BOSTON -- You see them all over the place: red call boxes that let you call for help in an emergency.

But with seemingly everyone packing a cell phone these days are they worth the cost or are they just an antiquated system replaced by cell phones and 911?

At least one city councilor thinks it's time to turn the boxes into museum pieces.

"They get pulled on average once every few years, and every three out of four times it is a false alarm. And it costs $3 million a year to maintain these is just hanging onto obsolesce," Councilor Sam Yoon said.

The boxes have been in place since 1852 and it takes about 20 workers to maintain the 2,700 call boxes.

"We haven't gotten to the point at this time that we believe that taking the boxes out would be a benefit to us even in this tough financial time," Boston Fire Chief Ron Keating said.

The city's finance commission recommends drastically reducing or eliminating the alarm boxes. The watchdog group Boston Municipal Research bureau agrees.

"Most likely there would be a reduction in staff and that would create a savings of over $2 million," said Samuel Tyler, of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau.

But the chief said they don't want to cut money from the alarm program.

"We know in certain circumstances the boxes are our first line of defense," Keating said.

Other large cities, including Los Angeles and Chicago have gotten rid of their boxes.