Alert tones cause heart attacks

[boteman]

I'm trying to design a new alerting system for some stations and was told by a chief that "high pitched alert tones cause heart attacks". Is this true?

In my experience, after a short time you get accustomed to whatever sound it is and respond accordingly. I have heard the quietest noises and awakened myself automatically because they meant something to me. So it seems that the sound itself is not the culprit.

But I can see how a crew that just got settled in after working a tough fire would be rudely awakened by any kind of alert sound for another call.

Thanks for any input you have on this, I don't want to kill anybody with a beep!

[VAFireNews.com]

Years ago "They" realized that the sudden loud alert tone startled firefighters in their sleep and caused undue stress on their heart. So sometime in the 70's or 80's an alert was designed as a heart saver, the tone (whatever tone you want I guess) simply starts out low volume and progresses louder.

In Roanoke City, where I work, we use this technology instead of the old ring down method which was loud as hell.

Currently we have two tones, one for fire calls and one for ems calls. The fire is a whoop whoop and the ems is ding ding, both progress until loud but rarely startle you.

Sorry I don't have any data, dates, names, or companies in front of me. I just thought I would share.

[Deuce Engine]

Motorola's FRAP (Fire Radio Alert Protocal - part of thier MOSCAD system) is used on 800MHz systems just for this issue. In our area, it's used by Henrico, Richmond, and Chesterfiield, and one of the alerts "ramps" the volume up from very soft to very loud, rather than being startled awake by the instant loud tones.

My department didn't elect to use the tone that gradually gets louder, we have an instant-on, loud, "hi-low" tone when we're activated.

[stormgod]

My station used to have a damn loud claxon right above my bed. Many a night I would be just getting to sleep when it would go off and it would send me right through the roof. Who knows how many years that thing took off my life!

[Quacker]

The latest system will be to have a communication officer, come to the station and gently, give you a shake in the bed and tell you time to get up and go on a call. If this fails they will dump your bed over!!!

Remembering back when the GONG hit for a fire box!! That was loud but never had any problems with it, as it was part of the norm then. I am still living with all the sounds that have awaken us throught out the years...

I vote for the comm officer to come and awaken me, if she is gentle, that is!!

[grumpier old man]

Aint NUTTIN gona beat a GAME WELL.. tick tick tick DING....as per box code...love them BRASS huge bells...sigh...

[boteman]

Wassa game well?

[cwhitten]

We use the Zetron Model 6/26 (http://www.zetron.com/data/site/templates/zetrontemplate.asp?area_0=pages/menus/firestationprod&area_1=pages/products/fsa/m6-26) Fire Station Alerting System which does escalating alerts... starts out soft and gets louder. The system is programmable to allow different alert tones for different units in the same station (engine, ladder, ambulance, etc)

[firecowboy]

We use the First In Alerting System. It uses differrent color lights for the unit, it has a computer voice to announce the type of call and unit. The dispatcher comes on and gives the particulars. Each bunk has a alert box and you set the volume and the unit you are on. You only hear the unit that you are on. We really like it.