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AR15.COM
5/2/2006 2:50:32 AM EDT
Sorry for a dumb question but...

How are fires classified?
I hear about 2 alarm, 3 alarm fires, etc. on the news all the time but what does it mean?
Whats the difference between 1 alarm and 5 alarm fires?

5/2/2006 4:52:25 AM EDT
[#1]
The higher the alarm the more men and equipment are dispatched to the emergency.

A "5-alarm" fire in a big city is a major incident, dozens of engines, trucks, squads and possibly hundreds of fire fighters are on scene.

For every "alarm" there is a pre-arranged system set up to signify who and what is dispatched to the scene.