The Omaha Police Department is using new technology in their cruisers to prevent officers from being involved in accidents while responding to emergency calls.
The Rumbler is a secondary siren that officers can activate when they approach an intersection. "It produces a low frequency, omnidirectional signal that enhances that traditional signal to alert other drivers and pedestrians of an emergency vehicle," Officer Justin Smith says.
He says the low frequency siren should be more noticeable to drivers in more sound protected modern vehicles . “Your normal siren is a high-frequency siren that can be masked easily by modern music," Smith said. "This low frequency signal is better at penetrating objects, so people who are in a car travelling with their windows up, maybe their music on or distracted by another device, hopefully we have a better chance of picking up on this signal.”
Since the frequency is so low, some people have even claimed to have been able to feel the vibration of the siren.
The devices cost about $755 per vehicle and will only be put into new vehicles until full implementation across the department. So far, 32 cruisers have been equipped with the Rumbler.