Do Emergency Sirens Really Have to Be So Loud?

Note: This conversation was interrupted by the breaking news that a new pope has been selected. Pope Leo XIV, from Chicago, is the first ever pontiff from the United States. Tune in on Monday when we'll continue our scheduled discussion about sirens. 

When and why did emergency sirens get so loud? These are questions that Ben Naddaf-Hafrey, senior producer for Pushkin Industries, tried to answer in a recent episode of Malcolm Gladwell's "Revisionist History" podcast. Naddaf-Hafrey lives opposite a fire station in Brooklyn, which means he is often exposed to the high decibels of an engine's siren. But, as he discovered in his reporting, loud sirens may not be as effective in saving lives as we think. Naddaf-Hafrey discusses what he found and listeners share their experiences with sirens on the streets of New York.