What Are The Reasons Behind Ambulances Using and Not Using Sirens?

India is the world's second-most populous country with nearly 1.3 billion people. It also stands as the world's fastest-growing major economy. With such a large population and such great economic growth, it's hard to imagine a place without better equipped and modern ambulances.

In India, both individuals and businesses must have ambulances on call. Ambulances serve as a lifeline for those in times of life-threatening emergencies. In some regions, ambulances are the only way to get help as there are no hospitals around. It is obvious that in the future, ambulances will likely become even more crucial as India develops.

Ambulances are an essential and inevitable part of the health system. One of the most effective means to detect a pandemic or a critical condition is a rapid response to a medical emergency. Ambulances are a staple in the emergency care system of every country. Over the years, medical transport has been modernized and improved to reduce the number of deaths from the backbreaking journey to the hospital. While some of the ambulances in India are no more than three decades old, they’ve been crucial in saving the lives of countless people.

Ambulances are specific vehicles (more often vans) equipped with several medical tools to support life and ensure a comfortable transport of the patient from one place to another. They consist of BP Monitor, Pulse Monitor, Oxygen Support and other important equipment that are required to help the patient while transferring. In the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, ambulances popped up as a boon to humanity. Apart from that, they have been a life-saving support system during natural disasters or calamities. You must have seen ambulances running in the street blowing a particular type of siren but, do you know when they use it and when they don't? Do you know, what are some reasons behind ambulances using and not using sirens? Let's know the facts.

When Do Ambulances Use Sirens

The basic motif behind blowing the siren is to alert people that the vehicle is carrying a patient who is facing a medical emergency. People could hear the siren and make way for the ambulance to pass. They are likely to alert the traffic about the ambulance before it is visible to people so that there is no sudden chaos on the road. Ambulances use a siren not just because it provides a greater audible warning to the public that the vehicle is approaching, but also because it is an artifact of an emergency and can be heard from a longer distance.

Though ambulances use sirens while transferring critical patients, sometimes you must have encountered that the ambulance is flashing lights only and not blowing sirens. There are certain occasions when they avoid using sirens and lights.

When Do Ambulances Not Use Sirens

Although it depends on the driver whether he uses the siren or not. Also when there is no intense traffic, they avoid sirens so that no one gets panicked without reason. Having said that, there are some specific situations too when sirens are muted intentionally:

• •When the patient is struggling with extreme chest pain and falling in a fainting situation, it is smart to avoid sirens and lights. Thus he might not panic which lessens the pain a little.
• •If the patient is shot by a gun or facing an extremely critical condition, he might panic due to loud sirens and flashing lights.
• •To avoid bothering old citizens, children, vulnerable passers and animals in the street.
• •During the night, in non-critical situations, they use lights and avoid sirens.
• •When there is no traffic, they might not use sirens.

So these are the conditions when ambulances blow sirens or avoid them. Excluding the emergencies, it depends on the sense of the driver when he needs to use it and when it is fine to go silent.