On the April 4th agenda (view) for Ambler’s Borough Council is a presentation from representatives of the Wissahickon Fire Company, President Albert Comly and Fire Chief Jay Leadbeater. To be discussed is the fire company’s siren that was previously discussed at a public meeting in October 2025.

During the 2025 meeting, Comly shared that the siren, which has been in operation for approximately 70 years, is part of a redundant system to notify firefighters of the need to report to the firehouse to respond to a fire. The system also includes modern notification systems utilizing beepers and mobile apps. The siren is a constant failsafe when other systems fail, and firefighters are out of reach for beepers and phones. He shared that efforts to purchase a siren with fewer decibels had not proven successful.

During that same meeting, families who live near the firehouse expressed concerns about the impact of the sirens on their children’s hearing and sleepless nights. They pointed to a study that showed that the siren’s decibels can cause hearing damage.

Options discussed last year involved turning the siren off overnight and continuing to search for a siren that isn’t as loud. No change was also possible.

The meeting will be held at Ambler’s Borough Hall at 7:00 p.m.

Photo – Google