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WCPO: Talks of CPD gun range getting relocated brings back current health concerns in the area

UC audiology expert conducted tests to measure sound levels in the neighborhood

headshot of Bill Bangert By Bill Bangert 513-558-4519
2 minute read February 6, 2023

Despite the fact that plans are in the works to move the Cincinnati Police Department gun range from its long-time location in Evendale, concern continues in the surrounding neighborhoods about the ongoing health impacts of the noise from the range. WCPO-TV interviewed some people who live near the range who say their children didn't want to play outside because of the fear of the sound of gunshots.

WCPO-TV also interviewed Brian Earl, PhD, of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the UC College of Allied Health Sciences for this story. In 2020, Earl was invited by community leaders in Lincoln Heights to run some tests on the noise level in the immediate area. He was shocked how loud the gunshots were.

Brian Earl of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the UC College of Allied Health Sciences

Brian Earl, PhD, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders in the College of Allied Health Sciences/Photo/Colleen Kelley/UC Marketing + Brand

“I could feel the reflex in my ear trigger based on the level of the noise," Earl said. "We have a reflex in our ears that will trigger at those high intensities and I could feel that in my ears, so it was high enough to trigger that reflex and it went on for a couple of minutes.”

On a sound level meter, the sound of gunshots hit about 85 decibels.

“It’s a quality of life concern and definitely becomes a health concern based on other studies that have looked at long-term exposure,” Earl said.

Earl is also concerned that too many people in the area have become accustomed to the sound of gunshots.

“Going back to the idea of an auditory reflex, if we don’t react to this loud sound or if children don’t react to this loud sound maybe something has changed in their hearing development or their reaction to loud sounds is different if this exposure is going on,” Earl said.

See the entire WCPO story here. 

Lead photo/Liz Dufour/Cincinnati.com

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