New Bedford, MA, Fire Alarm Service Truck, c.1950.

By Joe Maurath, Jr.; posted September 13, 2021

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This community in southeast MA was among the last to operate and maintain openwire fire alarm circuits here in Massachusetts. Few were later strung using enclosed paired-cable and those were put there only as replacements along stretches due to multiple poles removed, road widening, etc. A former fire alarm employee for the city of New Bedford said that open-circuits and breaks were way much easier to find than using enclosed paired cable. Further, he said that much of the paired cable used for fire alarm service stretches too much and internal breaks are nearly impossible to find. Thus, the city has prioritized using old-school open-wire upon crossarms and glass pintype insulators. This practice has continued through recent years until most of the city's fire alarm circuits were retired in favor or wireless technologies. Many of the pole line scenes from the last decade documenting their fire alarm open wire architecture are seen my contributions within the "Insulators In Service" album.

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