Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:
George Beary, a retired Chicago firefighter who served for 38 years, recalls the constant sound of emergency sirens during his time on the firetruck. Since retiring in 2005, he has suffered from tinnitus—a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ears. As the chairman of a committee for retired firefighters in Chicago, Beary is one of around 4,400 current and former firefighters across the U.S. who have filed lawsuits against Federal Signal, an Oak Brook-based company that produces sirens.
Beary, who previously served as vice president of the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2, claims that the company didn’t do enough to make its sirens safer for those working on firetrucks. Since 1999, he and about 700 other Chicago firefighters have taken legal action. While some cases have been settled or ruled on, approximately 500 are still pending.
The firefighters argue that Federal Signal could have designed sirens in a way that directs the sound away from where firefighters sit, reducing their exposure to dangerously high noise levels. Lawyers claim that the noise from sirens can reach up to 120 decibels—similar to a rock concert—and can cause long-term hearing damage.
Federal Signal, however, maintains that directing the sound would compromise the siren’s primary purpose: to alert drivers and pedestrians that an emergency vehicle is approaching. The company also emphasizes that it has long encouraged firefighters to use ear protection, which many departments recommend as a precaution.
David Duffy, an attorney representing Federal Signal, pointed out that studies show the average noise level firefighters are exposed to during their shifts—including sirens—is below 85 decibels, which is considered safe under federal guidelines.
The lawsuits, which began gaining attention over a decade ago, have spread across several major cities, including New York, Philadelphia, Boston, New Jersey, and the Chicago area. Marc Bern, the attorney leading the cases, said that in most of the half-dozen or so trials that have concluded, juries have ruled in favor of Federal Signal.
The company has also reached settlements in some cases without admitting fault. The largest of these, in 2011, involved a $3.6 million payment to 1,069 firefighters in Philadelphia.
According to Rick Neitzel, a researcher at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, current noise standards are based on traditional industrial jobs, not the unpredictable and high-intensity conditions faced by firefighters. He notes that while these standards consider both the volume and duration of exposure, they may not fully account for the unique risks firefighters face during long, intermittent shifts.
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