New Siren; The RUMBLER; Not only hear it, but feel it

[jeffyc]

As I finish my midnight shift and plan to sleep all day, I for one can wait to hear that thing screaming down my street :eek:

Thats one of the pluses of living out in the country.....no sirens coming down my street :D

[KnightRider3702]

I dunno...I can't deal without sirens...maybe its just being from NYC...

I was so glad that when I lived in Savannah that I lived near a hospital...so there were ambos going at all hours...almost felt like home LoL

[Hockey9019]

Is that really necessary?

I think the only people that claim that they didnt hear the siren are old, senile people.

Don't believe everything you see on TV.





When you go lights/siren down a road where you run into the people with HUA Syndrome, then come back and explain that statement

[Roger Dat]

Sirens are very difficult to hear especially in the winter time when people have their windows up, heat cranking and radio on. Not to mention on major highways as you approach 60 mph you start to outrun your siren.

[KnightRider3702]

Sirens are very difficult to hear especially in the winter time when people have their windows up, heat cranking and radio on. Not to mention on major highways as you approach 60 mph you start to outrun your siren.

Damn those slow assed sound waves...:p

[dinarguy]

Thats weird...I assumed that if for SOME reason they didnt hear the siren, they would surely see the lights, especially the new led lightbars.

[Creeker]

Didn't take long :rolleyes:

New Police Siren Leaves Some Rattled
Posted: February 11th, 2008 02:35 PM PDT
http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/New-Police-Siren-Leaves-Some-Rattled/1$40139
OREN DORELL
USA TODAY

A new police siren that can be felt as well as heard -- through closed windows and inside homes and office buildings -- is rattling some people who say cops should quit the technology borrowed from souped-up car stereos.

Called the Rumbler, the speaker system emits a low, stomach-thumping moan that makes it more noticeable than the high-pitched wail of the traditional siren.

Police departments say the Rumbler is a great warning signal that gets the attention of drivers whose hearing can be impaired by blasting car stereos, cellphone gabbing and personal music players.

"It has the potential to save lives," says Capt. Jim Wells of the Florida Highway Patrol, who helped develop the Rumbler.

Detractors say the Rumbler is far too jarring and annoys more than motorists impeding a cruiser.

"If they want to get people's attention, there are a lot of ways to do that rather than creating a lot of obnoxious noises," says Aaron Friedman, founder of the Silent Majority, an anti-car-alarm group in New York City. "It's all a question of people being able to go about their lives and not be harassed."

At least 60 police departments have purchased the $350 device, according to Rumbler manufacturer Federal Signal. The largest agency to adopt it is the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department, which has installed Rumblers in about five dozen vehicles and intends to install more as it replaces its 1,600-car fleet.

Washington Police Chief Cathy Lanier says the Rumbler is necessary in an age where people are tuning out the world with cellphones and iPods. She says the device creates "a vibrating sound wave" that rattles the rearview mirror of cars nearby. "In the age of technology there's always something that distracts folks. This helps shake that distraction. You just can't miss the Rumbler."

Some groups would like to.

This month, the group Noise Free America awarded Federal Signal a "Noisy Dozen award" for creating "the greatest threat to peace and quiet since the invention of the boom car itself."

Noise Free America has been working with police in several states to enforce noise ordinances, especially against so-called "boom cars" that have loud stereos and powerful sub-woofer speakers that amplify low-frequency base sounds, says Ron Czapala, the group's Kentucky representative.

"The whole point we're trying to make is police are going to be adding to the noise," Czapala says.

Tom Morgan, vice president for sales and marketing at Federal Signal's mobile systems group, says his company's product is not as disruptive as critics say.

The Rumbler's tone is linked to the regular siren, but it's two octaves lower and is limited to eight seconds. That should be enough time to get through an intersection but not so long that people become desensitized to it, Morgan says.

Wells suggested the idea of a low-frequency siren to Federal Signal after experiencing the thumping vibrations of a modified car stereo at a stoplight. Wells says the important issue is safety.

A study by the Florida Highway Patrol, which uses a low-frequency amplifier made by Code 3 -- which, unlike the Rumbler, cannot be felt -- found that there were 14% fewer accidents after a combination of new sirens and lights was installed.

David Klavitter, founder Questforquiet.org, an anti-noise blog, bemoans that the Rumbler "adds to the cacophony" of modern life, but he doesn't plan to complain.

"If it means that someone will get help or a life will be saved, I guess it's a public safety issue," he says.

Copyright 2007 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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[ngcsubutterbar]

Sorry I haven't followed this thread, but this is an acoustic based device right? How is it not subject to the same problems with the Doppler effect like all sirens?

[narius]

David Klavitter, founder Questforquiet.org, an anti-noise blog, bemoans that the Rumbler "adds to the cacophony" of modern life, but he doesn't plan to complain.

"If it means that someone will get help or a life will be saved, I guess it's a public safety issue," he says.

Well good on him! And that's exactly what it comes down to. If we can live with the siren, I don't see this making any difference.

[greenlead]

Next time they need police NOW, they'll be thankful for it.

[driet]

Hi,

I like the rumbler, but I dislike those casino like children-sound-generator noise ... although it is f*ckin loud. Damn.

[tenfour]

I think this would be good for heavy traffic duing the daytime, which is what I work in right now. One nice thing we have, thank god, is opticom. People see the flashing white light on top of the traffic signals and they know we're just down the road coming through and the light is about to change.

[Creeker]

I think this would be good for heavy traffic duing the daytime, which is what I work in right now. One nice thing we have, thank god, is opticom. People see the flashing white light on top of the traffic signals and they know we're just down the road coming through and the light is about to change.

They talked about doing that here, but opted instead to mount a switch inside the firehouse that gives the truck/ems wagon the green by the time it gets there. Our station is located on an intersecting road between 2 major roads.