I’ve lived near two different fire stations, it wasn’t a big deal. They only leave with the sirens on in big emergencies, a couple of times a year. Far more disturbing was the sound of trucks and motorbikes with modified exhausts.

I currently live near a fire station and a railroad. The cars are almost always worse than both. Sometimes the fire station can be annoying with the sirens but at night, loud cars are much more frequent. I’m far enough from the railroad that it’s actually quite pleasant.

>What we need is some good tech to make our homes and gardens more peaceful and quiet.

Concrete or brick wall should do it. If you live in an apartment made of drywall and 2x4s, either commit to building a room-within-a-room or buy earplugs.

Interior insulation designed for sound deadening can do wonders, too like https://www.rockwool.com/north-america/

And you can get double pane windows even in temperate climates because they cut down on noise.

In fact, the only time I’d use triple pane would be for sound reasons.

drywall on floating rails not connected to the studs is very effective soundproofing