Posted: Wednesday, 08 August 2012 8:57AM

Alert at World Trade Center draws fire crews



NEW YORK (Reuters) - Scores of firefighters rushed to 1 World Trade Center early on Wednesday for what turned out to be a possible welding mishap on the 88th floor, the New York City Fire Department said.

The emergency call at 7:42 a.m. EDT sent more than 84 firefighters from 26 units to the building, which is under construction and unoccupied, said Matthew Coppetto, spokesman for the fire department. It was soon declared under control.

"There are reports now that there might not have been a fire," Coppetto said. "It was a possible welding condition."

The massive "all hands" response by firefighters is standard for calls involving high-rise buildings, Coppetto said, and is not a procedure that was implemented in the wake of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.

1 World Trade Center is under construction as part of a larger project to rebuild the complex that was destroyed in the attacks.

Story & Photos Copyright 2012 Reuters

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