Evening star., 1941-12-31
Faulty Siren Mars
Otherwise Excellent
Test in Montgomery

A faulty siren at the Bethesda
Md Firehouse that threw hun
dreds Of residents In the area into
confusion marred the otherwise
excellent" blackout in Montgomery
County last night.
On receiving the alert signal from
the control center at Silver Spring
at 7:l6 pm-a half-hour before the
actual alarm was given-the Bethes-
da Firehouse blew its siren sum-
moning firemen to their posts.
The siren stuck. however, and res
idents who heard 1t shrieking for
at least two minutes thought that
the alarm had begun and extin-
guished their lights.
When the actual alarm was sound
ed at TAT pm, people believed that
it meant the end of the alarm and
lights flashed back on necessitating
a scurrying around on the part Of
afraid wardens to tell them to
turn out their lights.
First for 10000 Persons.
Otherwise, the practice blackout.
the first for about 10000 residents
in the upper part of the county,
went off smoothly. according to off,
cials of the County Civilian Defense
Council. A blackout test had been
held December 16 for the Metro
politan Area Of the county.
Albert E Brault. executive direc-
tor Of the council, reported that
there had been one case Of reluct-
ance to cooperate and two in which
the lights were on during the alarm
but no one was home.
In Rockville, q woman at first
refused to turn out the lights on
her Christmas tree but did so few
minutes later.
Gaithersburg and Washington
Grove had complete blackouts, with
even the street lights out. while the
blackout in other rural sections Of
the county was reported as 100 per
cent effective"
The Chevy Chase Firehouse had
its task complicated by answering
two fire alarms during the black
out. Neither fire was serious.
Ambulances in Readiness.
Paul Banfeld, chief of the emer-
gency service Of the Defense Coun-
Gil, had 26 ambulances stationed at
seven casualty stations in the Met
ropolitan Area ready for action. In
addition, IS county trucks with two
men in each, were loaded with picks,
shovels, ropes, flares and flashlights
and were placed at strategic points
under the direction of George Nc
Ceney, county supervisor of roads.
Another go trucks were ready to be
equipped similarly in case of emer-
genCy.
There was some confusion in AL
| exandria, Va, when the beginning
/ OF the alert was signaled prema-
| turely because Of misunderstand-
ing Of the signals flashed there from
| the control center in Washington.
Robert Atkinson. chief deputy
warden for Alexandria, said about
80 per cent Of the business houses
turned their lights off along King
street but that the blackout was
better observed in the residential
areas.
There were 65I wardens on duty
during the test and some of these
were given Maj. Kelly's sealed or
ders as soon as the alarm had
sounded. Instead of calling out
emergency agencies. as was done in
Arlington, the Alexandria agencies
, reported hypothetical actions they
had taken.
The first afraid alarm in Fairfax
County was reported highly sue
cessful by R. M. Loughborough, CO.
ordinator of defense activities in
the county.
| Police stated. however, that no pro.
vision was made to cut of the elec-
tricity at many outdoor advertising
signs along the highway, with the
result they stood out prominently
in otherwise darkened places.