Firefighters are often subject to loud noises and we sometimes are unable to protect our hearing. There are certain situations where it is impossible for us to wear hearing protection — we just have to endure the loudness.
But there are other times when we can wear hearing protection. One such occasion is when we are checking in our trucks. Although we may have the truck running outside, it still creates a loud noise that can damage our hearing.
Wearing earplugs while the truck is running and you are checking it is a good idea. At a call, the truck operator should use a headset radio for hearing protection. This will allow them to hear all the radio traffic but not be exposed to loud noise for long periods of time.
This article, originally published on March 05, 2015, has been updated.
