Definition of 3-Alarm Fire
A 3-alarm fire is a very dangerous situation for the area, the people and the officials trying to extinguish it. Firefighters determine a 3-alarm blaze by the size and the severity of it. The firefighters then contact neighboring fire departments, news agencies and emergency personnel to inform them of how bad the circumstance surrounding the 3-alarm fire are.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
The alarm classification system that is used today derived from a simple method used by fire stations in earlier times. In the past when a fire broke out, the fire station that manned that burning area would sound 1 alarm and try to put it out. Once the on-scene firemen figured that the blaze was too much to handle or was getting worse, another bell would be rung at a neighboring fire station and they would come to help; this would continue until enough manpower and equipment was on hand to extinguish the flames.
The Facts
-
The 3-alarm fire level is part of a system that determines how much manpower and equipment are needed to combat a fire. Most systems start out at 1 alarm and increase up to a 10-alarm level. The higher the level, the more intense the blaze is. This systematic approach is important to cut down the amount of damage; there were reportedly over 550,000 structural fires in 2007 that resulted in over $10 billion in damages.
-
Misconceptions
-
Experience is the best factor when determining a 3-alarm fire, since there isn't a standard example that can be referenced. Not all 3-alarm fires are responded to the same. Different jurisdictions set their own rules on how to respond to a fire. A 3-alarm to one department might not be to another--this mainly has to do with the size of the area. A city like New York may have more resources under one roof than a smaller city. Not coincidentally a 3-alarm fire might be a bigger blaze in the more heavily populated area and would call for more manpower and equipment than a 3-alarm in the smaller area. An example of a response to a 3-alarm fire in New York City would call for 12 engines, 7 ladders, 5 battalion chiefs, 1 rescue, 1 squad, 1 deputy chief, 1 RAC (Recuperation and Care) Unit, 1 satellite, safety battalion, SOC (Special Operations Command) battalion, 1 tactical support unit and field comm.
Significance
-
The importance of having a fire alarm level system allows the proper amount of resources including medical personnel to be dispatched to the area of the hazardous situation. The destruction of a 3-alarm blaze can be minimized with a healthy coordinated effort from all fronts. The efficiency among all responders can contain costs by not using unnecessary manpower and equipment and by cutting down response time, which can ultimately save lives.
Warning
-
Three-alarm fires are catastrophic and can be deadly. As with all fires, make sure everyone finds the nearest safe exit, get away from the area as quickly as possible and then call for help. Aside from the flames, one has to be concerned with smoke inhalation, as breathing in large amounts of carbon monoxide can also be lethal. In 2007, there were over 1.5 million fires total that resulted in over 3,400 deaths.
-
