I know IABU but I want to complain about a Fire engine.

[thehorsedentist]

Yes I know I sound UR but please understand my perspective. I want advice on how to complain reasonably.

I live on a very main, city centre, road and as such have a lot of traffic noise but we are used to it.
Once a night on average there is a extremely loud Fire engine that races past in the early hours of the morning, extremely loud sirens wee woo ing. It sets off our car alarm, plus about 5 alarms of cars on the forecourt of a garage a couple of doors down. Wakes us all up, including my 10 month old who sleeps at the other end of the house.

The Kicker... There is no or very very little traffic on the road at that time so no need for the sirens at all. It's a long, straight road with great visibility of traffic for about a mile. I really don't think it is necessary for them to have the sirens on. The other emergency services do not use their sirens at that time of night, just blue lights.

So, how do I reasonably complain about these amazing people who truly are Heroes.... But are driving me crazy with the lack of sleep.

Fire engines in general, go a lot slower than the other emergency vehicles (unless it is a first response type rather than an engine) and therefore it is unlikely they need sirens unless there is heavy traffic. Blue lights should be enough. They come past us regularly and rarely have sirens going unless it is during the day and heavy traffic.

Just make an appointment to see the person in charge and ask very nicely and apologetically about the situation.

Or people with hoods up.

Or umbrellas.

"How would someone round a corner on a side street, about to cross the road, see a blue light?" well tbh, THIS makes no sense to me either. how would they NOT unless they walked across the street with eyes closed and fingers in their ears.

basically my point is OP asked a question ... didn't eff and blind about the sirens. in fact acknowledge how amazing fire fighters are. she asked for opinions and got some snotty replies. all she can do is enquire. she may very well be told its normal practice for the safety of everyone. then so be it. but comments like Leithlurker and Multuminpravo was unnecessary imo.

I live on a busy ring road in a city and the sirens do tend to stop at about midnight, or before. I'm sometimes vaguely aware of blue lights going past but there's no noise, so whatever the policy is it does seem to vary from place to place.

I should add.
We have lived in this house for three years and have only had problems with the sirens for about four months so I don't know if they have changed drivers or policy to suddenly change their rules on siren usage.

It's an extremely long straight road with no junctions, 90% industrial except for a small patch of houses, about 35, in the middle. Outside of the working hours of the businesses the road has very little traffic. Oh and only housing on one side so no drunk people crossing roads.

Salmotrutta don't forget people texting on their phones, or making calls, eating a magnum while holding onto a toddler, OH and lets not forget people who see some dropped coins on road and leg it over to get it!

"So Fluckerd living up to your name"

wha????

Makes perfect sense to me fluckered that someone on a side street doesn't see a blue light on the Main Street
Starts to cross road, emergency vehicle with just a blue light and no siren whizzes round corner and bang.

And why would having their fingers in their ears be affecting their ability to see a blue light?

You could try turning your car alarm off. if it has am immobiliser too it won't invalidate the insurance.

Ring roads are normally duel carriage ways so less likely to have traffic pulling on to the road other than from a on off ramp, and cyclists, pedestrians should be absent so not a true comparison to a busy main road.

Ok so you have had a range of answers. The most helpful ones suggest that you calmly & politely ring the station. Are you going to? Or are you just going to keep moaning until everyone says yes, poor you?

Sorry, but you are being unreasonable. Sirens are only used where necessary, and you say you live on a busy main road - unfortunately one of the down sides of living there.

Is it the same time every night?

We live on a main road and hear emergency service sirens many times during the day and evening. I never seem to hear them in the early hours of the morning so assume that they must just use the blue lights then. If they can do it then I don't see why they can't where you live. The other possibility is that I just sleep through it.

I would perhaps contact the person in charge and see if they could switch to just lights after a certain time at night. They may say no due to health and safety, but no harm in asking. If they need it, they need it and I wouldn't think any more of it.

but Salmotrutta you could apply that to any vehicle! not just emergency ones. the thing is when your behind the wheel of a vehicle YOU are at fault no matter how stupid a pedestrian is!

Op does seem to have had some UR responses. She's noticed inconsistencies from the emergency services and has asked if its ok to question it. If she is told they can't switch them of, she will suck it up, but it is NBU to ask.

OP you asked if you were BU, you got responses like mine. Others have come in saying that they see no need for sirens, thats the point at which the conversation moved away from your own case. By all means contact the forestation, I am sure they will be happy to speak to you about why the sirens are NOW being used.

"All" vehicles aren't driving at high speed to answer emergencies.

Why do you think emergency vehicles have sirens fluckered - by your reckoning they seem to be superfluous fripperies

I still want an explanation of the living up to your name comment, seeing as its a made up one. goes off to google to see if fluckered actually IS a word

Sorry for de-railing thread

OP - just enquire at the station.

Leithlurker -

Op - I think you may have to live with this one. As pp have posted, the driver seems to have some sort of risk assessment they carry out to decide. It would appear they have decided your road warrants the siren. However, you have nothing to lose in asking the question and explaining your situation. If you have no luck perhaps a less sensitive alarm might be the way forward, even though others will still go off, at least you won't have to get up to sort yours.

I used to live on a street like that and remember this well...it's one of the downfalls.
OP - it really isn't up to you where they use sirens or nit - your argument that your street doesn't need them is invalid. There are all sorts of hazards on a street like that 24 hours a day, and they're not going to turn them off just because 'it'll pribably be alright - we don't want to wake anyone do we?'

So yabu. There is ni harm in asking why you are experiencing this all of a sudden though.