'Patients at risk': Brussels ambulances too quiet, says Red Cross

The maximum volume of sirens for emergency vehicles has been reduced in the Brussels region since the start of the new year, but the Red Cross has warned that this is resulting in dangerous accidents.

New emergency vehicles in Brussels can no longer exceed 100 decibels during the day and 90 decibels at night. Previously, the daytime limit was 117 decibels.

“With just 20 decibels more, we could hardly hear each other speak, but at least we could be heard and people were warned that we were coming,” said Marc Vermeire, Red Cross ambulance coordinator.

All emergency services in the capital are affected by the new measure and have until 2029 to comply or else risk a €145,000 fine.

But emergency services are appealing to the Brussels government to change the measure, pointing to accidents and a rise in response times.

“This really puts the patient at risk in those crucial minutes,” said paramedic Thibaut Mayeres.

“For example, in the event of cardiac arrest, we have very little time to get to the scene, so every minute counts in order to save the patient.”

The Brussels fire brigade is also unhappy with the measure.

“When it's a one-way street and we're the seventh vehicle, the first one can hear us, but no further. As a result, we have to wait for the lights to turn green like everyone else, and we don't know what else to do,” said Hassan, a firefighter.

Jean-François Calloud, head of emergency services and ambulances at the Brussels Red Cross, said the measure does not just limit the volume of sirens but also the types.

“Drivers used to be able to switch between different tones to make themselves heard more clearly, for example when approaching a large intersection, but the new standards require that only one tone, known as a two-tone siren, be used,” said Calloud.

“We've already seen the difference. We received two new ambulances a few days ago and there are already problems.

"There was a minor collision involving one of these vehicles with a person who, because of the music they were listening to, didn’t hear it coming. We’ve also been informed of several cases where these new ambulances have been blocked at major intersections.

“In fact, the vehicles right next to them could hear the siren and moved out of the way. But the cars in the first or second row, right in front of the traffic lights, couldn't hear it.

"The ambulance therefore had to wait for the lights to turn green and for these cars to move forward before it could leave. That's time lost. And in an emergency, as we all know, every second counts."

The Red Cross is therefore calling for a return to the old standards, noting that Brussels is the only region in Belgium with stricter rules and that permissions are far higher in countries like France (130 decibels) and Spain (125 decibels), meaning Belgian sirens were already on the quiet side.

The Brussels region said it was monitoring the issue and reiterated that the reduction was made because residents considered sirens to be one of the top three sources of noise pollution, alongside aircraft noise and road traffic.

The aim was therefore to give Brussels residents a break, especially at night. According to the region, this plan to reduce the volume of sirens was also launched because tests proved that the new sirens limited to 100 dB were still audible in cars.