The rumbler transmits noise through high-output woofers and produces a vibrating sound as opposed to a shrieking one. This newer kind of siren uses the same tone as a typical siren but at a much lower frequency. So I decided to do my own research by taking a ride along with a deputy commissioner of the NYPD to learn more about low-frequency sirens that can complement a hi-lo system.ĭuring the ride, the police used a low-frequency siren, often called the rumbler siren. Some NYPD experts, however, claim that motorists are less responsive to hi-lo sirens. Human beings find the two-tone siren less disruptive because it moves back and forth between two fixed pitches, as opposed to across a frequency of sounds. An unmistakable irony here is that, although sirens are often intended to reach people in need of medical help, they are themselves contributing to health problems. With around 8,500 NYPD, 2,000 FDNY, and 700 Department of Correction emergency vehicles active on our streets, limiting the fleet’s noise would have a marked effect. A 2016 study by Tracy Swinburne at the University of Michigan School of Public Health concluded that a mere five-decibel reduction (less than the sound of leaves rustling) in overall noise would reduce the prevalence of hypertension by 1.4 percent and coronary heart disease by 1.8 percent, saving $2.4 billion annually in health-care costs and increasing economic productivity annually by $1.5 billion. Sirens perform a critical function but they do not need to be so disruptive - which is why Council Member Carlina Rivera, seven other Council members, and I are sponsoring legislation that would mandate the use of hi-lo, “two-tone” sirens by emergency response vehicles.īeyond the basic benefits of less disruption, siren-noise mitigation would have extensive economic and health benefits. With so many of us working from home since the pandemic, the noise of sirens has become even more oppressive. The police, fire, and ambulance sirens shriek at all hours, reverberating off the facades of tightly packed buildings into our eardrums.
Piercing through the cacophony of noise is the wail of sirens from emergency response vehicles. This barrage of excessive noise is more than unpleasant - it can cause anxiety, stress, high blood pressure, heart disease, and other health problems, and threatens public health. The soundtrack of New York City is a jumble of bangs, crashes, and screeches. StreetsBlog NYC: Opinion, Let’s Turn Down the Noise on Sirens
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