Ben-Nadav Hafri

But emergency was a big part of establishing the cultural expectations for what those units would look like. And it looked like lights and sirens to every call. Because every call was all about time.

But emergency was a big part of establishing the cultural expectations for what those units would look like. And it looked like lights and sirens to every call. Because every call was all about time.

This is from the second part of the pilot episode, when the skeptical doctor has come around.

This is from the second part of the pilot episode, when the skeptical doctor has come around.

He's looking directly into the camera. Right at those 30 million viewers.

He's looking directly into the camera. Right at those 30 million viewers.

Sirens are all over the show. You may recall that the literal theme song of Emergency features sirens. And I think a lot of this time siren obsession is due to the fact that early EMS departments were part of fire departments. And a fire is a very specific kind of emergency. If you don't contain it, it spreads. So every fire is an urgent situation.

Sirens are all over the show. You may recall that the literal theme song of Emergency features sirens. And I think a lot of this time siren obsession is due to the fact that early EMS departments were part of fire departments. And a fire is a very specific kind of emergency. If you don't contain it, it spreads. So every fire is an urgent situation.

And according to FEMA, anecdotally, firefighters use their sirens way more often than the police. But these days, even the fire service in most places seems to be based on an outdated sense of its mission. As of 2023, less than 4% of all 911 calls firefighters responded to were for fires. Most were for EMS and rescue.

And according to FEMA, anecdotally, firefighters use their sirens way more often than the police. But these days, even the fire service in most places seems to be based on an outdated sense of its mission. As of 2023, less than 4% of all 911 calls firefighters responded to were for fires. Most were for EMS and rescue.

So, then it looks like the argument about siren reform broadly applies to firefighters too. The U.S. Fire Administration actually cited a bunch of studies about reducing siren usage just last year. Sirens are dangerous. They save time, but not that much. And things are often less urgent than they appear.

So, then it looks like the argument about siren reform broadly applies to firefighters too. The U.S. Fire Administration actually cited a bunch of studies about reducing siren usage just last year. Sirens are dangerous. They save time, but not that much. And things are often less urgent than they appear.

Jeff Jarvis did a massive study on lights and sirens using something called the ESO dataset, a national collection of emergency calls with unbelievably granular data attached.

Jeff Jarvis did a massive study on lights and sirens using something called the ESO dataset, a national collection of emergency calls with unbelievably granular data attached.

So this is crucial. Paramedics are responding with lights and sirens to around 86% of calls, when only 7% of them are resulting in a vaguely potentially life-saving intervention. So why were they urgent? That means that in the United States, we're using lights and sirens somewhere between 80% and 90% more often than we need to.

So this is crucial. Paramedics are responding with lights and sirens to around 86% of calls, when only 7% of them are resulting in a vaguely potentially life-saving intervention. So why were they urgent? That means that in the United States, we're using lights and sirens somewhere between 80% and 90% more often than we need to.

The question I have that I can imagine people who are skeptical might ask is, well, how much do you really know from the call? Can you tell?

The question I have that I can imagine people who are skeptical might ask is, well, how much do you really know from the call? Can you tell?

And how many did people run hot to?

And how many did people run hot to?