Crime & Safety

Town Fire Boxes Going Away

Officials planning to dismantle the alarm boxes throughout town

The fire boxes that can be spotted around town are a throwback to a time when many homes in Millburn-Short Hills had no phones.

Now those boxes will soon be something only seen in history books and museums. Millburn fire officials are planning to remove the boxes by September.

The alarm boxes have been the source of news in the last week following a string of false alarms linked to several in the downtown area.

Find out what's happening in Millburn-Short Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Fire Chief Mike Roberts said the department has been in the process of dismantling the boxes, which were "state of the art" 67 years ago.

"It was a way for people to report fires or other emergencies before most homes had phones," he said. "Now in the advent of cell phones and alarm systems, they're antiquated."

Find out what's happening in Millburn-Short Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

People still will use the box to report an auto accident, he said, but they aren't necessary since most people now carry cell phones.

There are two types of alarms, the city boxes and the master boxes. There are 83 city boxes throughout town and 59 master boxes.

The city boxes are located either attached to a telephone pole or a standalone pole.

The master boxes are linked to a business, such as a store in the Mall at Short Hills or a school. A master box trips when the business' internal alarm goes off.

The businesses attached to a master box—which are along John F. Kennedy Parkway, at the mall or a school—have been asked to link their alarm system to a central alarm company by Feb. 1, Roberts said. Most have already done so.

"Our system is in good shape and has served us well, but I'd rather we dismantle them now than when they deteriorate and could cause a problem," Roberts said.

The boxes are considered collector's items, and Roberts said the plans are for each of Millburn's firefighters to receive one of the boxes.

The Millburn-Short Hills Historical Society will also receive a box, he said, and plans are to donate the box that is located in front of Town Hall. The remaining boxes will be auctioned off, he said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Millburn-Short Hills