NEW YORK CITY - After running a pilot program with the "Rumbler" siren since 2009, the New York Police Dept. had decided to install it on 5,000 patrol cars over the next few years, according to a report in the Wall St. Journal. The department’s director of Fleet Service Robert Martinez said the department will have 500 vehicles equipped with this new siren by this summer.
The Rumbler siren is produced by Federal Signal. According to the company’s literature, the siren senses the primary siren tone signal and reduces the signal’s frequency by 75 percent. It then amplifies the sound through two subwoofers. Federal Signal said the system’s tone can sound for eight seconds and then automatically shuts off. The Rumbler can work with most 100/200-watt siren amplifiers, according to Federal Signal. The company provides vehicle-specific mounting hardware. According to the Wall St. Journal, each Rumbler device will cost $500.
