New Bedford Fire Department Responds to Terrifying Carbon Monoxide Alarm

On Saturday, July 12, something happened that shook me to the core.

Around 8 a.m., all the smoke alarms in my house started going off. At first, I thought it was the usual routine: wave a pillow, open a window and wait for it to stop – but this time was different. No amount of wafting helped. Then suddenly, every single alarm started screaming:

“CO DETECTED! GET OUT NOW! GET OUT NOW!”

The Panic Began to Settle

My heart dropped. I ran to grab my son and our dog. My wife had just gotten out of the shower, threw on whatever clothes she could, and we bolted out of the house. In the five years we’ve lived here, we’ve had our share of false alarms, mostly thanks to kitchen mishaps, but never once have they yelled about carbon monoxide.

It was pure adrenaline. Your heart races. Your mind jumps to the worst possible scenarios – especially now that I have a family to protect.

I immediately called the New Bedford Fire Department.

NBFD to the Rescue

They arrived within minutes. Not only were they quick, but they were also calm, kind and totally professional. They could see how rattled we were, and they walked through the house with care, checking everything thoroughly.

Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing serious; possibly a glitch, or even a spider messing with the detector (yes, that’s actually a thing).

A Message Every Homeowner Needs to Hear

What stuck with me most was when one of the firefighters said.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’d be comfortable leaving my wife and kids in this house," he said. That one line brought a wave of comfort I didn’t know I needed.

A Wake-Up Call for Every Homeowner

If there's one thing I took away from this experience, it’s this: test your alarms. Change your batteries. Keep your systems updated. False alarm or not, the peace of mind is everything.

To the New Bedford Fire Department: thank you! You didn’t just respond quickly. You reassured us, you showed empathy and you made us feel safe again. That means more than you’ll ever know.