Pulled Fire alarm in fire

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When I was 11 with my mom we discovered a fire and were outside. I asked my mom if I could pull the fire alarm and she said sure. The fire alarm had glass but there was no hammer attached so I asked my mom how to break it and she said to kick it. I kicked the glass and my mom kicked some of it to get the glass to break. I then went and pulled the handle.

If it was your son would you let him pull the fire alarm? How was it that my mom allowed me to do this as opposed to her? Do you know anyone with AS who has pulled a fire alarm in a real fire? If your son needed help would you help him to kick the glass or pull the handle down together? What would you say to him after? Would you tell the firemen that he pulled it so he could be rewarded after?

Certainly ... and I once even had my grandchildren expend some fire extinguishers in practice of putting out a fire.


She likely knew you would benefit from the experience and be ready on your own if something like that ever came up again.


You are the only one I know, but I would think there are others also.


If he needed some help to get the job done, then yes, certainly.


Fine job, Son!


Probably not. They would likely be busy putting out the fire and finishing up long after we had left the scene.

Yes, I once tripped a fire alarm for a commercial building in which I was working. It meant everyone got out safely. (I never told them it was me who pushed it.)

I would think I'd be thrilled if a child of mine called for help in a fire situation, and if I'd known it was my child who got the fire department there to help, you betcha I'd tell the firemen. And the kid - very good job there! You might have saved someone's life.

Well pulling the fire alarm lever or smashing the glass without good reason is a very bad thing, but the kid who sets off the fire alarm for good reason is a kid who is doing the right thing. I do not think that the firefighters will have time to thank the kid. But if it was my kid I would be pleased with them, and I would make a point of telling them that.

By the way unless you are a martial arts expert it is rather hard to kick the glass to break it, it might be more easy to take off your shoe and then use it to hammer the glass to make it break. I have visions of someone having to do some sort of ninja kick at an object which is normally at about chest height, not easy !

If your kid said mom or dad I need some clarification on how the handle gets pulled down or if the glass needed breaking and the son asked how to smash the glass or if there was two directions like push in pull down how to put their hands so it won't slip how would you advise them. I know alarms are easy but some alarms require more than others. How would your son know how far to pull the handle down as sometimes one would pull it down a bit and let go and the handle goes up. How would you tell your son to pull it until it locks down and to hold his hand on the handle to make sure it stays down.

As I am no martial arts expert I was able to kick the glass after asking my mom if she could help me direct my leg for balance and to make sure I did not fall. Was it normal for her to take a practice kick? I remember taking one kick to gage how hard I needed to kick the glass. The second and third kick got all the glass broken and I pulled the handle. Was this normal for me to do it the way I did as I did not want to step in broken glass. It worked somehow since I got help with kicking it. Would you do the same?

Thanks for your answers. I remember having some doubt about how the operation of the handle works.