During the October 7th meeting of Ambler’s borough council, there was a discussion about the impact of the Wissahickon Fire Company’s siren on the nearby residents.

Speaking on behalf of the fire company was Albert Comly, the organization’s president. He 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 have not proven successful.

Families who live in the area of the firehouse spoke during the meeting and expressed concerns over 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.

This is not a new issue in Ambler. In 2001, The Reporter covered the same issue involving neighbors complaining and the eventual resignation of the then-fire chief, Phil Koller. Koller resigned after a dispute within the firehouse over his decision to turn off the siren from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. to conduct a study. In 2001, Ambler’s borough council tabled the issue, and now 24 years later, it is back.

Options discussed, but not yet agreed upon, were turning the siren off overnight and continuing to search for a siren that isn’t as loud. No change is also possible.

Supporters of the siren point out that no siren could result in a delayed response from firefighters.

You can watch the video of the discussion below (scroll to 12:43).

Photo: Google