Happy Birthday Nilsog!

[Dennis Markham]

Yesterday we wished one of the original members a Happy Birthday.  Today I notice that one of our newest members, Ken (Nilsog) is celebrating his.

Happy Birthday, Ken!

[HarrySmith]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEN

[Nilsog]

Thanks! I'm celebrating with a 10 hour shift at the firehouse... my birthday gift? The chief is on vacation until Monday 

[Adam]

Happy birthday, Ken!

What are the phones like at the firehouse?  Is it a new place, or one that's been in the community for a long time?  If it's old, but your phones are new, are there any interesting remnants of old phones around?  (Like old wiring or control boxes in closets, etc.)  If so, we'd like to see pics! 

[Nilsog]

I'm kind of like the house historian, so you're lucky I'm here! Our entire phone system was replaced about 3 years ago when we switched over to regional dispatch. The only old phone I ever saw here was a red 500. It was in the bunk room and was only for the fire emergency line. The finger wheel had been removed so that you couldnt dial out on it. When we went to regional, our emergency line was disconnected and the phone was tossed upside down in one of the night stands. I snagged it before it hit the trashcan about a month ago, have replaced the fingerwheel and it now sits proudly in my living room.

Now, going back a few years (like 50 or more) there was one phone in the station. When someone walked in to make a police complaint or a police call was recieved, the on duty firefighter would push a button that turned on a light on Main Street. When the officer on his beat saw the light he was supposed to call in via the nearest payphone.

Unfortunately, the station we are in now is only 20 years old. The only old equipment that would have remained after the rebuild was the old fire alarm box system, which was donated to the Hose 5 Museum in Bangor after the box system was decommissioned.


Here is my favorite picture of our downtown area. On the left is the Masonic Hall, also our current Town Hall. Obviously, my favorite part is the bell system sigh hanging over the street  

[Nilsog]

Oh I just remembered this, and had to go rummage a bit to find it. This was hooked up to or radio system back when we were handling dispatch, its an ITT something or other. Basically just a transmitter for a radio I guess. It stopped worked and got tossed aside a couple years back. I was surprised to find it. Is it worth keeping? something unique for the collection?

[Adam]

Cool stuff!  My all-time favorite phone color is red, it's very cool you got one in your collection with a personally connected history!

I'd definitely think the radio control phone is collectable!  It's made from telephone components of a major manufacturer (ITT) and includes a hard-to-find telephone part, a push-to-talk handset.  And yours looks like it's in really nice shape.  The unit was a transmitter and receiver, of course, as the radio audio could come out of the speaker on the face plate or the handset when it was off the hook.

[Nilsog]

 Good to know!

I keep remembering things... We also had a double gong western electric bell attached to the fire line in the apparatus bay... I let it go in the trash about a month before my interest in phones caught on... Kicking myself hard now 

EDIT: In fact, you can still see where it used to hang. Siiiiigh.. upper right hand side.

[Russ Kirk]

Happy Birthday, Ken!

[gpo706]

So the Chief is off on your birthday?

Bonus dude!

I booked a week off for my birthday!

[Kenny C]

Happy Birthday!!!!!

[Mr. Bones]

Happy Bithday, Nilsog!
Many Happy Returns!

Best regards!

[dsk]

Happy Bithday 

dsk