As a former Fire Chief, I am used to jumping out of bed at Oh:dark:Thirty in
the morning to rush off to someone's crisis. After being *TOSSED* off the
BigBed by flung covers once or twice, ALL my Furry Friends quickly learned
to "decode" the unique two-tone Alert that precedes the Dispatcher's broadcast
of an emergency call. >>>
"Bee-Booop; Attention all Fiur Guys, You're needed at ..."

SmokeMutt would bail off the BigBed on the first "Beep"; Cinder and Boots, da KAT,
always waited for the "Booop" to be sure it was really "OUR" tones,
before they bailed and retreated to their "safe spots" far away from Dad's
clothes, the bathroom, and the basement steps. We *answered* hundreds
of alarms without too many goof-ups, trips, or falls.

Till One Night ....
I'd been slowly *pushed* toward the edge of the BigBed by restless Dawg Feets -
my BUTT was hanging off the edge and I *wiggled* past the point of no return =
***FLUUUUMP*** and I was on the floor (after banging my headbone on the
end table beside the bed.) In my stupor I decided I must have jumped out of
bed (backwards) in response to a FIRE CALL. (not)

I dressed, told the FurKids "BRB" (Be Right Back) and dashed down to the garage and
fired up the Fire Bus ... Off into the night dashes the trusty Fiur Guy!

Half way to the Station I slowly began to realize:
1) I hadn't heard ANY chatter on the radio
2) I had NO rememberance of WHERE I was going nor WHAT the "call" was
3) I looked - and the Alpha pager hadn't alerted with any message ...

Uhhhh ... "320 to FireCom"
A suprised "uhhhhh, Go Ahead, 320 ?????"
"FireCom, can you repeat the addres?"

Looonng pause ... "320, We have no address; we have NO CALL for you."

Oooooooopsie!
I quickly killed the Red Light and HOPED nobody was *watching* ...
"OK, FireCom; Just *checking* ... 320 is clear"

30 seconds later the Cell phone was ring-a-dinggin ... with the Dispatcher
asking WHAT I was up to in the middle of the night?

I'm not sure he bought into my excuse that "I thought I heard our tones".

I had a hard time reclaiming my spot on the BigBed ...
I KNOW the FurBrats were *laffin* their fool heads off.
And MY head had a sore spot which I couldn't explain to myself.

Duuuuuuuh ...