Dual Tone Sirens

[sr71 1]

recently I have been hearing dual tone sirens on ambulances and police cars around when I'm out and about.

I think that it was a good idea on paper but I think that they just confuse drivers on the road, making them believe that there is more than one responding unit behind them.

what do you guys think of this?

here is a example of this siren. this one is made by whelen. but SVP make one as well.

[Scottyk107 9]

I see what you are saying but I think that as first responders we just have more sensitive ears and listen into the sirens too much. To the common ears I think it will do the job of getting the motorists to move over. But I know when I hear sirens in the distance I can almost always figure out who/what it is but thats just from being around it so much.

[e92l44 0]

Don't think it would be a problem.

[firemoose827 324]

Our rigs both have dual tone sirens. We have the Whelen siren AND a Fed Q and it sounds awesome to someone like me!! But I think that the extra sirens will make drivers more cautious, and by making them think there are two rigs they will end up waiting longer before pulling back into traffic. But on the other hand (theres always another hand! ) This could come back to haunt us. The drivers could get used to one rig making it sound like two, than one day there is actually 2 rigs and they pull out in front of the second one....so, this could go either way.

[crcocr1 8]

I've read somewhere that most motorists, however, often are confused by multiple sirens and therefore are susceptible to thinking that the ambulance is in front of them, rather than behind.

[E-38VMFD 0]

its the same as the "Q", Electronic "Q" and the air horn at the same time. I dont know if it confuses drivers but it makes a lot of noise

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I'm one of the ones who has posted on this subject on here and how it is a problem. If one electronic siren won't do it...how then will another doing the same tone or a different one help at the same time?

The electronic/Q siren works well because they are 2 completely different sirens...1 electronic 1 mechanical. Air horns also...it is distinct and reacts to its surrounding environment differently and operates in spurts. Having 2 speakers doing a wail off cadence or one doing wail one doing yelp continuously creates confusion...echoes badlly when surrounded by buildings and blends in with other noise which is well documented issues with electronic sirens. 2 siren sounds to most people equals 2 vehicles.

One of the siren types in the Magnum and I operated a vehicle with one and saw first hand how it confused motorist, particulary at intersections. You cannot tell it is one vehicle approaching and it makes them think there is 2 and creates confusion on their part for what they should do. When you get to experience it first hand you will see or when a vehicle with one approaches you on a street also.

How cool something sounds should have nothing to do with it. We teach in EVOC courses then if approaching an intersection with another emergency vehicle to use 2 different sirens.

[Guest paramedico987]

I think dual tone DOES help but not nearly as much as an air horn. Nothin' says 'get outta the way or your car's about to get f***ed-up' like the siren going in the background and a nice blast from the air-horn.

Based on my experiance driving my POV, there no fricken way people don't know I'm coming... I usually hear something coming WAAAAAY before they get there, and I have hearing loss. Any time folks aren't gettin out of the way, it's because they CHOSE not to, so my approach is to make them think something real big is coming their way.

[22 Truck 6]

I see what you are saying but I think that as first responders we just have more sensitive ears and listen into the sirens too much. To the common ears I think it will do the job of getting the motorists to move over. But I know when I hear sirens in the distance I can almost always figure out who/what it is but thats just from being around it so much.

Very much agree. How many times have you been sitting in the front seat, wondering what the hell a motorist was thinking when you TRIED to pull them over, but it didn't go according to plan (or law)? We are the only ones that would recognize that sound, because we hear multiple sirens on a daily basis. Your common motorist eventually realizes when the emergency vehicle is finally within several feet of theirs that, 'hey, i need to swerve across 2 lanes of traffic to pull over, unsafely', certainly not that one sound is increasing and one is decreasing. That said, I work on two separate agencies with the dual electronic tone as their sirens, Whelen and Carson, and my vote goes to the Carson. It projects and sounds much better.

[MoFire390 118]

As a driver in a ambulance corp where all 3 rigs have the dual siren hook up, I do use it once in a while. Unless I am told not to by the crew chief or the medic. With the way they are making cars now with the sound proof windows its better to have an Ambulance, Fire engine,w/e the case my be with an air horn system. I have to see if i can find the article and post the link to it 68% of the cars now a days are being made with sound proof windows. by 2010 100% of cars/trucks/vans will have sound proof windows. everyone should invest in an air horn system in the near future.

[msg88 4]

Every ambulance that is part of the Philadelphia Fire Dept. has a dual tone siren. Don't think it confuses people since they still don't get out of the way...

[ems-buff 81]

In Mamaroneck Village we have on both of our ambulances Dual tone sirens. In our older one (EMS-19) we have a dual tone called Magnum. ( I have no idea what that means.) In our second one (EMS-10) we have the Whelen siren dual with the Electronic "Q",and ofcorse they both have air horns. It gets people out of the way. Some people say less is more. I say the more the better.

[DOC22 1]

Yeah, yeah, yeah! All this palabber about sires, there's one sure way to move or stop traffic, and that's the good ole locmotive whistle as found on Shrewsbury, PA. "Squadzilla"

Now, THAT'S a traffic stopper!!!!!! HAHAHAHA

[DaRock98 76]

I think dual tone DOES help but not nearly as much as an air horn. Nothin' says 'get outta the way or your car's about to get f***ed-up' like the siren going in the background and a nice blast from the air-horn.

Based on my experiance driving my POV, there no fricken way people don't know I'm coming... I usually hear something coming WAAAAAY before they get there, and I have hearing loss. Any time folks aren't gettin out of the way, it's because they CHOSE not to, so my approach is to make them think something real big is coming their way.

I don't think I agree with that. People with there $10,000 radio systems who you can hear coming from a mile away probably won't hear you. I had one back in the day and a lot of kids in my town still have them and sometimes I feel I can hear them better then a siren, try being in a car with 3 12 inch JL audio sub woofers and let me know if you can hear a siren coming.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

MSG brings up a good point that also made me think and I wish I posted it in addition to my experiences with units with dual tone sirens and how more isn't always better.

If 2 siren tones going doesn't help what's next...3 or 4 or 5? Is more lights better or just well designed well placed lighting systems?

And even if they don't move out of the way is it really that critical? How many true emergencies do we respond to where lights and sirens are really needed? The right of way is given not taken and if they don't pull over, with age and experience I've just come to deal with it. The most important part is getting there and if they don't move over then so be it they will get there's eventually somewhere, somehow in this life or the next. I guess part of it comes down to the fact that I also don't go to a call with the siren turned on the minute I pull out of the bay and it only gets shut off when I get there. I use it when needed in spurts and even then I don't wail on it. I seem to still get there just fine and within reasonable response time...which numerous studies have shown that using emergency mode only saves you seconds...which we really don't get that many call where seconds make any bit of difference, which on a side note again I'm ok with being as a pre-hospital provider I still want to make an impact on the patients overall outcome throughout their hospital experience. Saving seconds costs us a lot of firefighter and EMS lives every year. Risk vs. benefit needs to be applied in the response phases as well.

[Guest FFNick]

I think it's overkill. What are we expecting - parting of the seas? I'm still supposed to stop at all intersections anyway, and proceed with due regard and all that, right?

People move out of the way, or they don't. It's the nut behind our wheel that is more important than all of the fancy new siren/horn/strobe/LED/rotoray combinations available out there today.

[Guest]

I think ur right FFNick they will get out of the way with a dual siren or with out It