Wish fulfilled

Hurray!!! It finally happened. And I am thrilled.

I pulled the fire alarm.

I was on the phone talking about Windows Power Shell with a friend. It was about 4PM and my roommates were away. Omkara, Guru and Woh Lamhe songs were playing in background when I smelled something burning. My immediate reaction was "Now, what did I leave in the stove?" When I realized that it wasn't coming from my house, I stopped winamp and could hear a fire alarm from a neighbor's house. After waiting 2-3 minutes, I noticed that the entire corridor was getting foggy. That was when I decided to pull the alarm.

Here, the main alarms (for the entire building) have a plastic safety cover. I just opened the cover to pull the fire alarm, and it immediately went off. I was initially confused that the alarm went off by just opening the safety cover. Then I realized that it was just an indicator for an open safety cover. Finally, I pulled the alarm inside and then, just like that, the alarms all over the building went off.

I nervously exited the building, hoping I had done the correct thing. Slowly, one by one, people started coming out and many themselves were mentioning the smell from the 2nd floor. I relaxed, called up few people to brag about my achievement while fire-fighters (Ladder 19) came and did their job. It was hardly 15 minutes before everything was over and we could get back inside.

I went to the second floor and a police officer was waiting there. I told him I pulled the alarm and he said I did the right thing by doing so. Someone from my adjacent apartment had left something on the stove.

I had been waiting to do something like this for about 2.5 years. I am very happy that I finally got to do it.

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