EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (December 3, 2025) — For firefighters, hearing is not merely a function of communication, it is a matter of survival. During an active fire scene, visibility can vanish entirely as alarms sound, sirens wail, engines rumble, and saws cut through concrete and metal. In these critical moments, the ability to detect a command, a warning, or a cry for help can determine the difference between life and death.
That’s why firefighters like Ian Planchon of the Brooklyn Park Fire Department are turning to SoundGear hearing protection from Starkey.
“The fire service in general is a loud environment,” said Planchon. “We have chainsaws we’re operating, fire alarms going off, sirens blaring. Active hearing protection is huge, because you’re not sacrificing your ability to hear what’s going on around you, to protect your ears. With SoundGear Phantoms, we can protect our hearing and still keep our awareness level up.”
For many firefighters, hearing loss is a hidden injury that builds over years of service. “If you don’t begin with the end in mind, protecting your hearing early in your career, one day it’s just gone. And you can’t get that back,” said Brooklyn Park Fire Chief Shawn Conway. “I wish this was something we had much earlier. My hearing would probably be in a much different place.”
The danger isn’t only the noise. In chaotic, smoke-filled conditions, communication is a lifeline. “For the life-and-death decisions we’re making, we can’t afford to miscommunicate,” Chief Conway added. “We just need the right protection in the moment, so we can protect ourselves and still communicate clearly.”
For Planchon, the reason to use SoundGear goes beyond the firehouse: “My hearing is incredibly important to me. Not just for my job, but to be able to communicate with my loved ones. That’s why I trust SoundGear.”
To learn more and hear from Planchon, click here to watch this video.
Learn more about SoundGear at www.soundgear.com.
About Starkey
Starkey is a privately held, global hearing technology company headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Founded by Bill Austin in 1967, Starkey is known for its innovative design, development and distribution of comprehensive digital hearing systems. Led today by President and CEO Brandon Sawalich, Starkey is the only American-owned provider of hearing technologies. The company has more than 5,000 employees, operates 29 facilities and does business in more than 100 markets worldwide. Learn more at starkey.com.
