A siren is a device that emits a sharp sound to signal or alert people to danger or emergencies. It is highly effective in notifying many people about disasters and hazards. The origin of the siren dates back to around 1799, when it was invented by the Scottish natural philosopher John Robinson. Robinson’s siren was initially used as an auxiliary instrument to support the pipes within an organ.
Later, in 1819, the French physicist and inventor Charles Cagniard de la Tour discovered a method to determine frequency using the siren. By blowing air between two perforated plates and rotating them, the holes in the plates would align, allowing the air to pass through and amplify, creating the sound known as the “siren.”
The name “siren,” given by Charles Cagniard de la Tour when he invented the alarm device, originates from the “Seiren” of Greek mythology, inspired by enchantresses who lured people into danger with their voices. These Sirens, who enticed sailors with their beautiful singing to cause shipwrecks, were depicted as sea nymphs with the faces of beautiful women and the bodies of birds. In the myth, after the Trojan War, the Sirens tried to lure Odysseus as he was returning home, but he had himself tied to the mast of his ship and his crew plugged their ears with wax. Ultimately, failing to seduce Odysseus, the disheartened Sirens threw themselves into the sea and perished.
Sirens have primarily been used as devices to alert to danger. During World War II, they were employed in various ways such as by individuals blowing into a hose to emit a loud monotone on ship bridges, and by installing pneumatic sirens on dive bombers and attack aircraft (Ju870). The pneumatic sirens mounted on the landing gear of bombers would emit a sharp, metallic sound during a dive, instilling fear in people below.
Sirens were first introduced in Korea during the Japanese occupation. In March 1924, the first siren was installed on the watchtower of the Namdaemun Fire Station in Gyeongseong, and gradually they were installed nationwide at the town and village level. Manual sirens, which were operated by hand, were mounted on fire engines, while large mechanical sirens were placed on steel towers to ensure they could be heard by all. At the time, sirens served not only as fire alarms but also provided precise time signals.
After Korea’s liberation on August 15, 1945, during the Korean War, sirens began to be used to alert civilians of air raids through civil defense training alarms. They continued to be frequently used for air raid drills after the war.
In the 1970s, with the installation of civil defense alarm terminals at four locations including the Seoul Namsan Tower, motorized sirens became obsolete. However, until the 1990s, sirens were still used in some towns and villages for disaster alerts and to summon fire brigades.
Globally, following the Industrial Revolution and the increase in vehicles due to transportation advancements, emergency vehicles such as ambulances, police cars, and fire engines began to be equipped with sirens and flashing lights. This combination of visual and auditory signals enables citizens to recognize and make way for emergency vehicles, a practice that continues to be used to this day.