some assistant fire warden

i decided to go to bed early tonight. at 9:30, i packed it in and was probably sleeping by 10. about fifteen minutes ago, i was awoken by the shrieks of the building's fire alarm. i should be thankful that: a) they work; and b) i heard them. i got up, wandered to the window to see if i could see fire or smoke. i then wandered out to the livingroom window to get a better view. then, i checked just outside my front door. i peeked around the corner and saw a neighbour trying to press the smoke alarm. he saw me, shrugged and walked away. i spent the next five minutes trying to find my ear plugs and hemming and hawing about whether to phone 911 or just our property manager. then, i got dressed, grabbed my cell phone and wallet and keys and wandered down the hall. i met up with my neighbour who said she couldn't find her cat and that we should mosey on outside. i could see a firetruck outside the window.

we get to the ground floor and open the lobby door and there are four firefighters, fiddling with the sprinkler panel (all about 6'3" in their uniforms but none to write home about). outside, a handful of neighbours stood. i thought to myself, "huh. i guess i should take these things seriously, even if i know it's just the sprinklers malfunctioning."

it's comforting to know that i really am calm in these types of situations. but perhaps a sense of urgency is needed when it comes to fire safety. thank goodness i live in a lowrise.

hopefully, i can get back to sleep.