Prison system tweaks Hagerstown escape alerts

The Maryland prison agency says it is tweaking its emergency alert siren near Hagerstown after some neighbors complained they didn’t hear it following the escape of a convicted murderer in January.

The Division of Correction said Friday it will test the siren for an hour next Tuesday and Wednesday. Spokesman Mark Vernarelli said the agency will check for clarity, loudness, pitch and distance, and adjust the device accordingly.

He said the agency will announce other improvements to the alert system after the siren testing is done.

Inmate Kandelario Garcia-Ramos was at large for five days after he climbed a fence at the medium-security Maryland Correctional Institution-Hagerstown on Jan. 17.