Something went *BEEEEP* *BEEEEP* in the night

[nate1865]

So my wife and I are in bed, and all of the sudden the fire alarm starts wailing. *BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP**BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP**BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP**BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP*

My wife jumps up and runs down the hall to get the baby. I reach for the phone and grab my robe. Then, the fire alarm stops. My wife came back to our room and we look at each other bewildered. Then, it started up again!

*BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP**BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP**BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP**BEEEEEP* *BEEEEEEP*

My wife runs back to the baby's room, ready to grab him. I'm starting to dial and grab the fire extinguisher. The fire alarm stops again.

So, now I'm thinking - what (besides fire) would cause it to go off? The pattern sounded similar to when I have tested the system in the past. Lately, we've had some gang activity nearby, my neighbor had two cars stolen, and another neighbor had their house robbed WHILE THEY WERE HOME, so I was concerned that someone may be in the house and setting of the fire alarm system to draw us out of our locked rooms, get us out of the house, or do who knows what.

So, my adrenaline is at %110 BAC. I grab my Glock 23, and clear the house for fire, intruders, etc. I check every nook and cranny, every window, every door. Nothing. No fire, no BG, just a lot of adrenaline pumping and some lost sleep.

So my only conclusion is that it must have been dirty fire sensors. Looks like I have a cleaning project on my hands.

[smooks75]

something similar happened to us a few months ago. It was the smoke alarm in my office! I replaced batteries and no more problem. Even my big dog was rather interested, but was not aware of that sound.....so barking dog...Glock 19 and wife with pistol in bedroom.....all is well!

[PythonGuy]

What the hell does this have to do with guns, training or tactic's???? Dumbest thing you did was clear the house yourself, what happened to our backbones that we have to go armed to investigate every noise we hear?? Gang activity, sleep behind locked doors, YOU are living in jail man. Whats next, roll call before bedcheck? How the hell you guys live like this under these conditions amazes me.

[springmom]

Fire alarms do that sometimes. Relax. Take a deep breath, and dust your alarms. (And change the batteries if you haven't in awhile.) :eek:

Springmom

[smooks75]

But....you took the time to respond! Don't waste your breath next time.

[nate1865]

Don't be so quick to judge. :)

Most parents I know like to sleep with their doors locked for privacy. As for living in a jail, I live in a neighborhood with nice houses, not too far from some tougher neighborhoods.

You know, if more people chose to stay in neighborhoods and fight to get rid of the criminal element encroaching on them instead of fleeing to the country, there would be fewer bad neighborhoods and more criminals in jail.

BTW - I wasn't panicked or in fear of my life, just sent into supercharged mode with the alarm going off and wanted to be prepared for all things possible.

[smooks75]

We should not have to feal that we must entertain the "why" for our responses to different things. I will move around my home, armed or not and in any damn way I want. When I hear something out of the norm in or around my home, I become the baddest a## in the dark! I think your response was justified and thank you for teaching your family the rules of safty and preparedness. Thanks for listening.

Smooks

[PythonGuy]

I'm not telling you how to live, I'm jusr opining that living in fear of everyting is not the way I want to live. Walk around in combat fatigues with grenades if you wish. I'm not naive, there are times when extreme caution is necessary, just not ALL the time. Shoot for fun and relax a little, you'll live longer. Stress is much more of a real threat, then all the boogiemen you live in fear of. And Smooks, I never asked "the why", I just voiced my opinion.

[thebaldguy]

Use a vacuum cleaner on them once in a while.

[Jason607]

Did you have the change your underwear afterwards, I know I would have. I remember one time, windows open one summer caused a draft that slammed a door, it woke me up and all I heard was "BAM" I thought it was going down, this was it, I might be dead in a few seconds, or might have just killed someone. It's a nasty, scary feeling.

add/edit:

I was happy afterwards that I responded the way I did. Because I grabbed the gun a second after waking up. I have always worried in the moment, I would forget the weapon.

[Axion]

Many smoke detectors will sound off in short bursts to let you know the battery is getting low.

[jfrey123]

+1 axion

Once a CO2 detector went off in my parent's old home, same way: beeped for about 20 sec then turned off... repeated every couple minutes. We evacuated and called the fire dept from the neighbors. They came out, tested the house and came up with nothing on their scanners. They told us to replace the battery, but that we did the right thing by evacuating and calling them to check... That's what they're there for.

[PythonGuy]

You did the right thing jfrey123, you responded to the alarm, you didn't shoot it! Or check for carbon monoxide killers that might have set it off to lure you out. :D