To the Editor:

We are new residents to the area. We often hear sirens, which we believe are from local fire departments.

Can you explain how to identify the various sirens' locations and translate their messages?

Coming from a place where such sirens were used to warn of impending tornadoes, it’s a little unsettling to hear them going off all the time. Thank you!

Mary Hudson

Guilderland

Editor’s note: Many firehouses sound a siren at a certain time every day. Otherwise, they are used to call volunteer firefighters to fight a fire.