College dorms, apartment houses (four engine, rescue, or truck companies and Battalion One or Battalion Three) Structure fires, including any report of smoke in a building (four engine, rescue, or truck companies, and Battalion One or Battalion Three) Business or commercial fires (four engines, rescue, or truck companies, and Battalion One or Battalion Three)
Communications operators may dispatch additional equipment to a ‘fire alarm’ at the onset upon direction of an incident commander without increasing the level of the alarm (Example: Safety Officer) Dispatch of ‘fire alarms’ will follow procedures set forth in the section covering ‘still alarms’, except that the ‘fire alarm’ announcement will be made (See example, SOP600.6 – Dispatching Examples) Communications operators will access the computer data file on all dispatches and stand ready to provide supplemental information to responding units. Communications operators will dedicate their attention to responding units until arrival at the scene and are to cease telephone answering or radio testing until the alarm is stabilized. Communications operators should be ready to advance the alarm level at the direction of the Incident Commander and to supply service as directed. A police district officer will be dispatched. Back-up police units may also be required for traffic control. The ambulance service will be notified for standby once incident command has confirmed a working fire or at any time a safety officer is requested or directed by Standard Operating Procedure. The Red Cross will be notified for all confirmed structure fires. A SFFR chaplain will be notified for all confirmed structure fires.
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