Alarm companies these days afford all kinds of security and the ability of one button summoning of emergency services. Similar to ringing a bell to have your butler run into the room.
THE EMERGENCY
An alarm company has called stating that a resident has activated the "fire" panic button and there is no answer on call back.
THE ACTION
Companies arrive to the swanky neighborhood noting no smoke and no fire showing. On investigation they are met by the homeowner, who is in her day robe, and find the source of the alarm. It's not fire. It's not smoke. It's not burnt food or a strange odor. She leads the first in engine to the basement where a smoke detector is chirping, indicating it needs a new 9 volt battery.
"You change these, right?"
We're floored. The glances to each other speak volumes and then the boss, an almost 30 year veteran began to giggle. Giggling, as you know, is contagious and we were all soon giggling while walking back out.
The resident was convinced that the button on the alarm panel with the little flame on it was to summon the fire department for any reason.
"Who is going to change the battery? I don't know how to do that?"
Not one of use could face her for the fear of bursting into complete laughter, which we did shortly after clearing the scene.
Comments
http://www.marinwoodfire.org/content/Community%20Services/100014
http://www.mtlfd.org/index.php?page=smoke-detectors
http://www.dvfassn.com/wakeupdelaware.cfm
http://www.fairfaxva.gov/FireSafety/FreeSmokeDetectors.asp
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20081111/ALTOONA01/81109013/0/ALTOONA05
http://www.morristwp.com/dept_fire_detector.asp
http://www.townofmountpleasant.com/index.cfm?section=14&page=2&mesg=art426.
This was a member of the public who I'm sure may pay property tax of which a small part does go to fire service, I don't think she writes any firefighters paychecks.
Now I hope Realfighterfigher knows that one of the most dangerous parts of a firefighters job is responding Code-3 to an emergency or in this case, something that a normal phone call could have resolved and if needed could have been a Code-2 service call.
Now I understand smoke detectors and a *very* important live saving device, but I an so sick of peoples complete ignorance being encouraged.
Signed, a member of the public who does not want a $100,000 fire engine with 4 full time employees wasted on a call to install a 9 volt battery.