PRACTICAL TACTICAL
Save YOUR HEARING
By JIM BOLWERK
As law enforcement officers, we are exposed to more assaults on our eardrums than the average person endures. Shooting guns is the most obvious threat, but only partly to blame for our hearing trauma.
Unfortunately, the responsibility of our service lands us in many situations where our hearing is slowly damaged. Think about it - how often have you had a radio earpiece in your ear when one of your partners either yelled into their radio about something, or simply had their mouth too close to their microphone while speaking into it?
I suspect you could all easily think up examples of on-duty hearing dangers to add to mine below:
• Alarm noises of various types we hear while searching/clearing;
• Air horn exposure on or off-duty;
• Arrestees/prisoners yelling in our cars or cells;
• Blank gunshot rounds fired;
• Bullhorns;
• Car horns;
• Concerts or sports events worked or attended off-duty;
• Conducting or attending critical incident scenario training;
• Disputants yelling at each other;
• Driving around hearing droning road noise;
• Flash-bang grenades/light sound diversionary devices;
• K9 partner’s constant bark;
• Manning a post where machinery is noisily operating;
• Noise complaint responses;
• Protests;
• Siren’s in training or real incidents;
• Working around construction equipment;
• And whistles used for training, directing traffic, signaling, and the like.
Hearing damage is cumulative and things like those mentioned above all contribute to our eventual hearing loss. Some cops I know have jokingly mentioned (I think they were joking anyway) that they welcomed the dimming of their hearing so they would not have to listen to certain citizens, loved ones, or relatives they were tired of. I wish it was that simple.
Others have displayed a fatalistic expectation that hearing loss was inevitable when they chose to use only bullets for ear plugs, or otherwise failed to take proper serious precautions to protect their hearing.
Instead of a general dulled hearing ability, some people get Tinnitus, a hearing disorder characterized by constant ringing in the ears. The effect is made worse by stress or caffeine, two things cops know well.
When this condition is first observed by those who have it, it is quite distracting and annoying, however, most sufferers eventually learn to tune it out. Clearly though, it would be preferable never to have this problem.
Most cops eventually get some hearing loss in one ear. When they shoot for example, the left ear of the right handed/majority of shooters is closer to the business end of the gun and suffers the cumulative effects of noise damage. The opposite is true for left handed shooters.
Those considering following a current trend in which law enforcers retire from one agency and join another department, should keep hearing protection in mind since poor hearing can disqualify them medically for future public service and the big bucks they are seeking.
In some agencies, such as my own, it may be possible to move from one job classification to another. For example, one might begin their career as a detentions deputy sheriff, and later wish to become a law enforcement deputy sheriff.
Passing a hearing test is necessary to qualify for law enforcement academy training, so it is important for people with this desire to safeguard their hearing.
Keeping in mind that hearing damage is cumulative, we should prepare to protect our ears while on and off-duty. If we get into an unanticipated shooting situation, chances are that auditory occlusion will protect our ears somewhat.
During other shooting situations, such as putting down an injured animal, our hearing may not be protected automatically since we may not feel the stress. In those cases we can plan for hearing safety by putting in foam earplugs and/or putting on heavy earmuffs.
Other ideas might include the following:
Carry hearing protection with you at work and at home. This is simple, as foam or rubber ear plugs are light, and keeping sets in your pocket, your car, your desk, your garage, etc. makes sense when you think of the alternative. Many types are reusable and can be washed in the laundry.
Consider using foam earplugs and heavy ear protectors at the same time to reduce potential damage.
Electronic muffs with noise cancellation are a worthy investment as well.
Take care to avoid, or at least limit, exposure to loud or constant noise and wear ear protection when possible!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jim Bolwerk is a lieutenant with 21 years experience in the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, including eight years on the SWAT team. He is now with the Sheriff’s Court Services Bureau. Please e-mail comments, questions, or suggestions to: JamesBolwerk@sdsheriff.org