If you call them, they will come

Two nights ago our smoke/carbon monoxide detectors went off at 3:35 a.m.  We aren't talking the chirp chirping that comes when you need to change your batteries, we are talking the super duper LOUD high pitched ringing when they are going off "for real".  The kids all ran into our room and Adam and I set out to figure out what was going on.  Every alarm throughout the house was going off and after checking for smoke (there wasn't any) Adam started working to get them to turn off.  We thought maybe a battery had gone out somewhere and triggered it all.  He succeeded in getting 2 turned off before they started going off yet again.  By this time we looked at each other and said, "Well, they are carbon monoxide detectors, too, so that might mean there is actually carbon monoxide in our house."  So we got the kids out of the house and called the fire department.  If there was ever a night to go and spend some quality family time hanging out on the front lawn at 3:45 in the morning this was the night.  It was about 85 degrees and the weather was perfect.  A police car and fire engine pulled into our circle at 4 a.m. and they took their handy dandy carbon monoxide detector inside to see what was going on.  They came back out after awhile and said it was all clear and there wasn't any carbon monoxide.  Their best guess was that the sensor in the basement had gone "bad" since we had recently replaced the battery.  I didn't know that was even a possibility, but they didn't seem that surprised. I guess in their line of work they see it now and again.  I felt kind of bad for making them come to the house at 4 a.m., but they assured us it was "no problem" and that we were better safe than sorry.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, firefighters are awesome.  Adam snapped this picture with his phone as they were about to drive away.  It isn't a great picture, but it's evidence that no matter when you call them, they will come.

Even with a brand new battery in the offending basement alarm it triggered all of the alarms to go off again at 6 a.m. the same morning. This time Adam just detached the entire alarm for good.  We are currently looking for a replacement and sleeping much better.