"If you pick up the telephone receiver in this town you may, or may not, get a dial tone. If you get on a subway you may, or may not, get stuck in a tunnel for an hour. The wall socket in your apartment may, or may not, contain electricity. The city's air may, or may not, be killing you. The only real sure thing in this town is that the firefighters come when you pull down the handle on that red box."
- Dennis Smith, from his book Report From Engine Company 82

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The box alarm system in use today was installed in 1895 and was connected to the bell in the county court house tower on Main street that would ring when the box was pulled. The older style boxes would require a key to open the box and sound the alarm. Certain households and businesses were given keys to the boxes, and residents would go to this location get the key, go to the nearest box and pull the hook. The town was divided up into districts, 1-5 each having a share of the boxes. Depending on which district the box was sounded from, determined the appropriate response of apparatus. At the time there were several fire houses located throughout town. The boxes were also used to call for additional help and manpower from a fire scene by the firefighters.

Many cities and town have done away with their box systems due to high maintenance costs. St. Johnsbury has not only maintained an excellent system, but has added several new boxes every year. In 1984 there were 57 boxes throughout town, today there are over 80 boxes in service. The Gamewell system has proved to be the fastest and most reliable way to alert the fire department of an emergency.

Over the years the system has undergone several upgrades and changes. The boxes no longer ring the bell at the court house, but ring directly into the firehouse. In the dispatch office and on the apparatus floor, a punch register punches holes in a strip of paper showing the box number. This gives the dispatcher and firefighters on-duty a visual confirmation of the box number.