Siren Use During Parades

[x635 4,066]

Spinning off an idea percolating in another thread......

I hope that the departments participating in upcoming parades use the sirens very little, or not at all. I was at a parade recently, and the host department had every apparatus (about 10 in all) with the Q, electronic siren, air horns, and whatever else made noise all going at once on every apparatus. Not only was it uneccarily and obnouxiously, ridiculously loud, it really hurt the ears and damges hearing. It sounds completly different when you're sitting on the ground 2 feet from the bumper when the apparatus is stopped or crawling along, and I hope the drivers realize that. Also scared several children.

A toot is fine, but a tool is not a toy. Going full blast constantly on every device is ridiculous. I guess it's no different then going to a Disturbed concert, but I go to parades to see the apparatus, enjoy a nice community oriented summer evening, and photograph it so I can share it with all of you, not to get a headache and hearing loss.

Lights, however, light it up!!!!

[ytpastchief99-00 6]

I know what you’re saying. I marched in that parade and it is hard to hear the music, and the people saying hello, and thank you. Less is better.

[ec255 22]

Agreed, when I was Chief, for our memorial day parade, I put the word out to all the drivers- our department and visiting to keep off of the sirens and keep air horns to a minimum. After the parade I got several thank yous from residents including children. It's another thing I think (in a small way) that tarnishes us all as un-professional ya-hoos.

[JBE 328]

I don't think I have ever been to a parade where people were leaning on sirens, horns, etc. The only time I ever saw it was when a department rode up 5th avenue with sirens going the whole way durng the PR day parade a few years ago. Honestly, I felt it made them look like idiots.

[res6cue 67]

Most parades I've marched in we weren't even allowed to have the lights on, much less sirens and airhorns. One notable exception was the Suffern July 4th parade where we were encouraged to have the lights on, but even then the sirens and airhorns weren't sounded until the very end of the parade route as the trucks went down the last bit of the route and filed into the staging area at the ballfields. It was always very reserved though, from what I recall at least. If parades were all lights and sirens and airhorns the whole time, I would never march again. That's just ridiculous.

[Guest]

Upstate NY in my old department, it is a somewhat an unsaid agreement in which all departments in the parade knew not to use sirens but run lights and barely ever use horns. During a parade in which i was driving, I briefly used the horn once but that was because I had a bunch of teenagers asking for the horn. It's always fun to see everyone go woo hoo.

[AndyC3J 190]

Don't get "too much" of that up this way. Usually it's the other way around.....there will be a bunch of kids looking for some air horn action, and they end up getting all flustered when they keep getting turned down. Guess they aren't old enough to understand the "no noise" rule. Oh, and you see that dude in the white shirt with the clipboard over there? He's called a judge. He won't like it if the fireman breaks the rules....nor will the firemen like it when their company is passed over for a trophy that it might have otherwise won.

I don't personally have a problem with an occasional quick blast of the horn, or a tap of the Q button, but going Code 3 at 5 MPH or less is not necessary.

[Guest]

after marching in our own parade one year my sister who is or was president of the drum corp. asked us not to sound the sirens because when an actual emergency would arrize they would think the guys were just screwing around with the sirens and wouldn't think nothing of it. there is nothing wrong with waiting till trophies and then doing it. kidding!

[FDNY 10-75 640]

Less is better suited for dress parades. I think blasting them is fine at mardi gras type parades.

I will say though, for my final parade, I hope they blast them all the way to the cemetery!

[ex-commish 490]

after marching in our own parade one year my sister who is or was president of the  drum corp. asked us not to sound the sirens because when an actual emergency would arrize they would think the guys were just screwing around with the sirens and wouldn't think nothing of it. there is nothing wrong with waiting till trophies and then doing it. kidding!

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Actually the worst time is after the parade is over and you have an abundance of apparatus leaving lights and sirens usually around 10:00 or later. I feel it is annoying and unsafe.

[X615 0]

around here use of sirens was always reserved for those staying in-service during the parade & needing to make a quick exit. i'd rather listen to the engines, especially the older 8 cylinder detroits and the low rumble of the long since gone glass pack mufflers than a bunch of obnoxious sirens. maybe some guys don't run enough calls but don't ya get tired of hearing that at some point?

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Hey 635, didn't we have a conversation about this not to long ago? lol. I agree, absolutely ridiculous. During a parade after winning a trophy or whatever. It often scares young children and make the experience unenjoyable. As far as after winning a trophy, to me it just says hey look at us we're a bunch of yahoos, look at what we just won that will collect dust, be forgotten about in 2 years, take up space we really don't have anyway and we're either really slow so we don't use half this stuff, or instead of training we're spit and polishing.

[Guest]

In Maryland they alow certain areas of the parade routes to use sirens and air horns . But being a New York Native from Westchester this was all new to me . The first parade I went to down here I almost fell out of the drivers seat because I was so used to NY parades.But I have to end with this ,the parades down here are no where near as much fun as good old NY.

[FFD941 20]

I disagree, I beleive that it's the joy of the fans and parade goes to hear the fire department.

Normally when an individual hears or sees sirens and lights it's not for fun. In a parade, it's a different story.

When I was a child that's what I went to the parade for; to see the BRT's.

[CAM502 6]

A little toot of the air horn, or a quick crank of the Q is cool. Just Don't blast it non-stop. A little hear a little there.

Edited July 1, 2006 by CAM502

[Guest DADAY]

What?!?!?!?!?!

[DOC22 1]

Don't the parade judging associations have rules and regulations concerning this? I don't think it's cool or necessary unless a department gets a major incident requiring response from the line of march, otherwise a ir horns, sirens and screamers should remain quiet.

[CAM502 6]

What?!?!?!?!?!

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Just an opinion...keep in mind I'm not from a Dept that does parades, I'm just a spectator.

[ec255 22]

When I get those kids looking for the air horn , I grab the air horn chain and pretend to pull it but actually hit the oem horn on the steering wheel, it gets a laugh and nobody loses their hearing. ( of course not in a competition parade)

[tunaFish 0]

Spinning off an idea percolating in another thread......

I hope that the departments participating in upcoming parades use the sirens very little, or not at all. I was at a parade recently, and the host department had every apparatus (about 10 in all) with the Q, electronic siren, air horns, and whatever else made noise all going at once on every apparatus. Not only was it uneccarily and obnouxiously, ridiculously loud, it really hurt the ears and damges hearing. It sounds  completly different when you're sitting on the ground 2 feet from the bumper when the apparatus is stopped or crawling along, and I hope the drivers realize that.  Also scared several children.

A toot is fine, but a tool is not a toy. Going full blast constantly on every device  is ridiculous. I guess it's no different then going to a Disturbed concert, but I go to parades to see the apparatus, enjoy a nice community oriented summer evening, and photograph it so I can share it with all of you, not to get a headache and hearing loss.

Lights, however, light it up!!!!

←

[ONLOCATION 24]

Hey 635, didn't we have a conversation about this not to long ago? lol.  I agree, absolutely ridiculous.  During a parade after winning a trophy or whatever.  It often scares young children and make the experience unenjoyable.  As far as after winning a trophy, to me it just says hey look at us we're a bunch of yahoos, look at what we just won that will collect dust, be forgotten about in 2 years, take up space we really don't have anyway and we're either really slow so we don't use half this stuff, or instead of training we're spit and polishing.

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Disagree, Depends on the Department. There are Departments in this County that Bust there Asses to win and they see work........Simply Pride and Honor?, Also maybe showing the Taxpayers that there $400,000 piece of Apparatus they Purchased 5-10 years ago is being taken care of and mantained and not just kept looking like a hunk of Garbage. This is really concerning the End of the Statement. And Yahoo's? maybe just Dedicated Members, Yet agian depends on the Department, not going to say that there aren't some out there that should concentrate on more than "Social" Events.

I disagree with the Siren during a "Dress" Parade with the exception of maybe the Host Department (Alittle noise within reason isn't that Horrible). And Yes there are Rules for Disqualifacations of certain Judging Assoc. on uses during Dress Parades.

[res6cue 67]

As ONLOCATION said, taking a few days here and there to clean, degrease, touch paint up, vacuum, wax, etc. your $400K to almost $1M apparatus is not a waste of time. The sad truth is, the only time they really get anything besides a quick wash and half assed wax is during parade season. Meanwhile all throughout the winter the road salt just eats away at the chassis and body. Perhaps there should be a little more attention paid to taking care of the trucks. As far as suggesting that the time spend on truck prep is time better spent training, c'mon now. Do you having training every single day and night? In a volunteer company? I seriously doubt it. Even career depts take time to clean and maintain their rigs. I find that guys getting together to clean the trucks builds morale, which is sometimes in short supply these days. Besides, you can usually make a drill of it if you're creative enough. Great time to teach the probies where all the equipment is and how to go over it and maintain it properly. The trick is to try to make the most of time spent at the firehouse, and if you can turn something into a learning experience, even better. Training the guys to take care of their equipment is hardly time wasted.

[RESCUERABBITS 0]

Spinning off an idea percolating in another thread......

I hope that the departments participating in upcoming parades use the sirens very little, or not at all. I was at a parade recently, and the host department had every apparatus (about 10 in all) with the Q, electronic siren, air horns, and whatever else made noise all going at once on every apparatus. Not only was it uneccarily and obnouxiously, ridiculously loud, it really hurt the ears and damges hearing. It sounds  completly different when you're sitting on the ground 2 feet from the bumper when the apparatus is stopped or crawling along, and I hope the drivers realize that.  Also scared several children.

A toot is fine, but a tool is not a toy. Going full blast constantly on every device  is ridiculous. I guess it's no different then going to a Disturbed concert, but I go to parades to see the apparatus, enjoy a nice community oriented summer evening, and photograph it so I can share it with all of you, not to get a headache and hearing loss.

Lights, however, light it up!!!!

←

Everyone wants be be seen and treated like PROFESSIONALS, maybe we shoild act like it even at parades.

[RWC130 594]

RES6CUE,

AMEN BROTHER!!!

[Remember585 815]

You know what truly irritate me more then blowing / not blowing the siren during parades?

If you are caught waving or talking in the line of march you get demerits!!!!

I'm sorry, but I know that at every parade I go to, there's always a little cousin, niece or friend's kid that gets upset because, heaven forbid, if you turn and wave at them in front of a judge, then that useless piece of $hit called a trophy isn't going to be yours!

Never mind the fact that if you do in fact bust your hump on your rig, there's always the chance one or more of the "judges" has a hard-on for you and gives you low demerits anyway.

Parades are for the public and that's all we should be concerned with.

Rant off.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

We've often discussed that also 585 and I couldn't agree more on the whole waving issue.

I never said not to maintain your equipment or apparatus. There is a difference between maintenance and pride (which I have for my equipment, right down to the LP-12 I carry) and what I've seen some departments get into with "drill" nights where its spit and polish.

The system is flawed regardless with judging, when you have departments whom have busy call volume and go to work often. Its not as easy getting that equipment to look the same compared to departments that get 1-2 fires a year and some if that and less then 50% of the volume. What I love more are those that get mad when they don't win a trophy. Like I said, I could care less, if my company looked good, the equipment looked the best it could then I took pride in that and the fact that I was surrounded by great firefighters whom cared about training and keeping the tools in working order to go to work instead of a trophy that we had no real room left for anymore.

[Guest]

hence the last word in my comment!

[Guest]

Well for the County Parade in the village of Mamaroneck I look at it as a Celebration of the fire service and a way to show off your departments new rigs. So I say crank the sirens up all the way, ecpecially the Q's.

[FirNaTine 370]

I wonder if their hand tools and power saws are as clean and polished as their rigs!

[CAM502 6]

I wonder if their hand tools and power saws are as clean and polished as their rigs!

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LOL...time to close this topic...lol.

Edited July 7, 2006 by CAM502