Salem Will Remove Century-Old Fire Alarm Boxes by June 1

Salem will soon begin removing the city's century-old Master Box Fire Alarm system, with system decommissioning targeted for June 1.

Over the coming weeks, residents will see the public fire alarm boxes covered as a prelude to their deinstallation. Private home and business fire boxes will also be deactivated.

According to a Patch of Salem report, the city noted that no fire in the past two decades has been reported exclusively through a street box that uses Morse-code signals over a citywide wiring network.

Officials called the Master Box Fire Alarm system outdated, unreliable, and costly to maintain, contributing to numerous false alarms and wasted resources.

"While the Master Box system served Salem well for over a century, it's no longer practical or effective," Fire Chief Alan Dionne said to the Patch of Salem. "Modern technology provides faster, more reliable ways to report emergencies, and this change will help us focus resources where they're needed most."

Officials also said that the Master Box system has been as a magnet for vandalism, reinforcing the move away from this legacy infrastructure.

Residents and property owners will receive updates on alternative fire reporting methods. For emergencies, residents should call 911.