More Hearing Loss Claims in NY, NJ, Philly Areas

Well, on one hand I can say that I always kept ear plugs close by when I was using chain and rotary saws at fire-rescue incidents and our engines have been equipped with “Dave Clark” type head sets for the past 10-15 years.

But could the issue of hearing loss due to the sirens could in a much broader sense be more wide spread?

Or at least it brings up the point of “How Loud do the srens have to be and are they really that effective in 2015”?

Case in point; one of the major ambulance companies has a policy that the siren on its ambulances be sounded throughout the entire route to and from the incident to the hospital, if a trauma or full arrest is being transported.

But, if you’re hearing the siren and you five blocks away in a residential neighborhood or much closer on the ambulances travel route and this happens numerous times per day, isn’t their some pending liability on someones part (ambulance co, or siren manufacturer) if the firefighters win their case for those non EMS workers who are affected?

Even author Dennis Smith wrote about the intensity of the sirens volume in his book “The Report fro Engine Company 82” and that was over 40 years ago.