Washington’s City Hall was evacuated shortly before 2 p.m. Wednesday after an alarm sounded, indicating a possible fire, but city fire officials determined it was a false alarm.

Firefighters/EMTs and fire-fighting apparatus from both Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS stations responded to City Hall. Because the three-story building (not including its basement) is in the city’s central business district, the fire department’s ladder truck with its aerial platform responded, as it does to other alarms at tall structures in the city.

Fire personnel, wearing protective gear and oxygen tanks, performed a floor-by-floor walk-through of City Hall before determining there was no danger to employees and others in the building when the alarm sounded.