A loud, ringing bell installed in fire stations to alert crews to a dispatch, or mounted on apparatus as an audible warning device. While electronic sirens and digital dispatch tones have largely replaced mechanical bells for primary alerting, many departments retain them for tradition or as secondary warning devices in heavy traffic.
Heard on the job
The firebell hit just as we were sitting down for dinner, sending everyone running for the bay.
Insider tip
In older stations, the specific sequence of bell strikes dictated exactly where the fire was located based on the box alarm system.
Also heard as
- gong
- alarm bell