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Good Question: 'Reply All': Fire Alarms, Parking Meters & PSY

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – We'll start off with this question from Randy In Sauk Rapids: In light of the recent apartment fire in Uptown known as a 'three alarm fire', I was wondering what constitutes a three alarm fire?

A lot of people think a three-alarm fire means that three different firehouses sent units, but that's not exactly right. The first call for response is the first alarm.

When they call for more units, that's the second alarm. And when they call for units again, that's the third alarm.

In Minneapolis, the typical first alarm response to a building fire is three engine companies (smaller trucks), one ladder company (larger trucks), one heavy rescue company, and two battalion chiefs.

Hank from St. Paul asked: What happened to all the old parking meters?

Well, Hank, there's not much of a market for the old meters. Since some 7,000 of them were removed from Minneapolis streets, they've been seen on eBay selling for $25. Many were also given away as souvenirs. Some of them were just thrown away.

If you were hoping to not hear 'Gangnam Style' in 2013, I'm about to ruin it for you. Mark Watson wanted to know: What is PSY's real name?

PSY is a stage name for Park Jae-Sang. The Korean overnight sensation told the BBC he came up with the name PSY from psycho – as in: he's crazy about music, dance and performing.

Crazy, indeed.

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