Crime & Safety
Cranford Firefighters Say Sirens So Loud, They Lost Hearing
About 34 current and former firefighters say the noise from the emergency vehicles' sirens have lead to an irreversible loss of hearing.
New Jersey firefighters say the fire sirens in their towns are so loud, they’ve suffering from a hearing loss.
About 34 current and former firefighters are suing fire truck manufacturers and a siren maker, according to nj.com, saying the noise from the emergency vehicles’ sirens have lead to an irreversible loss of hearing.
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The plaintiff lawyers have made New Jersey the latest front for litigation by firefighters over alleged hearing loss, according to N.J. seeking $150,000 in damages and court costs associated with the suit.
The lawsuit reportedly was removed from state Superior Court and filed in federal court in Newark on Dec. 4 on behalf of the firefighters in these towns:
Find out what's happening in Cranfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Ridgewood
- Elizabeth
- Linden
- Bayonne
- Union
- Ridgewood
- Kearny
- Cranford
- West New York.
The suit names American LaFrance LLC, Kovatch Mobile Equipments Corp., Mack Trucks Inc., Pierce Manufacturing Inc. and Seagrave Fire Apparatus LLC, and the siren maker Federal Signal Corp., according to the nj.com report.
According to the suit, the fire truck manufacturers failed to test and develop “crew cabs” or install after-market modifications that would allow for safe sound levels for the firefighters while responding to calls, according to the report.
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