Fire Drill

When the alarm went off this morning, I didn't think it was our building because I heard it coming from outside (and in the past, the siren and message boomed from inside the loft). It sounded like the PA system at City Hall and I assumed there was some excitement over there today.

As I stuck my head into the hallway to double check that it wasn't my building, my neighbor was doing the same and we agreed, "It must be us." By the time I packed up the cats in their carriers and pulled on a sweater, I thought I smelled smoke. We left the building through the attached parking garage, went around the block and parked at the other end of the block and waited for the Fire truck to leave . . . which it did in pretty quick order.

I'm sure I'll be told by our property management that it was just a kitchen problem in one of the lofts (as usual), but I'm really curious to find out why our alarm system failed and the announcement to vacate immediately was only broadcast OUTSIDE the building. Sigh . . .

Update

I was told that it was it was a smoke alarm in the basement and a false alarm. I rode down in th elevator with the new maintenance guy who said to me, "at least we know the alarm system works" . . . except it didn't. The property manager told me that he didn't see anyone evacuating above the third floor and came to the conclusion that the alarm system isn't work in most of the building. Great news, huh?