Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Ambulance neighbour alleges sirens ‘wind-up’
lstafford@thekmgroup.co.uk A man who moved opposite an ambulance station says he is “sick to the back teeth” of noisy sirens sounding through the night.
Henry Wheatley says paramedics responding to emergencies from the station in Military Road have no respect for residents living nearby and are driving him to despair.
The 49-year-old, who has lived in Union Street opposite the station for three years, has called on crews to instead use traffic signals to warn other road-users they are approaching.
But the ambulance service says its drivers are entitled to use their sirens at all hours, and that warning pedestrians and drivers of their presence was their top priority.
Mr Wheatley said: “I think they’re doing it to wind me up. It’s even worse for my neighbours who have kids. It’s so over the top, and I don’t know what I can do about it.
“I’m planning to have triple glazing fitted, but I don’t know if that’ll help.
“I feel like I’m fighting a losing battle.
“I know they need to warn people when they go out on emergencies, but they also need to have respect for residents.
“I have pleaded with them to use the on-street emergency lights and not just come out blasting their sirens every time they go out. I’m sick to the back teeth of it.”
South East Coast Ambulance spokesman Rich Airey said crews were encouraged to use on-street signals, but they were intended to be an addition rather than an alternative to sirens.
He said: “We are sorry to hear of this resident’s concerns but it is a reality that our clinicians must, when responding to emergencies, be able to use sirens as well as lights to alert members of public to their presence.
“The use of audible warnings by ambulance clinicians is permitted 24 hours a day, but our staff do not use sirens indiscriminately and we are aware of the disturbance they can cause.
“Should an accident occur when an ambulance is on an emergency journey and sirens are not employed, it is highly likely that the crew would be exposed to criticism. It is also worth noting the location of Canterbury ambulance station close to the busy A28.
“We instruct our staff to use sirens safely and responsibly, and we do not receive a significant amount of expressions of concern from the public around their usage. We do, however, sometimes receive concerns from other road users if sirens are not used.
“We take any concerns raised seriously and would be happy to discuss the matter with the resident directly.”
Mr Airey confirmed the ambulance station has been in Military Road since at least the 1960s or 1970s.