How do Fire Departments choose their station & apparatus numbers?

How to Fire Departments decide what numbers to give their apparatus? Is it by the amount of each vehicle they have?





ex: If they have three engines (en 1, en 2, en 3)





Or do they do it another way? I've seen some Fire Departments with apparatus numbered much higher. ex: en 81, en 83, en 85


These Fire Departments are small, with only two or three stations.How do Fire Departments choose their station %26amp; apparatus numbers?
This answer could be a book but I'll try to hit the high points. There is set way that this is done it will vary from dept to dept.


Larger depts tend to number apparatus in terms of the station that they are assigned to. Ex engine and ladder one would be assigned to Station 1. Each new station would get the next available number. Some cities name their stations, and them number the apparartus. Some departments number the station then have completely different numbers on the apparatus.


Sometimes in smaller depts the numbers may be different. For example the the trucks at station 1 might be numbered 11, 12 and 13 etc Trucks from station two would be 21, 22, 23 etc. The first number designating the station and the second the truck.


The 81, 83, etc numbers that you mentioned could be a rural county station. The station might be known as Whatever Volunteer Fire Dept but might be dispatched as station 8.


Some depts and this tends to be volunteer county depts will have three numbers. The first number designating the station number, the second the type of apparatus and the third the number. For example if station eight has two pumpers the number might be 821 and 822. 8 would designate the station, 2 might be the number for pumpers and then the number of the truck. Hope this helps.