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4 average is going to be between 100-157 dB. Those decibels are measured at 1.5 meters to up to 6 meters away from the source of the sound. As sound travels, we know that the sound waves expand. They bounce off of things. The further you get away from the source, the less likely will be the dosimeter’s effectiveness. It will be difficult to test from the side of the road or at someone’s residence what decibel level is being created by a firearm on a neighbor’s property 500 feet away. It might register, but it is going to register at a very low point. The Orange County noise ordinance contains decibel limits, but a firearm is a sudden-impact source of sound that will needanother type of device to catch its noise level. It is not as simple as using a meter at the property line to get an accurate reading. I don’t think the Orange County noise ordinance with the firearms exemption lifted would be enforceable because of all of this. The ordinance refers at Section 16-53 (b) to “any continuous, regular, frequent, or intermittent source…” But how often? If we can’t make those accurate measurements with a dosimeter then how are the standards in the noise ordinance going to be enforcedin shooting situations?There are a lot of things you have to consider once you start using these meters: distance, ambient air temperature, moisture density in air. I’m leaning toward a distance restriction to get at the noise rather than having someone try to measure the noise from a firearm. Mr. Tilley said that a problem with enforcing against firearms noise using decibel measurement is that the noise has to be present when the deputy arrives. Most often it is not.He agreed with Mr. Kirland’s leaning toward a distance restriction. It would also help people to feel safer, he said. Dr. Arvik asked that “relentless” be removed from the problem definition for noise (“Relentless shooting creating gunfire noise that is bothersome to neighbors.”). Itis a subjective term, he said, and suggested “persistent” as a substitute. Mr. Tilley and Mr. Tesoro said the two words mean the same thing. Other suggestions from the group were repetitive, continuous, ongoing, and sustained. Mr. Tilley said all the suggested words were synonyms. Dr. Arvik said they did not mean the same thing, and that if we do not choose the right words then lawyers later will frustrate the Committee’s goals.Mr. Tesoro said that the firearms noise problem is like the Orange County Speedway bothering some people. Different people consider different numbers of rounds –one shot every day for a week to someone not comfortable with gunfire --as being as relentless or persistent or ongoing. Law enforcement uses “sustained,” said Chief Sykes. “Relentless” is a biased word, said Dr. Arvik. Ms. Barksdale said that “relentless” has an egregious tone to it, while “sustained” is more objective. The group agreed on “persistent.” Mr. Webster said that distance and time of day restrictions would give the Sheriff’s Office a solid basis for enforcing against firearms noise. Anybody can measure those things, he said. But we also need to decide whether we even need an ordinance. In reply to a question from Ms. Conti, Chief Sykes said that the new digital noise meters being acquired by the Sheriff’s Office operate on the same premise as the analogue meters currently being used. The readings will be taken in the same way. Enforcement against firearms noise using instrument readings is not going to be a feasible option, he added. Impact noise such as gunfire has to be read differently. It is very difficult to capture that sound. There are two pagesof requirements under the Orange County noise ordinance for taking measurements and establishing certain facts. In my experience, when you go to court and there is this much