I'm so scared of emergency sirens?

[Anonymous]

Is there something mentally wrong with me? Whenever I hear an emergency siren I always think that someone is running away from the cops with guns in their hands ready to shoot into people's house :/ Like I'm so scared whenever I hear the siren I'm like shaking! How to overcome this?

[Lovinu20]

That is hilarious. Reason i say that is because i work in public safety, particularly fire and ems, and i have operated sirens and i love the sound of them. I always wanted to be the one to control them, my particular favorite tone is the phaser/priority.

Sadly, I am like a little kid and every time a cop car, fire engine, or ambulance is rolling code 3, i turn down my window. What is even neater are the rumbler sirens that vibrate your car.

I am applying with a rescue squad that allows us to mount lights and sirens on our pov's. I am getting the hhs 2200 with 30 different siren tone options

[Asker]

It's not even funny I always feel the need to crawl under a table or something whenever I hear a siren just in case someone shoots into my house... :/

[Lovinu20]

Have you had a previous traumatic experience involving violence or the police?

Sirens are not only associated with law enforcement, but with fire, EMS, and rescue. a lot of times we get dispatched to calls and they end up not being life threatening after all. This happens far too often.

Have you ever heard that saying, "when you call for an ambulance, you get a fire truck?" Often times, you get multiple agencies, particularly fire departments, responding simultaneously with ambulances to medical calls. This is because they are medically trained and assist on scene. When you see a bunch of emergency vehicles rolling by, it does not always mean something super serious like a violent crime. It could just be for someone who is injured from a fall or having a heart attack. We even request police just for precaution sometimes and it may just be nothing.

[becca123]

I'm the opposite. I am in EMS/fire and I hate the sound now. Hate it.

[Lovinu20]

@becca123
Eh, you get used to them, unless it is a long response like across the county and u never change up your siren tones. I would get irritated listening to wail the whole way there for an 8 minute response.

[Asker]

Growing up, my parents always taught me to be careful when I'm on the street because America has one of the highest rape rate. Also, people are carrying guns with them, and recently there's a school shooting near where I live, so I'm very scared of sirens. I always imagine the worst...

there's like an emergency siren every other day, what are they really doing? There can't be that many house on fire? Can't be that many people going to the hospital because the hospital is nowhere near where I live. Besides EMS and fire, what else should it be?

[becca123]

@Lovinu20, my jurisdiction is so busy all the time; I just hate that noise now. I used to love it, but I have been at it for 18 years. We run all day, all night... too much siren, lol.

[Lovinu20]

@asker
People abuse 911 all the time. Then again, I cannot always use the term "abuse" because it is their emergency and they feel the need to utilize emergency services. Like I said, a lot of times we arrive on scene to find nothing immediately life threatening. Most of the time we respond lights and sirens but transport non emergent without lights and sirens. That is because we arrive on scene, perform an assessment, and find no immediate life threats. We can only work off what the dispatcher gives us in the meantime.

On unknown medical calls, I request police by default. This is because this is so vague with minimal info provided and our first priority is our own safety and the safety of the crew.

Oh, and haha. In America, everyone is always overly scared and assume the worst about everything. I can partially blame the media and criminal shows. Yes, there is bad people everywhere you go, but that does not mean everyone (or even most people in that matter) are malicious.

[Lovinu20]

... this is why I get so frustrated when people hound me for being 20 and interested in girls who are 16 and 17. They assume based on an arbitrary number that I am some "pedophile" or abuser. America is like that, they are too afraid of liability and always assume the worst about everything. In other countries, that age difference is perfectly normal and even condoned.

[cagefighter1568]

I work for a cicity that we average 12-18 runs a day. I now hate that sound of sirens.

[front2back]

That's natural. Our bodies are made to respond to stressors and take action. However, we no longer live in an age where a stressor was the sound of a bear growling out you, we now live in an age where emergency sirens are the stressor. They're loud and always mean something bad is happening, like a bear growling. We've been conditioned since birth to know this.

It's alright to be scared, your body is just reacting to your environment.

[Asker]

But I was literally shaking when I hear it, especially if it's there for a long time with rapid loud horn! I feel the need to crawl under a desk or something. This is overwhelming!

[Anonymous]

Just look at facts that very few random shootings statistically happen in the population at large. A lot of times police go to help with car accidents - most of which are minor. Sometimes even stalled vehicles or flat tires to help motorists stay safe. Also, more ambulances go out than you realize for heart attacks, strokes, falls and things common to older folk.

[Asker]

When polices help people with minor car accidents or flat tires do they turn on the siren?

Also, sometimes, I heard sirens and then rapid loud horn! It's so scary!

[Lovinu20]

Using a siren poses such great liability. Even though we have right of way, it must must be given and not assumed. We have to have "due regard" for other motorists. For example, we must come to a complete stop and wait for all other traffic to stop before proceeding through an intersection.
We must acknowledge that operating an emergency vehicle has risks of its own and that does not give us the right to neglect the safety of other motorists.
In situations where we are given discretion to choose whether we respond lights and sirens or not, we make pretty damn sure that it is necessary because we are putting ourselves at risk of lawsuit if something goes wrong. Most of the time, the dispatcher tells us if we respond emergent or non emergent traffic.

[Asker]

So whenever I hear an emergency siren, there's something to be worried about? Like there's an emergency of some sort? And I should be scared? ...

[Opinion Owner]

Sometimes they do-especially if someone is stuck on a really busy road and could be hurt by traffic.

The siren is mostly to help emergency vehicles get around traffic quickly. maybe you could imagine something funny like s cartoon police car yelling "Moooooove pleeeease" to the other cars. :)

[soccerchick4eva]

Thats understandable, they're called emergency sirens for a reason. Over come it by stop thinking that something bad is gunna happen, it can be anything but all you know is that there are qualified people out there doing their job to protect and keep everyone alive ! :)

[AwesomeWasabi]

Did you have a past experience that caused that fear? I'm pretty sure it's one of those phobias that can be overcome by facing your fears (listening to a siren-like music daily) or something a therapist would do...

[Asker]

Growing up, my parents always taught me to be careful when I'm on the street because America has one of the highest rape rate. Also, people are carrying guns with them, and recently there's a school shooting near where I live, so I'm very scared of sirens. I always imagine the worst...

[AwesomeWasabi]

Seeing as being scared of it won't lower the risk of you being in danger, try listening to a quiet and faint but audible recording of a siren as you fall asleep or while you are sleeping. After a while, it may be stuck in your head and you'll be used to it, but probably has horrible side effects with hearing so I wouldn't listen to me if I were you.

[Asker]

That would loose my alertness! But yeah being scared won't lower the risk of danger... I gotcha...

[cagefighter1568]

We helped a girl with your problem once. Go to a fire house and explain your issue to them and they will have you sit in one with them going off. It will alow you to over come your fears.

[Asker]

Will they do that? I'm so fricking scared...

[Zango91]

I'm more concerned about Ambulance sirens. "Occupational Hazard" :/

[Asker]

You can't tell the difference, can you?

[Zango91]

Well there are rules about frequencies and tones for sirens of different purpose, but people do not follow them anyway. They just think all those are just part of a play list.

[Anonymous]

Get a permit to your 2nd amendment, get your self a gun just in case, :)

[Opinion Owner]

Unless your in a different country,... sorry

[Asker]

I'm in the US but I'm only 18 I don't think I can get a gun, and even if I have a gun I wouldn't know how to use it, and it would be used against be...

[Opinion Owner]

I think you can buy a long gun, such as rifles or shotguns, you have to be 21 to get a handgun permit though, but how will it be used against you?

[Asker]

Like if somebody breaks into my house or something they would probably use MY gun to shoot me lol because I don't know how to use the gun I buy.

[Opinion Owner]

You would keep your gun either with you or hidden where only you know where it is, plus chances are, criminals bring there own gun, and there are very few to no cases of a. criminal uses the owners gun to shoot them. How to use it is very simple, if it's a rifle or shotgun, place the butt of the gun into your shoulder, (make sure sights are aligned properly) line up the sights and squeeze the triger, don't pull, also, criminals are... you. ready... actually cowards, the expect you not to own a gun, so if they hear a shoot go off,. most likely theyll run. Also, don't bring up police in this situation, police are only minutes away when seconds count,

[Klaatu51]

just ignore them perhaps? LOL

[Asker]

I can't its too loud to be ignored... I'm always shaking...

[Anonymous]

You're a chicken. Bwak bwak bwak bwaaaaak!

[Asker]

It's not even funny I always feel the need to crawl under a table or something whenever I hear a siren just in case someone shoots into my house... :/

[girl111m]

no its ok everybody has fears.

[Asker]

there's like an emergency siren every other day, what are they really doing? There can't be that many house on fire? Can't be that many people going to the hospital because the hospital is nowhere near where I live. Must be the cops! What do cops do? Chasing criminals! I'm so scared!

[girl111m]

im sometimes scared of stupid things like the dark.

[Asker]

I'm like scared of everything. Like sirens (we all know now), airplanes (since one time there was a huge turbulence I thought I died), elevators (since one time I was in an elevator loaded with people dropping down from 4th floor!), and yes sometimes the dark since I thought someone is chasing me from behind :/ I'm scared of way too many things. Oh and did i mention spiders and lizards...

[girl111m]

im scared of those things too and im really scared when there is a very loud sound. it is normal.