SFist: Lower Polk Neighbors Unite Tonight

Emnas

Sun, 25 May 2008 21:01:21 -0800

An air-horn blast caused actual brain damage to a firefighter. He is fighting the Workers Comp Appeals Board to get his medical claim paid for. Air horns on SF fire trucks produce a noise level of 140 decibels at 10 feet. This noise level causes almost immediate and permanent hearing damage. Even worse, I've seen fire trucks blast their air horns within ten feet of pedestrians, bicyclists, and other drivers. The law permits only the REASONABLE use of a siren (not an air horn) during an emergency (CVC 21055). San Francisco's fire department had misunderstood the law (or not read the law) and thought that a siren must always be used during all emergencies, even in the middle of the night when there's no traffic. This is not correct, and the SF Police Department knew this (but for some reason was unable to explain it to the Fire Department). So, members of Lower Polk Neighbors gave the Chief and Deputy Chief a copy of the law and read it to them, explaining how it says that only the REASONABLE use of sirens is permitted by the law (not in the middle of the night, not when deaf drivers might be present, etc.). None of the firefighters was aware of the fact that it is illegal to use a siren and emergency lights when there is not an emergency. Cary Hunker documented firefighters using sirens in SoMa when RETURNING to the station; this is explicitly illegal (CVC 21055) and has supposedly been stopped. Sirens on Fire Department ambulances have two decibel levels, 120 and 123 (at 10 feet). The 123-decibel siren causes permanent hearing damage in half the time that the 120-level sirens do. Of course, if you are unfortunate enough to be standing less than 10 feet from an ambulance when the siren is sounded, hearing damage occurs much faster. I feel sorry for babies in strollers who are too young to cover their ears when a fire engine goes by on Polk Street and blasts its air horn just 10 feet away. So, I think the meeting of the Polk Street Neighbors with the San Francisco Fire Department was successful. It seems unfair that local residents who don't earn high salaries must read and explain the law to city employees sucking up over $250,000 a year in salaries and benefits with only a high-school dimploma and with sub-par reading comprehension. For that amount of money, we could have a doctor on every fire truck.

Greg

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 15:07:10 -0800

I was out there the other day and noticed an intense, 140 decibel whining going on from folks out there....really bad!

Voorhas

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:19:37 -0800

I used to live right near that fire station, and the the late-night sirens (seemingly going off once a night, sometimes two or three times) were the main reason I moved.

retrohasen

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 08:10:24 -0800

@fizz.. I also wondered why they were always sending both firetrucks and ambulance/paramedics to every scene. Now I know why, first hand. My 1 year old daughter had a siezure so we called 911. Two firetrucks showed up within 2 minutes, but the ambulance/ paramedics were all tied up so they did not arrive for over 8 minutes. The firefighters took control of the situation, got my daughter ready to be transported, and kept notifying dispatch that this was a serious situation and to hurry the ambulance along. They were the best and we have since taken cookies to the firehouse to say thanks. I hope they continue to do things as they are now. I live on Judah and have to put up with the sirens all night long going to UCSF. Part of living in the city. If it gets to be too much, we will move to the boring, quiet suburbs and not blame the SFFD. btw, my daughter has since recovered from her hour long seizure and is showing no signs of long term harm. I believe I have the SFFD to thank for that.

Leanne

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:22:50 -0800

Actually, now that I think about it, the horn is what's ear-splitting, not the sirens. They often honk at every intersection, on top of the sirens. I remember they honked the horn when I was walking by the station one time, and I visibly jumped, and then gave them dirty looks.

KWillets

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:45:27 -0800

I used to live down the street from there, and we quickly gave up sleeping in the front room after being blasted out of bed several times per night. It's one thing to have the occasional siren, but another thing to have one every single time some conventioneer trips the smoke alarm. It's not like every resident in the area doesn't already know a fire truck is coming, where it's likely to go, how fast, etc. They should have warnings when a fire truck isn't coming.

RinconHillSF

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:41:05 -0800

Wow ... of all the issues in the world to put effort into ... While we're talking noise pollution, can we start fining Harley Davidson riders with extraordinarily loud motorcycles that tend to set off car alarms and drive dogs absolutely crazy when they roll by? While I understand the need for emergency vehicles to have a noise maker to try to alert people to "get the hell out of the way, we've got an emergency to attend to" ... there's no reason for motorcycles to be so damn loud.

Slappydafrog

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:58:13 -0800

And as soon as the sirens are turned down there will be a lawsuit from someone who steps out in front of a speeding firetruck because they "couldn't hear it."

Leanne

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:23:29 -0800

I agree with the whole "living in the City" argument, but the Polk people are more complaining about the lack of protocol for sounding the sirens and horns in the first place, on top of the fact that there are no regulations for how loud they can be. These particular sirens from the fire department are much louder than ones I've heard in other neighborhoods. I understand that they have to make it loud for drivers to hear over their cell phones and whatnot, but they need to be looking at how this affects everyone else.

Dan Berkes

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:14:20 -0800

Every time I read about the Polk neighborhood association, I seriously wonder if those people realize they live in the middle of a densely populated city.

Arizenheimer

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 17:12:30 -0800

Yeah, I live out here to and I've just learned to live with the noise. Comes with the territory and all that jazz. Funny that people are complaining though.

don bincente

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:43:27 -0800

its like moving next to a dance club & then complaining about the noise & drunkenness... was surprized that this is the busiest fire dept. in the nation. kudos to the men & women at that very important emergency station SF

Incandenza

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:33:47 -0800

It isn't limited to California- the firetrucks showing up to every 911 call, that is. The police and firemen showed up to watch my brother get lifted into the ambulance after he broke his ankle in New York. They didn't even bother getting out of their vehicles.

aj

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 16:10:26 -0800

Must be a union thing. Still, I have a hard time caring about neighbors boo-hooing about fire engines. You live in a city! Cities have noise! Particularly on Polk Street!

underachieving

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:53:26 -0800

Fizz, Once in college in L.A., we called the police because one of our neighbors had some sort of mental breakdown and was running around the hallway naked. Four cop cars, two fire engines, and two ambulances show up to take away one naked guy. Less than a week later, the same exact dispatchment of emergency vehicles show up in front of our building again, and are trying to get back in that guy's apartment. Eventually they all go home, laughing, as it turns out the naked crazy neighbor had called 911 from the room in the mental hospital he was at. Anyhow, point is that they tend to send many more units than necessary. At least in California. Besides, there really aren't that many fires anymore, thanks to building codes, smoke alarms, sprinkler systems, fire extinguishers, etc. Those guys got to do something with their time.

fizzandpop

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:43:04 -0800

Can someone please explain why fire trucks go out on all medical emergencies? I've seen the full-on 18 wheeler extendable ladder truck in attendance at bicycle accidents, homeless ODs, and even a shoplifting collar by the fuzz. Is this some stupid city ordinance voted on years ago by long-gone supes?