Huron Perth Public Health orders Huron East to shut down Seaforth siren

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

Dr. Miriam Klassen, medical officer of health for Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH), has ordered that the streets of Seaforth go silent, instructing Huron East to immediately discontinue the use of its community fire siren, calling it a “health hazard” in the town.

 

Klassen issued the order, dated Jan. 30, 2025, demanding that use of the siren be discontinued and that that action be confirmed by an e-mail to her by Friday, Jan. 31 at noon. At the Feb. 4 meeting of Huron East Council, Chief Administrative Officer Brad McRoberts confirmed that action had been taken and that use of the siren had been discontinued.

 

This came after council made the decision to openly defy a non-binding recommendation to discontinue the use of the siren back in November of 2024 after a complaint was filed with HPPH by a resident who lives near the siren. Council discussed the order from the aforementioned Klassen, outlining many points she reiterated in the Jan. 30 order in November, but ultimately decided to retain the status quo and continue to use the siren in the face of the concern from the resident and HPPH.

 

In her order to Huron East on Jan. 30, Klassen designated the siren as a “health hazard”, further noting that decibel readings for the siren have exceeded the World Health Organization’s guideline for a “single noise event” of 110 decibels, adding that such readings are known to cause acute hearing impairment. She also noted that the current operational status of the siren “has or is likely to have an adverse effect on the health of a person or persons exposed to the sound released while in operation,” she said in her order.

 

Klassen then outlined that failure to comply with the order could result in fines of $25,000 per day if the municipality opted not to comply with the order.

 

Councillor Bob Fisher, who was behind the reinstatement of the siren in the first place, said he wanted staff to prepare a report on potential alternatives for the siren, including slightly decreasing its volume in order to comply with the 110 decibel limit.
Discussion around the fire siren ignited when, in late 2022, the municipality switched dispatch centres and, as a result of changes within the communication system, antiquated aspects of the system, such as fire sirens in Brussels and Seaforth, were discontinued. 

 

However, shortly thereafter, Seaforth Ward Councillor Bob Fisher asked staff to investigate bringing it back, as he said he was hearing not just from residents, but from firefighters that it is an essential tool to keep everyone safe. When a call is made and firefighters are racing to the station from their homes or workplaces, the siren lets people know that there is a call at a time when not everyone may know or see the green flashing lights on vehicles’ dashboards.

 

In his report to council for the Nov. 5, 2024 meeting, McRoberts said that staff was able to get the siren back online with a timer to ensure it would only sound between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m., but, shortly thereafter, the municipality received a complaint. In addition, the complaint was also sent to the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks and Huron Perth Public Health (HPPH).

 

McRoberts said that, upon receiving the complaint, he advised the complainant that council had provided direction regarding the siren and recommended appearing as a delegation to discuss the matter further with council. McRoberts noted, however, that that was when the correspondence ended. He also noted that, after being contacted by the Ministry about the siren, that council had provided such direction regarding the siren and McRoberts said it appeared as though the Ministry official was satisfied with the response from the municipality.

 

HPPH, however, was not and Dr. Klassen issued the aforementioned non-binding recommendation late last year.
To Fisher’s point, Mayor Bernie MacLellan said that the municipality had been advised that if the municipality could drop the volume of the siren by, say, five per cent, it should meet requirements set out by the order and that, as it sits now, it wasn’t violating those levels by much.

 

Councillor Larry McGrath said that with people starving, experiencing homelessness and more in the community, he felt it was “utterly ridiculous” that local public health dollars were being spent on such a thing as the volume levels of the fire siren. Having said that, the municipality has been issued an order, he said, and council had no choice but to comply.

 

In response to Fisher’s request, McRoberts said that staff is planning a more fulsome report on the issue and some potential alternatives, which will be presented to council at a future meeting.