How does the number system work for Fire Alarms. What constitutes 4 alarm, 8 alarm, etc?

Question

What is the highest alarm number a fire can be classified

And what makes the difference

Thank you.

Answer 1

It is specified per fire department.

"In New York City, dispatchers send out 25 units and 106 firefighters for a two-alarm fire, 33 units and 138 firefighters for three alarms, 39 and 168 for four, and 44 and 198 for five."

There is no maximum alarm (except in that there's only so many firefighters). The highest-alarm fire in New York City was the 17-alarm response to the 9/11 attacks. (The previous highest alarm was a 16-alarm response to the 1993 bombing of the WTC.)

Answer 2

I know that the number is how many stations should respond. Typically its just a 2 or 3 alarm fire. A 1 alarm would be a small fire where only 1 station needs to respond. If the fire is too large or the first staion needs help, they will call it in as a 2 alarm so another station comes to help and so on. I don't know the highest it would go... The largest I've heard of is a 4 alarm, but who knows...