Final answer:
The alarm described is called the 'General Alarm'. It is sounded to notify the ship's company of a flight deck emergency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The alarm described in the question is commonly known as the 'General Alarm'.
The General Alarm is sounded by either the OOD (Officer of the Deck) or the PreFly to notify the ship's company of a pending or actual flight deck emergency. It is typically used in situations where there is uncertainty over whether a serious fire or hazard awaits after the alarm, indicating potential for extreme physical danger.
Examples of similar alarms can be found in literature, such as in the description of a fire alarm in a poem by Walt Whitman:
The ring of alarm-bells, the cry of fire, the whirr of swift-streaking engines and hose-carts with premonitory tinkles and color'd lights,
The steam-whistle, the solid roll of the train of approaching cars