It must have been a slow day at Station 21

We live just around the corner from a fire station, the second to be established in our town. We often hear sirens as the medics and fire fighters rush to an emergency.

I always wonder whose life has been inexorably altered at that moment. 

It was built just a few years ago, and a several-stories-high training structure was erected in the back lot, so fire fighters from all over the area come here to train. 

This morning, I was working on arranging a number for my senior choir, enjoying the challenge and feeling good because I was ahead of schedule, when every single smoke alarm in my house started blaring. 

It was unnerving.

After I had inspected the premises and determined that there was no smoke, no itty-bitty flame to be found anywhere, I called the fire department. 

About ten minutes later (lucky I wasn't on fire), a small truck pulled up and parked on the road. A couple of hunky dudes, all geared up, came sauntering up the driveway and into the house. 

Just as well I had been tidying up all morning, although our bed was unmade in our messy bedroom. 

Embarrassing.

They checked all of the alarms and were soon joined by another, who seemed to be slightly higher in the hierarchy because he immediately took charge.

I do love a bossy man in fire gear, don't you? 

They removed all of the detectors from their brackets and played around with them for a while and still couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Well, I said, the one in the hallway is about thirty years old.

That impressed them. 

It's not working at all, said number one.

He turned over one of the four newer ones and read aloud, Replace by the year 2005.

Oops!

But still, none of the detectors were acting as he expected.

Maybe because they were almost as old as him.

Are you stark raving jealous?????

Number one apologized after about half an hour of head shaking and bemusement.
I'm so confused, he said, I've never seen this before.
The detectors howled with their batteries in and no electricity.
They even howled with them out.
What is going on? I thought, Phantom electrical impulses?
They howled when they were plugged into their electrical outlet, whether the batteries were in or not.
It was a mystery.
It's okay, I said, I'll just go buy new ones.

So I did!

P.S. I have to say that these men were so dad-gummed sweet and helpful (did I already mention that they were hunky?) that I just might put some money in the boot next time they're raising funds on the street corner.