Constructed in 1910, the old Adelaide Street Alarm office and HQ sat next to the old Adelaide Street fire hall at 152 Adelaide Street West. The station served as Toronto's fire headquarters until 1971. You hear the number of alarms all the time, but what exactly do these numbered alarms really mean?
Toronto Fire Services break it down to this way:
If it's downtown or involves a high rise building, a high rise truck is used.
If it's a working fire a heavy rescue squad is called in plus an air supply truck, which provides breathing cylinders.
Note: these numbers are only meant to be a guide and fire officials pointed out that different blazes need different responses, so the amount of equipment and number of crew that are get called out for these staged responses do vary.
1st Alarm:
- 2 pumpers, 1 aerial truck
- 1 district chief
2nd Alarm:
- 5 pumpers, 2 aerials, 1 squad, 1 hazardous materials truck, 1 air supply vehicle, 1 incident command vehicle
- 2 district chiefs, 1 platoon chief
3rd Alarm:
- 8 pumpers, 3 aerials, 1 squad, 1 air lights, 1 hazard, 1 command vehicle
- 3 district chiefs, 1 platoon, 1 division commander
4th Alarm:
- 11 pumpers, 4 aerials, 1 squad, 1 air supply vehicle, 1 hazardous materials truck, 1 command vehicle,
- 4 district chiefs, 1 platoon, 1 division commander
5th Alarm:
- 14 pumpers, 5 aerials, 1 command vehicles, 2 air supply trucks, 1 hazardous materials vehicles
- 5 district chiefs, 1 platoon, 2 squads, 1 division commander
- Other support staff as required
6th Alarm:
- 17 pumpers, 6 aerials, 1 command vehicle, 2 air supply truck, 1 hazardous materials truck
- 2 squads, 6 district chiefs, 1 platoon, 1 division commander
7th Alarm:
- 20 pumpers, 7 aerials, 1 command vehicle, 2 air supply trucks, 1 hazardous materials.
- 2 squads, 7 district chiefs, 1 platoon, 1 division commander
