I can't seem to Google the definition of a "four alarm fire." If the fire department has a "one alarm" fire I assume the only one fire station responds; by that token, a four alarm fire should mean that four stations respond to a larger fire.
Am I correct in that assumption?

Well, I searched for a while...and found many different things...including "FOUR ALARM FIRE SNACK MIX"!

I can't find much on it but I'll get back to you.

fjohn check www.firehouse.com somebody there might have an answer.

hey doc, long time no hear!

Whew..that was a search! This is the only thing I've found so far.

Quote:

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What is a 2-alarm fire vs. a 5-alarm fire?
A two-alarm fire requires assistance from other departments for a couple more pumpers and ladder trucks. Some will go to the scene and the others will cover our stations. A five-alarm fire requires a lot more assistance from the outside due to the large size of the fire. In Rochester, a five-alarm fire is our largest response. The alarms are used to bring in more equipment and manpower due to the size of the building and the amount of fire involved. A typical fire in a small structure will usually require only one or two alarms. A large-scale fire in a commercial building would require three alarms or more.

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Taken from this website: http://www.rochesternh.net/Public_Documents/RochesterNH_Fire/index

Hey! A question I know!

My roommate was a volunteer firefighter and the way she explained it to me was this:

When the first engine arrives and they're not enough, they call the next-closest engine to come help. 2 engines = 2 alarms.

When the second engine comes and that's still enough, they call the next closest engine. 3 engines = 3 alarms.

Etc. So basically, it's how many engines/companies they need to call in.

Great research, gang! I suspected but couldn't confirm, until now, just what multiple "alarms" meant. The members of FT are the electronic version of Encyclopaedia Brittanica.

The number of alarms corresponds to the number of firefighters called to the scene. But there's no simple relationship between the two. A two-alarm designation doesn't mean you're calling in two companies, two brigades, two firehouses, or twice as many people as you would call in for a one-alarm. The precise meaning of an "alarm" varies depending on the 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.

A "unit" can refer to any kind of firefighting vehicle: for example, a fire engine, a ladder truck, or even a civilian car—sometimes called a "buggy"—for the fire chief. In most cities, dispatchers will respond to a one-alarm fire with three or four units and then send a few more for each additional alarm.