But the department never installed a new central dispatch alarm. Fire Commissioner Charles Wilson said his department has no plans to install alarm systems in firehouses. He said the current computer printouts and radios work well enough. That's forced fire crews across the city to jerry-rig their alarm systems. Hooked to the printers, the contraptions rely on metal pipes, notebook wire and baby monitors to keep firefighters from missing a run.
Most stations place a metal pipe on the paper that feeds into the printer.
As the paper moves when a run notice comes across, the pipe rolls off and hits the floor making a loud ping. Those who rely on the sound of the tumbling pipe have learned that it's not always loud enough. Some firefighters bought baby monitors and installed them around the stations so they can hear the falling pipe anywhere. Firefighters at other firehouses have gone further, attaching the pipes by wires to switches that trigger alarms. At the east side station that houses Ladder 16, firefighters rigged up their alarm using a food processor's motor and duct tape.