It doesn't do much good to live across from a quiet nursing home

[sntm]

If fire engines go down our street at least once a week. Tonight after the cranky baby took an hour to settle down.

[ahisma]

Oh no. I'm sorry. My mom lived in a nursing home for many years (by choice - go figure). Every time there is a med call, sirens come blaring. There's no end in sight:(

The upside is that, IME, kids learn to ignore it. I nannied for a woman who lived right next to a fire station. Her kids had come from a war zone (literally) and started out taking cover every time they heard the sirens. Within a few months they were oblivious to them.

I hope tomorrow is a quiet day!

[lalasmama]

Oh, I'm sorry! I totally get it--both because I have the old folks home on my street... and the fire department... and the police department. It's taken DD 2 years of living here to ignore the sirens and lights and go back to sleep. Can't imagine how hard it would be to have an infant/toddler (too young to understand the commotion/noises) and have to deal with it :( Hope it's much quieter in the future!

[kijip]

You are in my city, right? In Seattle, where there are seniors there will to fire trucks. Each of the senior living apartments my dad has lived in see weekly or more visits from fire trucks. For some reason, we use not only the firefighters but also the firetrucks primarily for emergency medical calls. They sent an entire fire truck and a SFD aid car when my brother (who doesn't drive) called 911 when my dad thought he was having a heart attack. This can't be efficient and sadly there have been times where response times for big, fatal, fires were delayed because too many SFD personnel were handling non emergency medic calls. It is one of the complaints I have heard from my friend in the SFD- it makes sense to use their medic skills but it is pretty routine for a fire truck to be sent for very very minor health concerns.

[misshollygolightly]

We live near the fire station. White noise machines in the kids' bedrooms are a lifesaver!

[Gena]

For some reason, we use not only the firefighters but also the firetrucks primarily for emergency medical calls. They sent an entire fire truck and a SFD aid car when my brother (who doesn't drive) called 911 when my dad thought he was having a heart attack. This can't be efficient and sadly there have been times where response times for big, fatal, fires were delayed because too many SFD personnel were handling non emergency medic calls. It is one of the complaints I have heard from my friend in the SFD- it makes sense to use their medic skills but it is pretty routine for a fire truck to be sent for very very minor health concerns.

My DH is a volunteer firefighter/EMT in our community. He responds to many calls to the local assisted living facilities.

Yes, firetrucks respond to medical calls. Ambulances usually only have two personnel assigned to them in many departments. That can be sufficient for some calls, but many times a medical call requires more than two personnel. Due to the nature of the injury/illness, how fragile the patient is, or the size of the patient, more personnel are often required to lift the patient onto the backboard or stretcher and get him/her into the ambulance. You cannot send the additional personnel without sending the truck, because they may need to leave one call to attend another.

Frequently, what is called in as a minor health problem turns out to be more significant when the situation is fully assessed (the opposite also happens frequently). So dispatchers send an ambulance and a back-up unit. Those first on scene will cancel back-up unit if they do not need the extra personnel.

[crl]

I am pretty sure firefighters are usually the first to respond to most medical calls here in San Francisco too. They are more dispersed through the city so I think their response time is faster.

The noise must get really old, OPer. :hug:

Catherine