Avertisseur d'incendie de la rue Sévigné, Historic fire alarm sculpture in Le Marais, Paris, France
The Avertisseur d'incendie de la rue Sévigné is a metal post with shiny elements standing on the street before a fire station. The device features a protective glass compartment at the top and shows the technical form of emergency alert systems from the 1800s.
The system was installed in 1884 and was one of the first ways Parisians could publicly alert firefighters. This innovation marked a turning point in urban emergency response, as people on the street could quickly call for help without entering buildings.
The fire alarm at Rue Sévigné stands before the fire station and shows how Parisians once used public boxes to call for help in emergencies. This object reminds us of a time when such street installations were the only way to quickly reach firefighters.
The object sits on the street before the fire station and is easy to find when walking down Rue Sévigné. Visitors can view it from the outside, though the internal mechanism no longer operates today.
This specimen is the only one still standing on Paris streets and is maintained as a historical document by the adjacent fire station. Researchers have begun documenting these remnants to better understand the history of urban emergency systems.
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