I am writing as a nearby neighbour of the Oak Bay fire hall.
As a light sleeper, there are times when I wake in the night and, unable to fall easily back to sleep, I enjoy the quiet of the night. I often marvel at the fact that, while I live in a city of 330,000 people, there is still such wonderful late night silence.
Until, that is, a call to Oak Bay fire hall is heralded by sirens roaring as fire trucks emerge from the garage.
When there is nary a car on the road why is this necessary? My understanding is that sirens are required at intersections only and that flashing lights are adequate elsewhere. Would it not be possible to limit the siren to one vehicle rather than the two or three that respond to the same call.
There is enough daytime noise pollution for us all. The silence of the night need not be stolen by these sustained blasts of noise.
Su Russell
Oak Bay