakers in the building wich didn't always work . The pull rod went from the basement all the way up to the 4th floor
Unfortunately I do not have a video of that particular school.
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Why does the wiring in the panel look somewhat modern. You think It would be knob and tube or cloth insulated. Is the panel as old as the building or was it added later.
The panel is as old as the building. Some wires had to be updated and replaced in the building due to age concerns, especially involving safety hardware.
Fire alarm
Did the system eventually shut off like the more modern Autocall systems or does it have to be manually shut off?
This system has to be manually turned off.
There is an old school in my area that had a pull rod system but for some random reason got pulled out. The old system originally consisted of pull rods, ibm break glass stations, heat detectors, and vibrations horns. The system lasted 95 years and running. The district decided to replace it and remove the pull rods. A simplex 4100 system was installed. It lasted 2 years and died. It Was replaced with another simplex panel and half the horns wouldn’t sound due to programming errors shutting off the NAC. The old system had 5 horns and could be heard over ambient noise levels. The new system has 90 horns and I was told that you can barely hear it through a closed door. If only people would start making alarms to the quality of these old systems. In the 50s these new systems would be laughed at unlike today they are considered “breaking edge”.
Thank you Dale for watching and for your comment, I could not have said it any better. The new systems are junk compared to the older, superior systems of days past.
This comment reminds me of my middle school's fire alarm system being replaced in 2017.
I am wondering. What were the model numbers of the manual trip bells, actuation switches, single stroke bells and control panel? also how many pull rods were there in the school?
I could not find any model numbers on any of the devices you mentioned.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms oh, that's okay
Also, that looks like a beautiful brass bell under all that paint!
It very well could be brass. It is very common for the custodians in the schools to paint over the brass bells; that way they don't have to keep polishing them all the time. Unfortunately, painting the bells also deadens the sound and resonating qualities.
4 years ago i went to this place called marian center for non profits formerly called st marries academy built in the early 1900s i have some old alarms from there and i heard it closed on july 2016 and was demolished after closer i have aquired some class change bells before that happened
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You can see brass oil cups on each end of the motor that drives the coding mechanism. inside is a wick that presses against the shaft to keep it lubricated. This is why I love older electric motors.
Great observation Joel. Most people would not notice that.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms I have a tendency to notice details due to my aspergers syndrome.
I remember when I was a kid in the 90s in elementary school it had a bell system similar to this one. I think around 3rd or 4th grade they upgraded to the Simplex.
I love old bells and horns
How do you manage to preserve these systems? I would like to preserve my old high schools system when it eventually gets demolished, its an Edwards 6500 with Edwards 24 single stroke bells. I just don't know who I should talk to about preserving it
I work with fire museums and provide artifacts for exhibits. I contact the school district and get permission to remove old fire alarm artifacts before a school is destroyed.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms thank you, I will have to try contacting the school board! My old high school was actually supposed to be demolished by the end of this year, but government cutbacks have delayed the construction of the new school, and the old one is still standing.
Did you get any of this before the building was torn down?
This school is still standing and in operation.
I saw some 10" simplex bells too
It's sad that people will destroy old things like this, I don't understand it. Why does the motor slow down every rotation? Is that just because is was sitting at that position for so long?
Actually the speed of the motor does not slow down. If you watch very carefully you will see the speed is exactly the same for every revolution of the code wheel. Thank you for watching and for your question.
My School was built in 1999 and has some of the earliest Gentex GX-90 Horn Strobes in the classrooms, and slightly older Gamewell/FCI Horn Strobes everywhere else. However they might replace them all and switch to TrueAlerts.
Try to save those alarms if you can.
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Are the FCI ones mechanical?
These schools are a rare find. you don't find many of these nowadays
After reading a few articles about the fate of this old building. It sounds like it'll be used again as the result of a merger. The district is currently refurbishing Stonebrook and using that school and this school along with the merger. From what I read, it doesn't appear that this building will demolished after all.
If true, that is good news to me. I just hope whoever takes care of the building does a good job.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms I will keep my eyes open for updates.
@@jaredthompson3011 This school cancelled its plans to be demolished and is back open to the public as of 12/2022, but the system I believe has been switched out for modern Horn/Strobe units
Did you get a new camera? Because the part where you showed the panel in action is in HD and the other parts are not
Actually, both the still photography and video was shot with my smart phone camera.
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Amazing! That system with regular maintenance would last forever. Why is there a Western Electric sticker on the inside of the panel door? Did western electric have a fire department dispatch or something? Thank you for this amazing video!
Western Electric was a company that made utility cabinets/boxes for electric appliances. Thank you for your question and for watching.
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Very interesting how the code 3 pattern originated.
Wow!😄
If there is any buildings that have fire alarm pulls, bells, or horns do you think you could get me one? I’m asking because I’m doing a school project on fire alarms
These fire alarm systems are reserved for fire museums only. If your looking for old fire alarm hardware, eBay is a good place to start looking.
I can’t find much information about these old Tele-call systems, do you know anything about Tele-call?
Tele-Call was a small signaling and security company in Cleveland, Ohio. The company started in the 1920's and was known for their alarm systems. Their products were high quality and made to last. Not really sure when they went out of business, but my guess it could have been sometime in the 1950's early 60's.
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How many times does it go around?
It continues to ring until someone turns it off. The system has to be manually shut-off to stop the bells from ringing. There is an on-off switch in the main office of the school.
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I love those on Code 3.
So cool. To see that the alarm Is 98 years old And Run like a charm. Also the bell on the left it looks like a faraday. Is that a class change bell
Yes it is. Very good observation.
98 years old, that's about the same age as my granny.
What was the beeping I heard when you were entering the basement where the fire alarm control panel was located?
A very good question and unfortunately I'm not sure. When I entered the basement I heard the peeping sound but did not verify where the sound was coming from.
O
66
Ooh
That's a really cool system! I'm surprised they allowed it to be used through 2012, and it must have been cool to hear the bells throughout the building.
Cleveland City Schools still operates in a lot of older buildings due to the high cost of building new buildings. Akron Public Schools has torn down a good number of theirs and built new schools; the new Firestone High School was one of those. Most of the schools in Northeast Ohio are being rebuilt or have new schools because the way the state funds the school districts has changed in the last several years allowing more money to go to building projects. My district is currently in the process of building a new Revere High School and elementary school (grades 4-5) (built in 1951 and 1921 respectively), while the existing middle school and primary elementary school (grades K-3) will be extensively renovated along with a new bus garage because the transportation facility we currently have is inadequate and the school buses have to be parked outside which leads to a lot of maintenance issues, especially in the winter.
Actually that was an old inspection tag that had not been removed. This system is still in operation and going strong. Public schools are "grandfathered-in" and are allowed to keep and maintain their old fire alarm systems if they are in good working order. Thank you for your comment and great observation !!
@@sirenfreak57 sounds like Portland public schools in Portland,OR. Most of there buildings are in older schools Because of money. Since building new schools are ridiculously expensive. But the Original fire alarm systems are Long gone. The school I went to when I was in the district was a Silent knight system. And there now switching to potter I saw in one school.
So, so classic!
Thank you for watching and for your comment.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms de nada
RUclips
Sad to see this beautiful school is going to be demolished
I agree
Video Home System
4:08 newer simplex bell
Wow that First bell looks like it had seen better days
Yes, but it works just as good as the day it was first made.
Temporal code before it became popular. I love it.
What's old is new again.
That's just about THE smallest fire alarm panel I'd say I've EVER seen, never seen one like that or by that particular company either. Definitely unique code wheel too, especially as it does VERY slow Temporal Code 3. Most other systems installed in old schools, such as those showcased in your other videos, do Code 4-4-4-4 instead. Also those are just about the only fire alarm bells I've seen with the mechanism below the gong rather than behind it like with most electric bells.
I do hope that you try your darndest to remove every single fire alarm component out of every old building you come across that's scheduled for demolition. Stuff that old and that rare is irreplaceable.
Real shame that it seems most old panels suffer the fate of having their guts torn out and being used as a wiring cabinet instead. Shame that today's techs just plain do not have any respect for older systems (and thus gut the panel rather than remove it intact).
Pretty much all the bells in almost all of your videos have nice "rings" to them, heh. Same for the horns. And as some people have said, even though they might be SEVERELY outdated by today's standards, nice to see most of these systems continuing to protect the occupants of the building they're installed in 'till the day they're demolished.
Any idea why this particular school has/had what appear to be Faraday bells (like the one at 4:08) in addition to the Tele-Call bells?
I bet they replaced some Tele-Call bells that sadly didn’t last 100 years.
@@tots16 Yeah, maybe.
They did eventually get a horn but that was with the later models making this possibly the oldest working fire system ever
I would like to obtain one of those old "codewheel" Panels, how might i do that?
Go to OldSchoolFireAlarms.com and leave a message.
whoa single stroke code 3
Simsfanatic1997 BTCP beautiful, aren’t they?
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Such a shame that these old schools are being demolished. I was sad when george barber got demolished. Awesome video though
Thank you for watching and for your comment.
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NO!!!! What a beautiful school such wonderful history what a sad day to see it go ( even though I never went there) I would've loved to see it's 😍😔
I'm happy to report that this school is still standing and in full operation.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms why did it say it was scheduled for demo in the first place?!
@@jonahladuke7607 At the time this video was shot, the school was scheduled for demolition. Fortunately, because of this video, there was an outpouring of many people to save the school and the school district changed their plans to demolish this particular school building. Amazing what one little video can do.
I found a school in Texas where I live and it has the exact same fire alarm system and the best part is that its in full operation and still standing to this day
The T3 pattern isn't very common in old systems, right? Most do a 4x4 cadence or a 4x2 cadence.
It all depends what one considers old. In the 1920's, when some of the very first electric fire alarm systems were invented, T3 was very common in the few schools that had electric fire alarm systems. Not until the 1940's up thru the 1960's did cadence 4-4-4-4, cadence 4-4, and cadence 4-2 come into play. Thank you for watching and the great question.
Will the bell ring if something is wrong in the system
I am not too sure what the perpose of 5hr manual trip bell is for.
In the event that there is an electrical outage or interruption, the trip bell will still work as a signaling device.
Has the System been saved yet or is it still in the Building?
The fire alarm system is still in the building and still in operation.
Thanks goodness
They better not take it out.
I think this school is renamed to Stonebrook-White Montessori Campus
the school is old but that does not matter it brings tears to see that the school is getting demolished it is a classic system they should prob keep it
UPDATE - This school is not getting demolished. It is safe for now.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarmswell thats good 🥳🎉👍
Could trouble bells been added to the panel old was that setup to old for it
No, this panel was not designed for trouble bells.
Yet another soon-to-be victim of "Preservation by wrecking ball"! What a waste! :'(
It is so very sad. We live in such a wasteful society.
Does the school have a working PA system?
Yes.
Fast code 3, like some home smoke alarms. The pause in between, reminds me of Simplex 4001s or similar doing code 3 on the internet.
Alarms removed?
The original fire alarm system is still there and fully operation.
Is the building gone
Fortunately this school is still standing and being used as a school.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms did they keep the old fire alarm system
@@javonbrandon Yes, the old, original fire alarm system is still in place.
Is it demolished yet ;(
No, this school is still standing thank God.
Why is there a Simplex 2901-9333 at 4:07?
Great question! If this was a vibrating bell, it was used for a class change bell and tied into the Simplex clock/time system. If it was a single stroke Simplex bell, it was tied into the fire alarm system. The problem was that the bell was mounted too high on the wall and I was unable to verify for sure what the bell was used for.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms It's vibrating. You can tell with that generation of Simplex bells because the single-stroke ones have the bolt through the center rather than offset to the bottom.
Looking on eBay, it turns out they did make an AC version of that bell, but why they would use a red one for class change (especially in a school with red fire bells) is beyond me.
@@Fahrenheit4051 I agree, but I see that all the time. Again, if it is vibrating, then it definitely was wired to the class change bell system. But you are 100% correct, it should not have been painted red.
5:13 - How It's Made: Code 3
Lmao
@@theray2009 🦊
@@missbleach8767what
Solid as a Toyota Hilux
I've Been Them Before ' We Replaced Many in the District ' The Only Thing Missing is the Relay to Alert the F.D. '
Is that a middle school or high school
This is an elementary school.
What happened to this school?
This school is still opened and operational.
@@OldSchoolFireAlarms I work at an elementary school in my hometown that was built in 1930, with additional classrooms added in 1953 and 2003 and a brand new library around 2003. The school doesn't have a vintage fire alarm system however, it's completely modern. There's also a private school that used to serve as the town's high school, which was built in 1924. I'm not sure if it retains an old system however. Nevertheless, I thought it might interest you. My town's name is Scotia, a suburb of Schenectady, New York. There are tons of old schools still operating here.
@@homeworld1765 Thanks for the information, most appreciated.
Keep up there good too good there good work on here mate u do a rally good job on RUclips mate
Nice
Thank you for watching.
I agree.
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@@missbleach8767 oh it’s you again
@@thegreatpineapple2076 oops
Is the school still there
Yes, this school is still standing and in operation.
Nice for its age
why they dont use electric vibrating horns?
Some people like bells and some people prefer horns. Bells are not as loud and do not sound as harsh as horns.
Are you going to salvage these alarms?
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this school from my research is still up and running
It is, but not for long.
Old School Fire Alarms what will happen to the school and alarm system?
@@Reaglesracing44_ The school is being demolished. Its unclear what will happen to the bells.
@@Reaglesracing44_ The school is scheduled for demolition. The exact date has not been established at this time. The fire alarm system will be donated to a museum for historical preservation.