From heat, to smoke, to flashing lights, to chaos, firefighters face extreme environments every day. But one occupational hazard that often flies under the radar is noise exposure. As one of the groups with the noisiest occupations, firefighters are regularly subjected to sound levels high enough to cause permanent hearing damage.

Maintaining hearing health is essential for firefighters’ safety, communication, and long-term well-being. Here’s what you need to know about how the job affects hearing and how to prevent irreversible loss.

Noise Exposure in Firefighting

Firefighters experience a wide range of loud sounds during training and emergency response. Studies have found that fire engine and ambulance sirens can reach 120–130 decibels (dB). This is well above the safe exposure threshold set by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which recommends limiting exposure to 85 dB for no more than 8 hours.

Other common noise sources include:

• Chainsaws and power tools: 100–115 dB

• Fire alarms and air horns: 110–125 dB

• Hydraulic rescue tools: 100–118 dB

• Engines and pumps: 95–105 dB

• Explosions or collapsing structures: up to 140 dB

Repeated or prolonged exposure to these levels can result in noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), a permanent, preventable condition caused by damage to the sensory hair cells in the inner ear.

How Hearing Loss Affects Firefighter Safety

Hearing is critical for firefighters’ performance and situational awareness. Impaired hearing can have serious safety implications, including:

• Reduced communication: Difficulty understanding radio commands or team communication, especially in noisy or echoing environments.

• Decreased situational awareness: Trouble locating sounds, alarms, or victims.

• Delayed response times: Missing auditory cues like a collapsing structure or a distressed teammate.

Tinnitus

Many firefighters also experience tinnitus (a persistent ringing, buzzing, or humming sound in the ears that often accompanies NIHL). Research shows that up to 40% of firefighters report tinnitus or hearing difficulties.

Tinnitus can interfere with concentration, sleep, and mental health, compounding the stress already inherent to the job.

Protecting Firefighters’ Hearing Health

Use Proper Hearing Protection Devices (HPDs)

High quality earplugs can reduce harmful noise exposure without blocking vital communication. Further, electronic hearing protectors now allow situational sounds (like speech or alarms) to pass through while filtering dangerous noise peaks.

Implement Hearing Conservation Programs

Departments can adopt formal Hearing Conservation Programs, including annual hearing testing (audiometry), noise monitoring, and mandatory protective equipment policies.

Educate and Normalize Hearing Health

Firefighters should receive ongoing training on hearing loss prevention. Encouraging open conversation helps reduce stigma and increases compliance.

Monitor Hearing Regularly

Baseline and annual audiograms help track changes in hearing over time, allowing early detection and intervention.

Limit Noise Exposure When Possible

When training or working near loud machinery, rotate tasks, maintain distance from high-noise sources, and turn off sirens when stationary and unnecessary.

RestorEar’s Work

Firefighters dedicate their lives to protecting others. In doing so, they face hidden risks to their own health. Hearing loss is one of the most common occupational injuries among first responders, yet it’s entirely preventable.

RestorEar and our collaborators are currently spearheading research on the prevention of NIHL in firefighters. This multiyear clinical trial is funded by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) and is a step forward in combatting the impacts of occupational noise exposure. You can read about the study here. 

Through consistent hearing protection, regular screenings, and department-wide education, we can ensure firefighters stay safe, connected, and fully aware, both on and off the job.