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Rumbler siren

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Emergency vehicle siren
Rumbler siren

A Rumbler siren is a type of emergency vehicle siren used primarily in the United States. Developed in 2007 by Federal Signal Corporation, and sounding at a low-frequency level, it is designed to be heard by motorists who may otherwise be unable to hear high-frequency sirens due to ambient noise, such as urban traffic.

Design

The Rumbler produces a pulsating, low-frequency sound between 182 and 400 hertz, and is operated in tandem with a standard, piercing high-frequency siren. The lower frequency sound penetrates hard surfaces like glass and doors more effectively than high-frequency tones. In addition, the siren's low-frequency thumping sound also causes noticeable vibrations to drivers and pedestrians who are near it and helps to generate attention in high-noise environments like dense urban traffic. The Rumbler is about 10 decibels quieter than a standard emergency vehicle siren and is generally activated in eight-second bursts by depressing the horn button in a Rumbler-equipped vehicle.

History

The Rumbler was developed by Federal Signal Corporation as an "intersection clearing device". It was initially tested by the New York Police Department in 2007.

According to Noise Off, a noise pollution advocacy group, more than 100 U.S. police departments had deployed the siren by 2012, including those of: Washington, D.C.; Amarillo, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Reading, Pennsylvania. As of 2016, the per-unit cost of the siren was between US$400 and $700 (equivalent to between US$508 and $889 in 2023).

In 2015, emergency vehicles in New South Wales, Australia were outfitted with Rumbler sirens and, the following year, some ambulances in Singapore began to be equipped with the Rumbler. According to Singapore officials, the decision to adopt the Rumbler came after seeing its efficacy in U.S. police vehicles.

Wales Air Ambulance's response vehicles are now equipped with the rumbler siren. This is the second application of such equipment in the UK, having only previously been used by another response doctor charity in Hampshire. In 2023, more UK police services began to have their cars outfitted with Rumbler sirens, as the siren's low frequency produces a tactile effect that allows drivers to be clearly alerted to the siren's presence, even in modern cars with extensive soundproofing which would otherwise block out most of the sound.

"Rumbler" was a nominee for "People's Choice Award Word of the Year" for 2016 by the Macquarie Dictionary.

New vehicles operated by the Queensland Ambulance Service are fitted with a Rumbler siren.

See also

References

  1. "Rumbler Siren" Specifications by FederalSignal
  2. "Rumbler Siren". KLKN-TV. 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  3. ^ "The New Police Siren: You'll Feel It Coming". New York Times. February 25, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  4. "Rumbler®". fedsig.com. Federal Signal Corporation. Retrieved January 31, 2017.
  5. NoiseOFF. "Rumbler Siren". noiseoff.org. Noise Off. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  6. CBS58 Staff (2016-02-12). "Milwaukee Police Department's Rumbler Siren Vibrates Cars". WDJT-TV. Retrieved 2016-01-31.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ Cheong, Danson (2016-05-07). "Give way to this ambulance or your vehicle will shake". Straits Times. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  8. ^ Gerathy, Sarah (2015-08-15). "Sirens that can be felt as well heard rolled out across NSW as pedestrians and drivers 'tune out'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2017-01-31.
  9. https://www.facebook.com/EmergencyServicesHumour/videos/481337309429246/
  10. BBC News (2009-07-03). "Vibrating siren tested by doctors". Retrieved 2020-05-11.
  11. Simpson, Jack (2023-03-31). "Emergency services buy new sirens so drivers can 'feel' noise". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
  12. 9News (2017-01-25). "Macquarie Dictionary announces its 2016 Word of the Year". 9 News. Retrieved 2017-01-31.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

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