TOWN OF RIDGWAY

To those strolling through Hartwell Park or picking up their mail at the post office at the moment it goes off, the siren atop the Ridgway Volunteer Fire Department can be an ear-splitting annoyance.

But for the volunteer firefighters and those experiencing a crisis at that moment—and even for the public who may be turned off by the piercing wail — the alarm provides a critical notification about a potential emergency that needs immediate attention.

Prompted by concerns expresse...