Crisis averted…

We learned something new about our alarm service this weekend. Apparently we’re what you might call super-monitored.

On our way out the door on Saturday evening, Toddler 2 decided to tap a new button on our alarm panel. Now, we’ve accidentally set the alarm off at least twice before and, therefore, know the protocol on canceling one. We just wait for the call from the company that monitors it, give them our password, and all is well. But, the button Toddler 2 tapped on Saturday was a very special button. Instead of an alarm sounding, the panel just made a short, strange beep and flashed an “A” for a few seconds. So, assuming this just meant something about a zone somewhere in the house, the Spouse waited a few seconds and then activated the system as usual as we headed on out the door.

We were still in the driveway when the Spouse noticed (and ignored) a call from an 800 number on his phone. A few seconds passed, and then an 800 number popped up on my phone. Thinking it was probably a sales call, I answered and was greeted by a man at the ADT call center that monitors our home just letting me know that a medical call had gone out from our address AND that an ambulance was on its way.

Whoops.

Of course, I quickly explained that our two-year-old had accidentally tapped a button on the alarm and that we just needed to cancel the whole thing. So, the ADT man verified our information and told me he would put a call in to let the local ambulance service know NOT to respond.

With that presumably taken care of, we went on our merry way…

Well, we pulled out of our subdivision and got about a mile down the road when we saw an ambulance–lights on and siren blaring–speeding toward us as cars veered out of its way. Now, this is not an unusual sight on this particular road because we live very near a nursing home. However, the timing did seem a little too coincidental. For the next half mile or so, the Spouse and I discussed whether or not the responsible thing to do might be to turn around and head back to the house for a second in the unlikely event that the ambulance was in fact going to our address. Reluctantly, we did just that.

Good thing.

Because… we’re headed back and almost at our turn when we noticed a fire truck coming from the other direction–lights on, siren blaring–turning into our subdivision of approximately seven inhabited houses. Chances were not likely that a REAL medical emergency requiring first responders was happening elsewhere on our quiet street.

As we pull up to our house, there sits the ambulance in the driveway (lights still on), the firetruck is pulled up to our front curb (lights still on), one paramedic has gone through our gate and is scurrying around the backyard, and another paramedic is at our front door with a stretcher ready. Yes, the stretcher was out and ready.

So, I fly out of the car and embarrassedly explain to the paramedic at our door that this whole situation is a false alarm caused by our two-year-old hitting the little red button on the alarm panel.

And, then she says: “I understand. But, it’s a good thing you got here when you did because we were getting ready to do a forced entry.”

A what?! Are you kidding me?

“Well, we saw the toys inside and figured children lived here, but you just never know what could be going on inside. So, we were getting ready to go in.”

Yes… a few more seconds and they had every intention (and every means) of busting the door down.

Given Toddler 1’s fragility about any and all things violent, I don’t think coming home to an ax in the front door would have been one of her fonder childhood memories.

Good grief.

The Spouse and I are neither one very comfortable making a scene or causing a stir, and we were feeling pretty embarrassed by this whole fiasco and the inconveniences we had caused. Meanwhile, though, the real culprit–Toddler 2–was not a bit aware of or ashamed by her ability to needlessly summon the county’s first responders in record time. She was, instead, very interested in the “fire-twuck” that was mysteriously hanging out on our street. (The firemen were very nice and made a special point to drive up beside us and wave).

Oh, the mixture of curiosity and innocence can be dangerous… or at least disruptive.

One thing’s for sure. We came out of this weekend with a greater respect for the attentive, professional, and extremely prompt first responders that serve this area. They were on the ball and ready to serve.

We also walk away from the weekend with a new respect for the little red button on our alarm… it’s (very) powerful and (very) effective. 🙂