Someone had inadvertently leaned against the the fire alarm box at the top of the stairs in the Fellowship Center and when they stood up it set off the alarm. This alarm is located just outside the 5th/6th grade classroom. Now don't go jumping to any conclusions . . . even if they are correct conclusions.
Our fire alarm system is with AEC Monitoring who is set up to call the property manager (me) first. Then if I don't answer they immediately call the fire department. They called me at home but for some reason I didn't answer. (The reason is that I was at church). When they called me at church my cell phone rang twice but by the time I answered they were on to the next phone call in our list of numbers to call. It may have rung more than twice but with the alarm blaring it was a little hard to hear. Everett Crowell was by the fire alarm control box silencing the alarm, giving directions and aiding in getting things back to normal. Steve Goodman helped roam the building trying to locate the source of the alarm. Thanks, guys.
Surprisingly, Mark Shew came forward with the location of the fire alarm box that was the source of the chaos. No one was surprised that Mark Shew was nearby when it happened. Everyone was surprised it wasn't Mark that pulled it. I still don't know who did it and it doesn't matter. It was an accident. Donnie Bowman is the teacher of the 5th/6th grade boys class. If you really want to know who leaned on the alarm - and if you give a thousand dollars to our parking lot fund - you can ask Donnie.
LESSONS TO LEARN: One lesson we need to learn from our first annual fire drill (. . . just kidding) is everyone needs to leave the building immediately. Don't sit and finish eating your first three donuts, don't block the door to the children's room trying to get your child (let the teachers lead them out as a group), don't debate whether or not it is a false alarm. Leave the building. When we know it is a false alarm we can reset the alarm. The fire department will give us the OK, we will reenter the building and Dustin can carry in his two 5 gallon buckets. Wait - that was the previous week.
THANKS! I really appreciate everyone who tried to get the information to me about the fire alarm box's location, those who helped guide people out of the building, and everyone who checked to see that the building was clear.
WORK PROJECT #1: One of the jobs I need help with is replacing weak batteries in emergency lighting - these lights come on if there is a power failure - like during a fire. Also there are 6 exit lights that need batteries replaced so they would function during a power outage. If this is a job you are willing to do, contact me. I can use your help. I've also got about 183 other jobs I need help doing. If you are looking for a way to contribute and desire to serve the Lord, call me at 217 732-9294 extension 112.
May God bless us as we endeavor to serve Him.
Keith
