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Bucks County town wants 'disruptive' fire siren replaced with alert system

PHILADELPHIA - The fire siren at Langhorne-Middletown Fire Station doesn't sound often, but when it does, the whole community knows. The volunteer fire station located in a rural Bucks County suburb averages less than two calls per day, and received less than 650 last year. "The only time that siren blows is when somebody calls 911, so we're not blowing it for the heck of it," Fire Chief Frank Ferry told FOX 29's Hank Flynn. Still, a growing number of community members have called for the "disruptive" siren to be removed in favor of a more advanced alert platform. "It's a quiet town, it's like Mayberry here, and the siren is disruptive," Councilmember Scott Haldeman said. "I took a couple of years to investigate all these other fire departments and spoke with them, and they shut it off because they say it's not needed, so why is it needed here?" MORE LOCAL HEADLINESA 2019 report found that 60% of firehouses in Bucks County still used sirens.

Chief Ferry, who is also a state senator, says low volunteer numbers mean the department can't risk responding to a life-threatening call down a member. "Some departments are more flush with staffing than we are, and can afford for a member to miss a call," Chief Ferry said. "We are at the point where we can't afford for a member to miss a call because of staffing." Likewise, Fire Consultant Gary Ludwig says fire sirens have stood the test of time and are not vulnerable to technology failures like new-aged alert system. "We are subject to technology failures, and when technology fails, at least you have the outdoor siren," Ludwig said.

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Iowa mom, grandpa, arrested after newborn baby 'left to die' and disposed of: Police - fox29.com - state Delaware - city Chicago - state Iowa - county Warren
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Iowa mom, grandpa, arrested after newborn baby 'left to die' and disposed of: Police
Police began an investigation on March 8 after being contacted with "concerns for the safety of a child," and located the baby on March 9 "along the road in the 5300 block of Delaware Street in Warren County." On Monday, officials said that Megan Sta A mother and grandfather in Iowa were arrested after allegedly killing a newborn baby.The Norwalk, Iowa police department said in a press release that Megan Staude, 25, gave birth to a baby in the last days of February. Investigators say that with the help of her father, 64-year-old Rodney Staude, the baby was "left to die" and disposed of along a street in the town.Police began an investigation on March 8 after being contacted with "concerns for the safety of a child," and located the baby deceased on March 9 "along the road in the 5300 block of Delaware Street in Warren County." On Monday, officials said that Megan Staude and Rodney Staude had been arrested.Megan Staude and Rodney Staude are being charged with first-degree murder in the newborn baby's death, police said.IOWA MAN DIED IN ‘DEPLORABLE CONDITIONS’ AFTER SON, GIRLFRIEND DENIED HIM CARE: POLICEAccording to KCCI-TV, Megan Staude's coworkers contacted police after becoming suspicious when noticing that she wasn't pregnant anymore and finding that her story didn't make sense. Police said that the baby's body was found a few miles from their house, the report states.VIDEO SHOWS OFF-DUTY CHICAGO COP IN DEADLY SHOOTING OF ASSAILANT: ‘I TOLD YOU I’D SHOOT YOU'Law enforcement and professional volunteer searches assisted in locating the baby.CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPOfficials say that an autopsy was conducted by the Iowa State Medical Examiner, with results pending.
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