The Safe Siren Coalition is working to implement Safe Siren Protocols, especially in high density Downtown areas that experience multiple sirens per hour day and night. Medical research has shown that loud sirens can harm young children, which is especially concerning in places like Downtown Vancouver, which has the second highest density in the city of children under the age of 11. They have also been shown to have harmful effects on people with mental and emotional challenges. Sirens can also provoke erratic driving in the general population which has been known to cause accidents. Sirens can also degrade the quality of life of all residents and is a prominent reason why people move away from high density areas.
The Safe Siren Protocols do not reduce the time to attend emergency calls but they do reduce the harms created by sirens on the broader community. Under these Protocols, an emergency vehicle driving on a bridge at 3:00 AM with no other vehicles would not have sirens on. Currently the law allows emergency vehicle drivers to use their own discretion whether they use their sirens or not as long as they are driving according to the rules of the road.
Some emergency vehicle drivers do use their discretion and only deploy the sirens when they are needed. Many drivers choose to use them at all hours even when they are not needed.
The Vancouver Protocol
The Vancouver Protocol is to be implemented in areas residential areas where there are more than 50 sirens per day. Proper implementation of the Vancouver Protocol will not result in any delays in service. For example, emergency vehicles travelling over bridges at 3:00 AM when there are no other people or cars on the bridge would be required to turn off their sirens.
- Sirens are to be used only when there is an obstacle in the way or when crossing an intersection against the light……………………Chicago
- Sirens are to be set at a maximum of 90 dB at 50 feet……………………New York
- Sirens would be the two tone for normal conditions and the slow wail for congested conditions…………………… London
Vancouver’s Emergency Response Locations:
