Fire Engines Photos

I'm not familiar with US designations - any chance you could enlighten us to what a code 3 fire is? Thanks

Added by Tim Edwards on 05 January 2010.

Tim,if the above(code 3)actually means 3rd Alarm which I think it does,then I will try and explain what a 3rd Alarm is.A 3rd alarm basically is like what we in the UK call a make-up.First attending appliance officer calls for'Make Pumps 6',senior officer on his arrival'Make Pumps 10',and so on until the Div/Com arrives and he'Make Pumps' plenty.In the United States,different states have anything from 1-10 Alarms,each alarm brings so many appliances to the incident on the alarm being sent from the senior officer in attendence.
The New York(FDNY)City Fire Department:In New York the FDNY operate just five alarm assignments(or they did),the 1st Alarm in say a Manhattan Hi-rise for an example the dispatcher(Fire Control)will mobilize 2 Engine Co's,2 Ladder Co's,Rescue Co,Batt/Chief,etc.A 2nd Alarm(make-up)being asked for will automatically bring another 3 Engine Co's,1 Ladder Co,Sattelite Unit,Field/Comm Unit,Photo Unit,Safety Chief,and Maxi Water Unit.On a 3rd Alarm(make-up)another 4 Engine Co's,4 Ladder Co's,another Batt/Chief,etc are sent.This gives you some idea on how the alarm assignment system works,though it may have changed slightly over the years.
A full 5th Alarm can give 18 Engine Co's,6 Ladder Co's,1 Rescue Co,3 Battalion Chiefs;one Div/Chief,two Sattalite Units,Mask Service(BA)Unit,etc,etc.Also there could be a number of special called(apparatus)appliances.
The FDNY do not/it did not have a 6th Alarm,but further apparatus can be called when required.
On a somewhat sad note but again to try and explain the 'Alarm System',on 911(Sept 11,2001)the FDNY striked(called)a second 5th Alarm to that very incident....But thats another story.

Added by Pete Matten on 06 January 2010.

Many thanks, Peter, that's helpful

Added by Tim Edwards on 06 January 2010.

Thanks also, Pete - I always wondered how it worked - and I believe the system goes back to the old Fire Alarm Boxes, before '911' Telephone days, in North America.

These red-painted Alarm Boxes were distributed all over the city's street-plan.

The First Alarm would be pulled by a member of the public usually; eg the guy whose house was afire, or a passerby..... and that would bring a standard response of fire-engines to that particular Box's street address.... as Pete says, the response would be pre-determined, according to the fire-load.

So an industrial area, or a hospital; would get a bigger response, than a sparsely populated residential area.

The Second Alarm, as necessary, would be struck at the Box, by the Officer on arrival, if the situation demanded more fire-equipment; and again, a set response of equipment, and Officers, would be despatched. And, so on....

On 'YouTube', a group of Fire-Truck enthusiasts have made a great video of a Box being struck; the bells going off in Dispatch as they strike the Box Number and punch a paper tape; and an elderly open-cab pumper responding, with the guys hanging on to the rear-step, amid numerous engine back-fires and clouds of smoke - made, with great humour, of course....

And, it has carried on to Fire-House Cooking - the unwitting consumer of a "Five-Alarm Chili" dish, is certainly going to know it !

Regards, from Canada,
Pat_R-B

Added by Pat Rivers-Bowerman on 08 January 2010.

Street Fire Alarms were still used in Liverpool until the 1960s....... understandably they had the highest false alarm rate anywhere in the UK

Added by Barrie Green on 08 January 2010.

Thanks Gents for the information. If your really sad like me you listen into the live radio communications in the Boroughs of New York, very interesting at time over the internet. Paul.

Added by Paul Warnock on 08 January 2010.

Pete, concerning your comment of FDNY alarm systems, how many FDNY units attended 9/11?

Added by David jones on 09 June 2010.

I believe there were around 150 pieces of apparatus and support units responding. I do know that there were 343 FDNY fatalities that day, including many of the most senior officers. This is as many firefighters as are employed in many quite large US city departments. I have never seen an accounting of those sickened by the toxic fumes at Ground Zero in the following months, but it was in the hundreds. By the way, 1st alarm assignments vary by address. In midtown Manhattan it is usually three engines, two ladders, the rescue company and one Batallion Chief - a total of around 32 personnel.

Added by Rob Johnson on 10 June 2010.

According to the FDNY article in wikipedia, "The FDNY deployed 200 units to the site, with more than 400 firefighters, EMTs and paramedics on the scene when the buildings collapsed." I recall reading that 90-some FDNY vehicles -- pumpers, ladders, heavy rescues, chiefs' SUV's, etc. -- were destroyed. Not to mention 343 firefighters and paramedics.

Added by Mike Feldman on 10 June 2010.

Regarding 9/11: I'm virtually certain that I recall the report quoting 120 pumpers and 64 ladders as atending, plus of course not very far short of all the specials.

Added by Ian Moore on 11 June 2010.

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