This is to express my distress over the severe, and in many Tarrytown residents' opinion, unnecessary noise pollution which I feel is totally avoidable.
It is very unfortunate that the fire house on Main Street still uses this antiquated World War II technology as an alarm system which consistently deeply startles residents, particularly those hundreds of families in the immediate vicinity of the fire house and the adjoining streets. This loud piercing noise which forces you to pause everything you do interferes with quiet dinners at home or in the area restaurants or nice evening strolls, thus deterring many potential shoppers and customers from frequenting our businesses.
More disturbingly, the appallingly piercing sound may wake up the sick, pregnant women, the very young, not to mention most of us who need to get six hours of sleep in order to function in our respective jobs. In ungodly hours such as 2 or 3 am it wakes us, thus impacting the health of many of this quaint village residents.
This is no longer acceptable. It’s time to change this unwelcome tradition. While I support the volunteer firefighters and understand their plight, having myself been in military and public service for the past 45 years, a tax payer and active supporter of the schools and the community at large, I urge the Mayor, the Administrator, the Trustees and the Fire Chief to seek other alternative means of summoning the volunteers to the fire houses.
Many of us bought property in Tarrytown to escape the City with its noises and other stressors and always imagined the Village as a serene and charming historic community that it is. But the constant alarms have turned living into an unpleasant experience for many of us – to the point where some would bail out when the real estate market recovers and intentionally avoid local establishments, seeking instead adjoining communities where their meals wouldn’t be interrupted.
Accordingly, we urge you to consider at a minimum:
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Limit the use of the fire alarm to day and evening hours
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Review the protocol of its use and use it only in cases of serious threats to life and property
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Actively seek alternative means of summoning the volunteers – the technology is out there.
Thanks for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Gideon Rabino, Tarrytown
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