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Loud noises can be unpleasant, even overwhelming. Anyone who has been in downtown Bangor when a fire truck or ambulance blares by, the screech of its sirens echoing off the buildings, likely knows this first hand.
Even less pleasant and more overwhelming, however, is an actual emergency. That is what firefighters and EMTs are rushing toward in those loud moments. The sirens and horns, along with the frequent route through the heart of downtown Bangor, are ultimately part of our first responders’ mission to get to people experiencing an emergency as soon as possible. Acoustics are likely not high on the priority list for people whose house is on fire or who were just in a bad car crash.
Not only do those sirens help the responders respond faster, but they also alert motorists and pedestrians to get out of the way to avoid further accidents. The temporary inconvenience and even discomfort of the noise is generally worth the public safety value. So it isn’t particularly surprising that there’s likely little to be done about it.
“When we’re going through downtown, it’s because someone has a fire or EMS need, and part of our core mission is to get there as quickly as we can so we can provide the best service to people,” Bangor Fire Chief Thomas Higgins told city councilors during a meeting on Monday.
Members of the council’s Government Operations Committee invited Higgins after city officials fielded several emails on the subject of the sirens. Those emails followed Bangor Daily News reporting on the issue, which explained how the emergency sirens can sound particularly loud in downtown Bangor — as they bounce off the buildings on both sides of Main Street, and because there is relatively little background noise here even in Maine’s third largest city.
It was appropriate for the council to look into these concerns, and it was right for the fire department to consider alternative routes that might avoid the heart of downtown. But, frankly, the rescuers shouldn’t be taking longer or steeper routes to get to the people who need help right away. Trying to minimize sirens and horns downtown? Sure, when possible. But not at the expense of their mission to help people in need.
“The primary mission has to be to get there as quickly as you can to put out a fire or respond to a person whose life is in danger,” Councilor Cara Pelletier said. “Speed is important, and exercising good judgment about where to use the horns makes a lot of sense.”
As discussed Monday, sometimes first responders have to lay on the (particularly loud) horn because other drivers haven’t noticed them or gotten out of the way. So, as with other matters of road safety, we’ll suggest that general driver awareness has a role to play here, too. The more drivers are cognizant of emergency vehicles and give them the right of way (as required by law), the less of a noise issue there should be downtown.
Again, we’ve experienced the sometimes piercing sound of these sirens first hand, and we understand how it could overwhelm the senses for others downtown. We certainly don’t discount the perspective of those who raised their concerns about the noise and the challenges it presents for them. But, ultimately, we think the most important consideration is the unfolding emergency that fire trucks, ambulances and police cars are responding to. Those siren sounds, however loud or unpleasant, mean that help is on the way.
