Fabulous Firemen

On Friday morning our carbon monoxide detector starting beeping around 7:15 am. My husband and I tracked the beeping to the furnace room - not an easy task as it is difficult to isolate where the noise is coming from given that it beeps obnoxiously once every minute or so. I changed the batteries but it kept beeping. In reading the instructions on the detector, it indicates that if the device keeps beeping you should call 911 because you have a carbon monoxide leak.

We opened all the doors to the house and called 911. "Fire, Ambulance or Police?" Fire. I was connected to the Fire Department and a kind voice told me to wake up the kids, put their coats on and head outside, closing all doors. My children cooperated and within 5 minutes a large red fire truck showed up with four firemen inside. Three of them entered the house with their carbon monoxide detectors and the fourth invited my children to explore inside the fire truck. Wide-eyed they complied and were obviously awestruck by the size of the truck and the kindness of the fireman.

Once we received the all clear, I was told to buy two new carbon monoxide detectors because the one that was beeping had malfunctioned due to age. The four firemen then engaged my children in conversation, asking them about hockey, sharing some stories, then wishing them a good day.

My children went to school with a story to tell their classmates and I went to work thinking what great people firemen are.