When Morenci’s fire siren blew three times in less than an hour last week, it prompted an urge to discuss the issue in this space.

In our office, unhappiness with the siren might be obvious. We enjoy keeping the front door open and we like the fresh air. Combined with an open back door, the breeze flowing through generally alleviates the need for the air conditioner.

But when the siren sounds, telephone conversation is halted until the door is shut. Talking with a customer at the counter changes to near yelling.

That’s the perspective of a downtown business owner with a door opening to the west, toward the fire station. We’re curious to know if we’re the only ones who aren’t pleased with the volume and duration of the siren.

The day in which three sirens sounded within a short time, all three were for the ambulance. In years past, the siren summoned volunteers who rushed to the station to answer the call for aid. Now, a full-time staff operates the ambulance service and the siren isn’t needed.

It makes sense that the siren still warns of fire department members making a rapid drive to the station and it serves as a backup if pagers fail to activate.

When we wrote an article about the siren recently, we learned that it sounds for both fires and ambulance runs because only one radio channel is used. However, we learned  that the siren could be shut off by the ambulance service just like it can be cancelled by anyone at the fire hall.

We urge ambulance personnel to make the effort to turn off the siren. The long warning blast for the purpose of driving to Adrian to make a patient transfer is ridiculous. The frequency of sirens lets us know that ambulance service is performing a vital role. The more the siren sounds, the better the finances for the ALS service, but do we need the two-minute blast?

And speaking of the two-minute duration, is there a good reason for the siren to sound this long? Would 30 seconds be just as effective?

Probably the main reason this is an issue is because of the volume of the siren. We’ve heard complaints ever since the current siren was bought several years ago and replaced an old one that wasn’t nearly as piercing.

Anyone caught walking downtown when the siren sounds is in for an ear-splitting episode that actually hurts.

Perhaps we’re the only ones who are critical of Morenci’s siren, and if so, our complaints can be ignored. However, if there are others who believe it’s too loud and too long, we’d like to hear from you. We welcome letters from readers.