"Vintage Fire/Police Siren"

If you have tried a search for 'siren', you have most likely seen this description or something similar.  Often, no brand name or model are given, and sometimes there is a vague reference to the item having been found in a firefighter's garage or attic.  (He was a firefighter, so this MUST be a "fire siren", right?)  Maybe, but not necessarily so.  Sadly, many of the sirens that are given this type of description were not used on fire apparatus, ambulances, or police vehicles.

Many of these sirens are old 'car alarm' sirens of one kind or another.  One common type was sold by Universal, and have a small horn on the front of the housing.  (Shown below)

There are a few types of new 'car alarm' sirens that show up as well.  Virtually all of these are made of stamped sheet metal, and look as cheaply made as they are.  Some of these are sold for use by music DJ's.  No problem there.  Others, though, are described as being for fire engines, police cars, police motorcycles, or even for military jeeps!

While some of these types of sirens have probably been used, at some point, by volunteer firefighters or others on their private cars, they were not designed for such use, and in most areas, do not meet the standards for highway warning devices.

This situation is truly a case of Buyer Beware.  While the vast majority of sellers will give an honest description of an item, some others are either uninformed or just dishonest.  If you are looking for a genuine emergency services (United States) siren, there is a vast amount of information available on the web.  By gathering information from independent sources, you can determine the specifics of the siren you want, and are less likely to be misled by an uninformed or unscrupulous seller.