I have been a next-door neighbor of the Lewes Fire Department’s Savannah Road facility for more than 21 years. During those years, I have been happy to contribute to its fundraising. Moreover, I appreciate the vital service they provide to the Lewes community and beyond.
For the most part, they have been excellent neighbors. Nevertheless, for the life of me, I cannot understand their insistence on the frequency of utilization of the loudest fire alarm I have ever heard. Some years ago, our city council held hearings because of numerous complaints about the frequency of the department’s use of this particular extraordinarily loud alarm.
The Cape Gazette’s article on those hearings, dated Oct. 28, 2018, noted that, "The siren sounds for one minute, 10 seconds, which is enough for five up-and-down cycles. It ranges from 102 to 115 decibels. At 3,000 feet, the level is about 70 decibels.” That is really loud!
My perception, however, is that, as a result of the department’s representations made at those hearings, while this particular alarm was not silenced, its use was significantly (and thankfully) reduced.
Am I the only one who has experienced a significant uptick in the times the alarm has been used, often in the middle of the night? It is hard to believe that in this digital age, with the unquestioned reliability of cellphones and pagers, the blaring and frightening alarm is as necessary as the fire department has contended. Moreover, the fire department should advise the public how many volunteer firefighters actually live within hearing distance of this overly used and overly loud alarm system. I fear the department has forgotten the promises it made to our community at those hearings to use the alarm more judiciously, particularly in the early hours of the morning. Is it time for more hearings?
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