Dear Grand County,

Sirens from emergency vehicles should be used for emergencies, not for parades and other occasions. These sirens reach 120 decibels and higher, the sound level that immediately causes ear pain, discomfort and can cause permanent hearing damage.

This past weekend at the Memorial Day parade, all the children attending and many adults were covering their ears when the sirens were blasting. Dogs were barking, babies were crying and some attempted to walk away, but the sounds are too loud to escape.

The sirens take away from the enjoyment of the parade and they are negatively affecting our most vulnerable population, our children. Loud noises, such as sirens, damage hair cells in the inner ear and the hearing nerve. This can lead to sensorineural hearing loss, which can happen immediately or slowly over many years.

Tinnitus, a ringing in the ears, can also develop from hearing loss. Hearing loss in children may negatively effect the critical development of children’s speech and language skills and their ability to learn. This hearing loss and tinnitus is also a concern for the adults in our community.

For the health and safety of us all, please continue our parades without the unnecessary and dangerously loud emergency sirens. 

Thank you,
Becca Pearson
Granby resident