So, I live in a secure building, which means we have interior hallways and locked exterior doors. I like it because I feel really safe. We have other safety measures in our individual apartments as well. For example, we have these awesome, loud, super annoying fire alarms.
I have had several opportunities to be assured of the usefulness of these detectors and alarms in the three and a half years I've lived here. One night, I was yanked from bed to the shrill siren only to find that some "idiot teenagers down the hall" thought it was funny to pull the alarm, as my neighbor said.
The good thing about these late night drills is that I get to meet my neighbors. No, I have not been interested in knocking on doors and making friends...though, that would be less jarring I think! Pretty much the only time I talk with the three neighbors I recognize as living in my building (which has something like 42 apartments) is when we are standing bewildered in the parking lot looking for smoke and flames.
About a week ago, I was in my living room (luckily wearing shorts and a t-shirt, not just my bed clothes like last time!). I had just finished Skyping with my dad when the alarm sounded. As with all things like that, my heart started pumping and I went into panic mode. I grabbed Zuzu and a sweatshirt and took off for the door. I figured it wouldn't be anything, but when I opened my door to step out, the hallway was filled with white smoke. I gasped out loud, locked my door, and hauled it down the stairs and outside.
Imagine my shock when I ran into the parking lot to find myself alone. Really? Our building was on fire! Though, when I walked around to the other entrance someone asked me if it smelled like smoke inside. As I thought about it, I realized that it had not in fact had any smokey scent. My next thought was "If this was a movie, that white cloud in the hallway would be COCAINE!" Of course, I knew it wasn't a movie and couldn't possibly be thousands of dollars worth of drugs floating around in there. Though, that would have made this story infinitely cooler.
After 20 minutes and three calls to the fire department, a truck finally arrived. Here's the best part... Remember those key required exterior doors? Yeah, fireman don't have keys. They had to ask one of the displaced evacuees to let them in. We were finally cleared to back in to find the powdery "smoke" all over the carpeted hallway. Zu was very interested in it, but some very opinionated neighbors informed me (and anyone in a two block radius) that the "smoke" had been residue from the employment of a fire extinguisher. Who knew?
I realized after this traumatic(ish) event that I am not good in high stress life or death situations. I mean, I was wearing shorts and flip flops! Also, I totaly missed taking my 72 hour kit sitting inside the doorway, my car keys, or...my cell phone. So, aside from the very delayed reaction time of the fire department and my own scatter-brainedness, I am back to feeling safe and drug free in my apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment