Can somebody explain to me how your alarm level works? What does it mean when you have a level 1,2,3,4,5 alarm? Do you have more levels? How many trucks and people are involved in these alarm levels?
Like to learn from you.

Wilbert
the Netherlands

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Most cities and states have different amounts of people and appartus responding to a fire alarm. One way to think of the different levels is first alarm for a fire brings two or three engines ( three personnel per vehicle), one truck(three or four personnel), two ambulances(two personnel per vehicle) and one shift commander. Each level up brings three more engines one more truck and usually some other vehicle Like SCBA support or ambulances.
I was searching for this FAQ on the forum too.

Thanks for this answer. Through this answer we can better understand and learn how your fire- and rescue-organisations work.
Still too in a lot of areas, the first response is a single engine with sometimes as few as 2 on board. The response assignment can vary widely from a small town/community with only a fully volunteer department to a large city where there are hundreds or more paid staff and many dozens of engines, ladder trucks, and other assorted apparatus.

The smaller community mentioned above at certain times of the day may only be able to field one engine and a couple guys. If it's more then they can handle, then they have to rely on mutual aid response from adjoining areas. In the larger cities, you've got a virtual unlimited supply of manpower and equipment that can be sent on the first alarm and more called if needed. Then there's all sorts of departments in between the little and the huge with varying degrees of resources to be called upon.

Giving a pat answer to Wilbert's question is difficult at best. Just as has been said, the variances between locales and agencies is wide.
You can't have it as a FAQ because there isn't an answer. Every department does it differently.
In DC we send 5 engines, 2 trucks, 1 rescue squad, 2 battalion chiefs, and 1 ambulance on every initial box alarm. With the working fire dispatch sounded it adds another engine and truck as well as other units like deputy chief, air unit, fire investigator, safety officer, etc. Second alarm adds 4 engines and 2 trucks, and something similar for higher alarms.

Each engine is staffed with 4 men and each truck and rescue is staffed with 5.
In my opinion it can be a frequently asked question, specially from people in other parts of the world.
This doesn't mean that there has to be just one answer.

I was to fast with the reply I wrote above and in the mean time I've seen there's not just one answer and the ways of working vary.

Still happy with all the answers. Like I said above, in this way we can better understand the US turn-out system.
Well it would be pointless to have a million answers. haha Look at David's reply above compared to mine below. They are nothing like each other. It all depends on the department and their resources. I work in a very large and urban city with high staffing and resources so we send more units.
Thank you all very much. I do get the message that there is no common situation nation wide. Does NFPA protocol requires a minimum of men and means, or is their no minimum?
Wow, I am amazed by the quantity of trucks you send in. What is the limit DC can handle?
In Nassau County(FL)there are 7 career stations.
20-1 Rescue,1 Engine, and 1 Ladder~2 men per apparatus
30-1 Rescue and 1 Engine~2 men per apparatus
40-1 Rescue and 1 Engine~2 men on the Engine and 3 on the Rescue
50-1 Engine and 1 Rescue~2 men per apparatus
60-1 Engine and 1 Rescue~2 men per apparatus
70-1 Engine and 1 Rescue~2 men per apparatus
90-1 Rescue and 1 Pumper~2 men per apparatus

We rely on Jacksonville for Mutal Aid in many cases~mostly to cover the stations while the depts. are working a large fire or wreak.
If it is large they send out all of the stations~with the limited staffing on the apparatus it can take all of the depts. manpower to work whatever it is out.
We get on a 1st alarm 2 engines, 2 truck companies 1 squad and a BC. 2nd alarm adds 2 engines and a saftey officer and 3, 4 , 5 add 2 engines each. We have a general alram which is everybody. We do have diffrent responces for high-rise and wildland also. This is for the City of Riverside Fire Dept in California. We carry 4 on the engines and 3 on the truck 2 on the squad and 1 BC

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