The familiar sound of fire sirens may stop — at least late at night — as the Powell Volunteer Fire Department reconsiders when it should sound the fire whistle.

It’s common to hear sirens blare early in the morning, during the day or even in the middle of the night, when the sound may wake you up. Local dogs often chime in, adding to the noise.

Last year, the sirens sounded around 250 times as Powell firemen responded to fires, car wrecks, false alarms and other local calls.

For residents who have lived here for years, the sirens have become commonplace. But for newcomers, the sound can be quite alarming.

Over the years, we’ve heard stories of people moving to Powell and worrying when they first hear the sirens. New residents sometimes think there’s a natural disaster, such as a tornado. It’s an understandable assumption, since many communities across the country only use air raid sirens for those types of emergencies.

One transplant initially thought the sirens meant a prisoner had escaped, since that’s what the sound signaled in her hometown in Montana.

While some residents consider the sirens unnecessary or even a nuisance, others appreciate knowing that volunteer firemen are responding to an emergency call. We know people who pray every time they hear the sirens.

The fire department has received complaints about the sirens for years, said Fire Chief Damian Dicks.

“Anytime someone doesn’t like the sirens, we understand their frustration,” Dicks said. “But it’s to alert the public that there is an emergency, and to be on the lookout (on local roads), because we’re coming.”

For decades, firemen have relied on pagers to be alerted to emergency calls. Today, text messages also are used.

A notification system also is in place to alert reserve firemen when additional help is needed, Dicks said.

Although the sirens aren’t intended to summon firemen to emergencies, sometimes they hear the fire whistle before they receive a notification.

Dicks has heard a variety of opinions about the sirens, but, he said, “I have not ever had anyone say, ‘I love when they go off at 2 a.m.’”

We can see the value of using the sirens as a public notice, but we agree that it doesn’t seem necessary to sound the sirens late at night or in the very early morning hours, when there’s much lighter traffic.

That’s why we’re glad to see the fire department considering possible options — whether to only run the sirens during the daytime, continue as they are or not at all.

Other communities in the country and state, including some in neighboring Big Horn County, also use sirens to let the public know about fire calls, Dicks said.

He said the department welcomes feedback on the topic, and you can share your thoughts on the Powell Fire Department’s Facebook page.

As with anything, we know it will be impossible to please everyone. Some residents want to know when the fire department is called, while others just want peace and quiet.

In the end, everyone can be thankful firemen are always standing by and ready to respond — whether you hear sirens or not.