Petition To Silence Greenport Sirens Sparks Firestorm Of Protest

GREENPORT, NY — A petition being circulated asking that the Greenport Fire Department sirens be silenced has been met with a resounding wall of opposition.

A petition on change.org created by Torah Torres, "Turn Off Greenport, NY Daily Use of Air Raid Siren," states that residents and visitors "have been subject to the air raid sirens put on by the fire department / staff to respond to their emergency calls for decades. Meanwhile, these extremely loud, disruptive, annoying, and misleading sirens create tension in our calm countryside, that so many are living here in Greenport to enjoy! This is more true than ever during the middle of the night when families and guests are sleeping peacefully in preparation for their next day. As sleep is an important part of mental health, the people of Greenport do not appreciate being woken up to a terrifying siren at all hours of the night."

The petition asks Greenport Village Mayor George Hubbard and Joel Vetter, chief of fire rescue and emergency services, to turn off the siren permanently or from the hours of 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. and to only have the siren tested once a month or once a week.

"Given the tools left to us today, advances in communication technology, and the fact that many fire stations all over the U.S. are not using this form of communication, gives me reason to believe that this air raid siren is still being used today either for nostalgia reasons or ignorance," the petition said.

Torres' petition garnered 26 signatures as of Sunday night.

Greenport residents sounded off in support of the sirens, creating a petition of their own.

Robin Roemer created the petition "Greenport Sirens Saves Lives!" on change.org.

"A handful of Greenport residents want to silence the Greenport Fire Department siren because it disturbs their sleep. They fail to understand that this alert system which has effectively called fire fighters and EMTs to duty for centuries can be the very thing that can save their life!" the petition said.

"Silencing the siren will create delays in response by volunteers who risk their lives to save others. They suggest the use of cell phones in place of the siren to summon Greenport Fire Department members in response to a fire or rescue call. They fail to understand that their suggested alternative is a poor substitute for a system that has been working for over 175 years! Cell signals in the Village of Greenport intermittently work and their are many dead zones that result in delays in calls or text messages. These delays can result in the loss of our lives and homes," the petition said.

"Please sign this petition to keep the Greenport Fire Department siren in use. Our sirens saves lives!" Roemer said.

The second petition sparked a huge outpouring of support, with many defending the need for the siren. As of Sunday night, 946 people had signed the petition.