Firefighters sue siren maker over hearing loss

Approximately 4,400 current and former firefighters across the US say they are losing their hearing, and have filed suit against a siren manufacturer. The firefighters claim the pitch and decibel level of the sirens is “unreasonably dangerous.”



Attorney, Marc Bern, said the sirens are defective. “It’s a product that is so loud, it causes noise induced hearing loss,” Bern said. “It is not something that the fire department or municipalities have a responsibility for.”



The lawsuit also claims that Illinois-based Federal Signal could have designed the sirens to be safer while still functional, but chose not to. “They could have directed the sound by using what we call a shroud,” Bern said.



However, Federal Signal disagrees. The company said: “The claims by these plaintiff lawyers that sirens are too loud and should be more directive don’t make sense,” and that any changes “would make the sirens less effective and subject the firefighters and general public to increased risk of serious accidents. Federal Signal is the world’s largest manufacturer of audible and visual signalling.