Uses of Whistles
Whistles are used extensively across many sporting activities. Referees and coaches for soccer, football, basketball and hockey and more rely on whistles to control practices and games. Every boat should be equipped with a safety whistle. Lifeguards have one in hand at all times. Scuba divers carry a whistle to signal their boat for pickup. Campers, hikers and skiers should never be without a safety whistle. If stranded, an individual can yell for help for an hour or two but then lose their voice. However, they can blow a whistle indefinitely to call for help. In addition, the piercing blast from a quality metal whistle is louder than a yell and carries much farther in search of help.
Police officers use whistles for traffic control and to sound alarm. This is true not only for our municipal departments but also for military forces, FBI, US Marshals, US Border Patrol, and Homeland Security Departments. Homeland Security recommends that a safety whistle be part of every home’s emergency readiness kit.
Colleges and universities often buy safety whistles in large quantities to hand out to incoming freshmen and transfer students each year. They serve the dual purpose of being an excellent safety tool as well as a visual reminder that each and every individual must remain aware of their own safety at all times.