Jarring alarms out, quieter alerts in. New firehouse dispatch systems aim to ease stress
ABC News
A Connecticut city has joined hundreds of others around the country that have installed new firehouse alarm systems that aim to reduce firefighters' stress when calls come in
DANBURY, Conn. -- Until recently, a call coming into the Danbury Fire Department meant alarms and tones immediately blasting at high volume — startling the firefighters before they headed out to scenes that could get their hearts pumping even faster.
Capt. Kevin Lunnie said the effect could be “overwhelming.” He noticed a big jump in his heart rate when the alerts went off, which isn’t a good thing in a profession where heart problems are the leading cause of on-duty deaths.
But the city is now taking a gentler approach. A new system that went online in September includes alarms that start softer before gradually increasing in volume, while a computerized voice calmly announces the information the firefighters need to know about the incoming emergency.
“It’s much easier on your nervous system,” Lunnie said.
Danbury, a city of around 87,000 people in southwestern Connecticut, is using the new alerts in its five fire stations, joining thousands of other departments around the U.S. and world aiming to both reduce stress and improve response times.
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