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Oklahoma Ambulances Debut Sirens That You Can Feel
djupedal writes "Booming like a 1980s video game, the Howler can even make liquids ripple — Oklahoma's largest ambulance company will become the first ambulance service in the nation to outfit its entire fleet with new Howler sirens, designed to emit low-frequency tones that penetrate objects within 200 feet — such as cars — to alert drivers." This is all well and fine, but I wonder what they plan to do when their sirens call up one of the big worms from deep below?
This ambulance goes to 11!
A nearby PD has started using a similar product, called Rumblers, but I haven't heard much about any successes or failures. I would like to get some for my ambulance, cause people just don't pay enough attention.
A couple of years ago, I was walking up to an intersection in Boston. A fire truck was driving up to the intersection with lights on, no siren yet.As the drivers stopped at the intersection glanced in their rear-view mirrors, their expressions seemed to say: "grumble, grumble, he's about to turn that siren on and make us get out of the way, isn't he? Grumble, grumble. I guess I'll start getting ready...sigh..."
But instead of a standard siren, the truck started blasting Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" at full volume. It was awesome-- I thought it was FAR more intimidating-sounding than a siren would have been, and apparently the drivers stopped at the intersection agreed-- their expressions all changed to "Holy crap! Get me out of the way of that thing!". And scramble, they did.
You had to be there to get the full effect, I think. Re-reading what I just wrote doesn't capture it at all. But in person, it was just... damn. Especially since it was so unexpected. I was grinning about it all afternoon. So perhaps a well-chosen CD collection for your ambulance?