Our condo building has a fancy notification system in all of the units to alert us to fire, etc. As strobe lights start flashing through the building, a LOUD voice comes over the speakers (one of which is directly over our bed) repeating that "an emergency has been reported in the building" and that we should all exit using the stairs -- you know, the standard routine. It's the same voice and recording as in my office building.
The problem is it was going off last Monday evening when I got home. Jason and Rachel were already home. I walked to the lobby, and it didn't appear that the front desk guy was too panicky - except to get the system turned off. I went upstairs and we stood on our balcony where the noise wasn't as loud and waited as the fire department checked things out.
Fast forward to this 1 a.m. today for a repeat. Yeah, how's that for an alarm clock?! In the middle of the night! Although I did worry a bit that it was real (enough to exchange my pajamas for my workout clothes in case I did leave the building), I was mostly just tired and annoyed and assumed it was another fake. Rachel and I watched out our balcony door as the fire truck unfurled its hose and connected to the fire hydrant (this had me a bit concerned). But, when a second truck arrived and didn't do anything, I was pretty sure we had another false alarm. Jason went outside to investigate, but didn't learn anything.
After 20 minutes, the intercom system turned off. A few minutes after that, the hoses were packed up and the trucks gone. A few minutes after that, I was back in bed. But how can you sleep after that?!
