Jumped into a new ambulance and found out theres 2 sirens!

[Tincanfireman]

Wonder how many wrecks will be caused by this when people panic? We would get better reactions from people if Lights and sirens were used very much less often than now.

Sounds like the topic for a different thread, IMHO..

 

[AJ Hidell]

The thread is about multiple sirens. The ramifications of their use seems wholly appropriate to me.

 

[JonTullos]

Wonder how many wrecks will be caused by this when people panic? We would get better reactions from people if Lights and sirens were used very much less often than now.

I respectfully disagree with you. I may not be an EMT yet but common sense seems to dictate that you never know what you may be walking into. Someone could call with abdominal pain and it end up being a bad bleed, heart attack or some other life threatening situation. It might not be an emergency... but what if it is? One never knows for sure until they're actually there.

 

[piranah]

i agree...but 90 % of thee time L/S arnt needed

 

[medic417]

I respectfully disagree with you. I may not be an EMT yet but common sense seems to dictate that you never know what you may be walking into. Someone could call with abdominal pain and it end up being a bad bleed, heart attack or some other life threatening situation. It might not be an emergency... but what if it is? One never knows for sure until they're actually there.

With experience and after the L&S hypnotism wears off you will realize just how dangerouse running L&S is and you will start looking to slow down when ever possible.

 

[medic417]

Is this you're opinion or based on some fact? What would you suggest as to when lights and sirens are used? Curious.

Personally would prefer we practice medicine, which you can't do going fast down the road, dodging in and out of traffic. Perhaps L&S could be used in stand still traffic to get people to allow you to go on down the road. But even with L&S we need to slow down for our safety and the publics safety, heck even for the patients safety and benefit.

 

[Meursault]

It's perfect! You can only spend so much money on a single siren, after all. Next up: Double-stacked POV lightbars.

I can understand the combination of a normal-frequency siren and a rumbler, but more than that seems excessive. If you're relying on it to trick drivers, it'll probably lose effectiveness once they realize it. Then they'll start assuming that there's only one vehicle when they hear two sirens. It's easy to say that the money would be better spent on educating drivers, but I'm starting to believe that's impossible.

 

[medicdan]

x 2. We are breeding a more oblivious driver here. How about the extra effort on the part of the driver to "orchestrate" the two tones-- shouldnt they just be focused on driving?

 

[AJ Hidell]

I don't have a problem with dual sirens. In fact, I find their effect to be a positive thing, since you can never be sure which tone is going to punch through to the other drivers' consciousness. If you're running both simultaneously, you've got your bases covered. What I do have a problem with is what Dan just referred to, which is this attempt to "orchestrate" the effect, especially on the part of the driver. The last ambulances I spec'd out had two sirens. But they were both controlled by one single on/off toggle switch. No knobs. No buttons. No levers. Just one switch that turned them both either on or off at the same time. No fumbling while driving. No playing with the tones. No distractions. On or off. Period. It's not a toy. It's not a fashion accessory. It's not a job benefit or a way of life. It's a tool, just like a gun. Don't screw around with it. Just use it when necessary, and forget about it otherwise.

 

[medic417]

If you're relying on it to trick drivers, it'll probably lose effectiveness once they realize it. Then they'll start assuming that there's only one vehicle when they hear two sirens.

I had not even thought of that. That makes it even a worse idea. People pull over thinking multiple fire trucks are coming. After a number of times of it turning out to only be one, they hear the multiple sirens and as the fire truck or ambulance passes they say idiots and pull out and bam we now have a major wreck between the second fire truck and or ambulance and the citizen. More judicious use of L&S would provide better benefits than just amping it up more.

 

[Buzz]

We were once following an LEO to scene with L&S. The officer was making use of his spotlight to get people to move out of the way that weren't moving. Seemed dangerous at first, but definitely produced results. People seem more likely to obey when they are singled out.

 

[Aidey]

I personally really like the dual siren emergency vehicles because as someone pointed out, you never know what is going to permeate the consciousness of other people.

 

[Ridryder911]

We can all preach "safe driving" and "awareness" but unfortunately we are not the only ones behind the wheel. Alike wanting to be seen with reflective uniforms, I have to admit I much rather be seen and heard than have a potential impact.

With people wearing head sets, on the cell phone, fighting with the kids, and we have to attempt to obtain their attention; give me all you can. Lights, dual sirens, penetrating wave sirens that vibrate their teeth as long as they do not pull into me or run into me at the scene.

R/r 911

 

[enjoynz]

Just one thing I'd like to put...having sat at a set of light's and hearing a siren bouncing off the walls of buildings
and having no idea which direction the ambulance was coming from, wouldn't dual sirens make it even worse?
People panic enough with one siren and do some really silly things.
Guess by the video clip, it does work though.
We only use one siren in NZ with the different wails and the air horn if they don't move!

Cheers Enjoynz

 

[TheAfterAffect]

Dual Siren and the EQ2B on our rigs, It works amazing and I love it. Then also Industrial Grade Air Horns, help even more. Argue all you people want, it works, it keeps me safe.

 

[medic417]

So as you approach an intersection sounding like an army is approaching are you scaring somebody into pulling out into oncoming traffic to let you by? This has happened and made news many times. I am not going to search those for you but if you have been in EMS or even fire very long you will have seen it in news or even EMS mags.

 

[VentMedic]

So as you approach an intersection sounding like an army is approaching are you scaring somebody into pulling out into oncoming traffic to let you by? This has happened and made news many times. I am not going to search those for you but if you have been in EMS or even fire very long you will have seen it in news or even EMS mags.

There has even been the bumper tap utilized by some city EMS and FDs which is stupid at best but still known to be practiced in some areas.

 

[Jon]

Dual Siren and the EQ2B on our rigs, It works amazing and I love it. Then also Industrial Grade Air Horns, help even more. Argue all you people want, it works, it keeps me safe.

Industrial Grade air horns?

I'm sorry... please explain. Do you simply mean they aren't the cheap little plastic things you get at Pep Boys?




Anyway - Many of the 911 ambulances I've worked in have dual sirens. Almost all the fire trucks I know have them - a standard Q2B and an electronic siren.

Many of the ambulances have a "standard" siren with 3+ tones, as well as a secondary siren rigged to a toggle switch as "wail/yelp" "yelp" or "whoop/warble". Usually isn't a big distraction - I just flip the switch when I want the 2nd siren.

A note - KKK-1822 specs call for 200W of audible warning... MANY places that put a 2nd siren in wire them up with primary siren to 100W of speaker on the left, then the secondary to 100W of speaker on the right. That means that UNLESS you have both sirens on, you don't have the same warning sound that a single siren has.

 

[AJ Hidell]

There has even been the bumper tap utilized by some city EMS and FDs which is stupid at best but still known to be practiced in some areas.

Don't knock it til you try it! It works!

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdpPXubi38g[/YOUTUBE]

 

[PapaBear434]

So as you approach an intersection sounding like an army is approaching are you scaring somebody into pulling out into oncoming traffic to let you by? This has happened and made news many times. I am not going to search those for you but if you have been in EMS or even fire very long you will have seen it in news or even EMS mags.

If we pull up to a red light with all lanes completely blocked, we turn off our sirens and possibly lights and wait for the green. When the green comes, lights and siren are back on and we're moving. That way, we don't have to worry about people whipping out into traffic.