It SUCKS when those things go off for no reason, well I guess it would suck more if they went off WITH reason.
My DW, brother, DD and I arrive home one night. We get out to hear the smoke alarms going off. Well, we run in (yes, stupid), because our dog is in the house. DW lets the dog out while I start looking for smoke/fire. Nothing. DW calls her dad, he says don't call the fire dept, you'll get charged. I'm thinking, then why do I pay taxes? So we call the non-emergency number. This is like 11:30pm, DD is out in the tahoe with my brother, and I'm trying to figure out how to get the darn things to turn off.
DW gets off the phone, fire department is sending someone. I'm like cool, I'll wait out front. I hear the distinctive sound of the engine from the fire truck coming down the street, and then I see the lights flashing. Ah no, here we go. The neighbors will form the gossip circle, cept this time WE are the ones they will talk about.
The fire engine pulls up in front of the house, guys get out and start pulling some equipment, things like pokers and items designed to tear down houses. I look down the street, and a 2nd engine is waiting, lights flashing. Engines are idling, I'm looking for the gossip wagon to begin circling. So far, nothing...
The firemen come in, and the captain has the cool gadget to look for hotspots. We stop looking for hotspots to point it at another fireman to go "oooo, that's neat" and continue on. Meanwhile firemen are going up and down my stairs (hey boys, how about leaving those boots outside!), looking around. The radio comes alive "you guys need us there?" says a voice from the other engine. "No, give us a couple minutes" says Cap. I'm thinking, no, we don't need them, if it's on fire, just let it burn or tell ya what, I'll grab my garden hose and help work the fire. Just for the love of God, send that other truck away!
Nothing, no sign of fire. *whew* Cap sends the other truck on their way (whoohoo!) So they get some batteries out from the truck and start changing them in smoke alarms. Oh, but first Cap asks me if I have a small, maybe 3ft ladder. I'm thinking, you have a truck full of toys and ladders, and you want ME to go get mine? The nerve! Get your own ladder! Ask me for mine...
So I go and grab my ladder and set it upstairs for them (we were thinking it was the smoke alarm in DD's room) and they start changing a few batteries. I hear the *cha-ching* each time they do change a battery. Nothing, alarms still going off. I can't see outside, so I'm sure the gossip wagon has setup camp, coffee brewing on an open campfire, my neighbor two doors down has his guitar and is strumming an old gossip song on the open range...
So starts plan B, "your smoke alarms might have dust in them" so they bring out a thing of air and start blowing dust out. They get the ones upstairs (thanks boys!) and start downstairs. Well, one fireman looks in our bedroom and looks at the light and asks Cap if the light was on/off/flashing. Cap says he looked and it was fine, well, it wasn't. We found the culprit! The fireman pulls it, and silence! Woohoo! They blow it out and enough dust to keep all the haunted mansions at all the Disney parks blows out. I kinda chuckle and kick my feet around the carpet like a little kid. Ah shucks, thanks guys... (note to self, buy cases of compressed air and "dust" the smoke alarms weeky...no daily!). They hook it back up, clean with a fresh battery. They pack up, turn off the lights (bout time!) and I wish them the best of luck on the rest of their shift and they head out.
Turns out my neighbor next door HEARD the smoke alarms going off, didn't care. Then again, I don't think I'd want to come how to my door being smashed in and the fire dept leaving a note "our bad!"
The good news out of all of this is, no fire (thank God!), and best of all, no bill and Free batteries!
Sorry if I got long winded, but this isn't too off topic
darren
I do not see a battery anywhere! 
....read my POST previous page LAST post....same thing with ours...go get LITHIUM batteries FIRST before you get a whole new CO detector!!!
