Most of us have seen it either in person or on television…a burning building and a fireman shouting instructions from a megaphone to individuals hanging out windows, or shouting to the crowd to get back in a dangerous situation. Have you ever wondered why a firefighter uses a megaphone? Have you also ever wondered if there is more than one type of megaphone they might use? The obvious reason to our first question is to gain control of a situation, and to allow individuals in a stressful and possible life-threatening situation, to hear instructions. The second question can be answered with two main types of megaphones.
There are plastic megaphones which are waterproof. This type of sound device would be perfect for firefighters in situations where there is a lot of water going through the air. The handle and mouthpiece are generally made of metal. The plastic 8w compact megaphone is typically 19 to 32 inches around and allows the firefighter’s voice to carry a good distance, but is usually used in smaller areas. There are no batteries or chargers needed with this megaphone.
There is also an electronic megaphone which typically is 10 or 20 watts and is battery operated. This 20w lightweight megaphone allows the firefighter’s voice to carry up to 1000 feet. I don’t know about you, but if I am in a burning building and needing instructions, I would want a megaphone’s sound to be cable of reaching where I am. This type of megaphone also has an emergency siren that can be used in critical moments. If a firefighter is going through a burning structure, they may use this alarm to try to capture whether or not someone is in the building. This alarm also allows the fireman to gain the attention of individuals who may be in a panicked state so that they may hear important information or instructions.
Have you been in a situation where a firefighter has had to use a handheld megaphone? Have you ever seen a firefighter need to use a megaphone? These are important devices for them to have to be in charge or a situation or to save a life.