On November 21, 2003, I received a page to my phone that turned out to be my
Xanboo web-based service notifying me of smoke detection at my
storage/office unit. I subsequently went to their website where I indeed
could see pictures of the smoke in my 3600 sq ft unit. Unfortunately, I
didn't notice the page until four hours after it arrived and I was called by
a friend advising me of a fire. The fire burned for 8 hours before it was
declared under control. The entire 400'x45' structure and contents were a
total loss. Even had I called the fire department immediately upon
receiving the page, the outcome may not have been any different if the Fire
Marshall's theory that the fire started in an adjacent unit was correct.
OTOH, the insurance company's fire investigator thought the fire started in
my unit in which case a call to the FD may have made a difference. See
http://www.brimfieldfire.com/brimfield_inferno.htm
My previous fire occurred Feb. 21, 2001 when my house burned to the ground.
My pre-arrangement with the neighbor apparently wasn't explicit enough. I
assumed my instructions were clear that when the fire siren goes off someone
should call the VFD. The stupid neighbor actually watched the glow of the
fire while listening to the siren and only when a propane tank 10 feet from
the house exploded did she call a neighbor to ask "What should I do?
Unfortunately, it was too late by that time.
Needless to say, I am now a firm believer in monitored systems. Anything
less is a waste of money. And don't assume insurance will cover all your
loss. I lost tens of thousands of dollars. I'm considering retrofitting my
new home with automatic sprinklers.
Jim
