Firefighter told me I shouldn't have called.

[u/PhilosopherFull819]

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.

[u/ImpactHorror3293]

99% of our calls are "smells & bells", but we treat everyone as if it's gonna be a job, because the one time you don't, you'll have smoke pushing out the eves. We're a volunteer company with 2 stipend guys on during the day M - F and would never treat a resident like this. Not even when we answer a call to our mutual aid town next door who's company rarely gets out for alarms with "nothing showing" reported to Central (dispatch) by the caller. We try to evaluate the cause of the false alarm and even hang a new 10-year combo alarm if it seems to be a defective unit, bad battery, or if we have to put a hardwired system into test mode until a tech can get there to fix it. And always explain that they should never feel bad for calling, even if they believe it's a false alarm.

 I'd hate to be that guy if he pulled that crap then got called back to assist the EMS for a mass C0 casualty event two hours later or go to the same place at a later date because someone pulled the battery but didn't see or smell that smoke the detector picked up when the wind blew just right during the initial stage of what later turns out to be a fully Involved job called in by a passer-by that turns into a fatal. Sounds like somebody made a bad career choice or volunteered just for the T-shirts and bragging rights. The kinda guys/gals we always answer to their perpetual stupid comments with the phrase "Okay, hero" and cringe when they're on the attack line with us because we know they're gonna rabbit the first time he/she feels slightly uncomfortable 5 minutes into an interior attack. (I think we all know he's "that guy" just by how he treated the OP.)
  He's not a firefighter,  just so you know, OP.... he's a "whacker" who makes us ALL look bad. And probably a Lieutenant!!!, lol (Just kidding, LT's are born solely to take crap from everyone, in the Fire service, Police, EMT & ESPECIALLY Military, they all get their stones busted at all times 😅😂🤣. 

Stay safe!!!