Bahtatboy

...you actually take heed of the "PLEASE EVACUATE THE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY" plus klaxon of your building's fire alarm system? Mine goes off at least once a week (that I know of), and usually stops after less than a minute. Last night (at about 4am) it went on for about 5 mins--I was just about to set off for 88 flights of stairs when it stopped.

What's perhaps really worrying is how the alarm was turned off...

weasel decentral

88 flights of stairs as in the 44th floor? Is it possible to get one of those keys that operate the fireman's lift (if that exists in your building?).

Bahtatboy

Correctomundo.
Haven't seen a fireman's lift (thought that was a sex position), but I bet the normal lifts would still be operating. Would be tempting to use one

shiva

reason no. 434 of why i dont live in an apartment block


a couple of weeks ago we were in dubai mall when the alarms were going off, everybody ignored them and on speaking to security it was clear they had no idea what was going on, turned out there actually was a fire.........doesnt bear thinking about really

weasel decentral

It may also be a sex position but I don't tend to have sex with firemen. What I meant was one normal lift sometimes has a outer recall that overrides the fire alarm recall to the ground floor. (if they are recalled)

littlejimmy

Especially when you consider what happened at Villagio in Doha.

auzdafluff

I tend to consider what time it goes off. If it's around dinner time, I'll wait because chances are it's one of my inconsiderate neighbours not closing their kitchen door as they're cooking.

However, if it's in the morning, then I'll probably pop out of bed at the very least and go and see if there's smoke inside or outside the building.

Way I figure it is, if there's no smoke, I can wait five minutes.

But I'm moving to a ground floor apartment in five days, so no more concerns about that for me.

the_red_sheep

I've been 2.5 years in the same apartment and the fire alarm has never once gone off, or for that matter been tested or checked (certainly the detectors no my apartment haven't) as far as I know. On that basis if it did start I'd probably get out reasonable sharpish.

The Dean

Ground floor apartment?? You're right - no need to worry about fires etc......

........ just burglars.........

OriginalSunshine

If I was on the 44th, I'd bring a book and just wait in the stairwell until it was obvious it was going to keep going. Just in case it was real.

auzdafluff

True, but the top of the balcony's edge is a good 8ft off the floor.

Plus, burglars? In Dubai? Pfft

scrubbedexpat141

I've had it once. I'm on 41st floor. Alarm went off, started going down stairs and it took me a full 4.5 minutes to get to level 25 before it stopped.

Kids smashing alarms. *****