r/Firefighting • u/PhilosopherFull819 • May 29 '25

Ask A Firefighter Firefighter told me I shouldn't have called.

The smoke detector was going off from the car port underneath the garage apartments behind the 4plex I live in. I walked outside and saw no smoke or fire and found the detector. I mulled over reaching up and disabling it myself but I opted to err on the side of caution and report it. A truck pulled up minutes later and I showed the guys what I saw. The tallest one reached up and pulled it off and took out the battery. Another one got angry and said that I should "grow up" and "feel embarrassed" for calling. To which I replied I didn't want to turn off the alarm without confirming there was no danger that I couldn't see myself and thanked them and told them to have a nice day and they left. I imaging he was stressed and tired but can't help feeling like I did something wrong.

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u/YaBoiOverHere May 29 '25

That guy was absolutely right. Not sure I would have said what he said, but he is right.

3

u/spartankent May 29 '25

He’s right to inform the OP that it wasn’t an emergency. He’s right to use this as an opportunity to teach OP about what is and isn’t an emergency call. He’s right if he tells OP this is something your landlord or maintenance personnel should handle. He’s not right to be a dick about it and try to admonish OP over it like a child. Professionalism matters, especially for public support.

At the end of the day, we are civil servants. That’s our job. It’s pretty easy to lose funding and all it takes is public opinion to sway the wrong way about us. So, not only is it the right thing to be more professional than this dude, but it’s practical as well. It’s fine to be a bit stern. It’s not okay to act like a dick.

We used to get the same apartment complex literally 2 times a day (at least) for either a stuck elevator or an alarm system. EVERY. SINGLE. SHIFT. At least twice. And always on the 6th, 7th or 8th floor.

We never acted like ass holes to the tenants of the place. We gave the maintenance guys a stern talking, because they were the ones who had failed to do their duties. But not the tenants. They don’t know any better.

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u/YaBoiOverHere May 29 '25

Yeah that’s what I’m saying.