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flag Danbury, CT, replaced loud fire alarms with a quieter, phased system to reduce firefighter stress and cardiac risks, funded by ARPA money.

flag Danbury, Connecticut, has replaced its loud firehouse alarms with a quieter, phased-volume system that gradually increases in intensity and includes calm voice announcements, aiming to reduce firefighter stress and lower the risk of sudden cardiac events, the leading cause of on-duty deaths. flag Funded by $500,000 from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, the Phoenix G2 system integrates with computer-aided dispatch to send emergency alerts to firefighters’ phones and watches, and includes visual cues like red lighting and countdown timers. flag A 2016 study found the new approach causes smaller heart rate increases than abrupt loud alarms, and national organizations now recommend similar systems, though standardized guidelines are still lacking. flag Over 6,000 U.S. firehouses now use similar technology.

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