Son Pulled Fire Alarm on Accident. What to Do???

The only way to really know is to see the tape. Especially since that is what they have based their whole case on..

At public schools here in Austin there are 2 types and both take an actual physical strength. One is a pull handle and the other has a Plastic cover over it that is on a hinge. You must lift it and then push pretty forcefully the button..

There is no just bumping any of them. I know this because I sat on a "School Campus Improvement Committee" and learned all about fire alarms and the laws.. And a lot of of other building information..

You need to see the video. He may not have intended the craziness, or maybe he fell into it and pulled on it. Fire alarms are made NOT to go off when bumped into in busy public places. You have to PULL them. You need to get the facts so you can deal with what actually happened.

It costs the county a lot of money when a fire alarm is pulled--especially at a school. Kids don't understand that, but it is no joke which is why it carries a hefty fine. That is ALSO why it is virtually impossible to "bump into" a fire alarm and trigger it. I say virtually only because I have had my shirt get caught on door handles and the other day my purse strap kept getting caught on things in an odd way so I supposed anything could happen...

But I heavily doubt this was an accident in the true sense of the word....I'm thinking it's an accident in the sense that the consequences were surprising and he didn't intend for this outcome. The best you can do is make it safe for him to come clean.

Watch that video and once you have evidence that he did it (because he likely did) let him know that you know that this is a very scary thing for him and you totally understand that....you know he's a good kid and didn't mean to hurt anyone, etc...but that you want him to really honestly tell you what happened so that you can help him and he can help you. Explain to him that you want to be able to tell the judge the truth and that you will help him sort this problem out.

If he is found guilty, he should have to work off the fine. It's possible that you may ask the judge to allow community service instead but the fine in this case is typically imposed because there is an actual cost incurred. It may sound like a lot of money for a kid (and it is) but let me tell you, he will always remember the sting of that impulsive action. Who knows, the lesson from this may save you and your family a lot of grief down the line.

Either way though I recommend you review the tape and get legal representation.

There is no way that one can accidentally bump a fire alarm and set it off. Ask to see the tape and you'll see what he actually did. Ask the fire investigator how he knows it wasn't an accident.

I suggest that the judge will be lenient, if this is his first offense, if he admits what he did and apologizes. The judge is concerned that this not happen again. A sincere apology helps to build trust that he won't do it again. He'll likely understand a child's curiosity. How old is your son? A judge will be more understanding of a boy's impulsiveness if he's in grade school.

In my jurisdiction, your son would be assigned a juvenile court counselor. You can call the Juvenile Court and talk with that person

It's not unusual for a child to wonder and do something foolish on impulse. On impulse is different than on accident but a child may not understand that difference. Admitting to doing it and a sincere apology will go a long way with the court if your son is young. say grade school age.

I went back to look at your "stuff" and see that your boys are teens and that you've had some difficulty with them. I am even more inclined to believe the fire investigator. I've had lots of experience with teens including having a teen daughter. It is not easy to tell when a child is truthful. Teens get quite good at fooling us.

I urge you to approach this with an open mind. View the tape. TAlk with the investigator and juvenile court counselor. Yes, you can hire an attorney but I suggest that the best thing to do is to have him admit that he made a mistake, apologize and take the consequences. An attorney will cost money and I would expect that the result will be the same. The focus of juvenile court is to teach kids to do the right thing. For the most part they only punish when a lesson is not learned. First time offenders who admit fault and apologize are generally let off easily, in my experience.

I've done it! ((But I'm also a major clutz)). I caught my backpack strap on the little white bar and it yanked it down. Fortunately the tape showed ME get "yanked" back (you know how you do when you get caught on something). So there was no fine imposed.

Watch the video. If it's doubtfull... hire an attoney. NEVER deal with the legal system without one.

The courts are used to heavily fining broke people. Which is why they set up payment plans. If he DID pull the alarm, I would suggest that he be responsible as possible for paying the fine. $20 a month is something most teens (if I'm right that it's one of your teen boys?) can figure out.

Have you viewed the footage of the incident. It is pretty clear when someone did something on purpose or not, you need to view the footage to know for certain if he did it or not. It is not very easy to Bump a fire alarm at a school and turn it on.

Get some representation and do what they say. Go to the hearing and hope for the best, and follow the advice of your attorney. If he is found guilty, you pay the 2000 bucks. If he really did this, you have bigger issues than a fine, and I would thank my lucky stars that it was just an alarm and find out what the root was.

I would find this to be hard to swallow too. Fire alams would be going off all the time in school if it were that easy to just bump when the halls were crowded. The eveidence is on the tape, get a lawyer, they will know how to handle this. They may also tell you that it would be cheaper to take your chances on paying the 2000 bucks in a fine, when you may have to do that, plus pay a lawyer, but you can usually find one to consult for free. Not sure if the state would have to provide one under these circumstances.

Schools usually win in Texas.

M.

I would think the video would prove he bumped into it. Have you seen the video? If not, I suggest you ask to watch it. Police men and school officials are generally rational people and could see if something was clearly an accident. Perhaps, it wasn't. I'm not saying your son is a liar, but an accident usually looks like an accident. View the video. If it REALLY does look like an accident, demand that the judge see it. A judge should be the most rational. If it is clearly an accident in the video, he will not issue a fine. I would prepare yourself, for what you could *possibly* see in the video.

If they are basing any punishment based on a video tape, then you should request to see if before proceeding any further.
At my kids' schools, it isn't possible to "bump" into a fire alarm and make it go off. Many have to be pulled down, and some, the glass has to be broken before even being able to pull the alarm. They are usually placed up fairly high so that it's clear someone has to reach for them.
Plenty of kids have gotten in trouble for yanking fire alarms. They think it's innocent fun, they want to see what happens, they are mad.
The thing is, fire alarms and drills have to be taken seriously.
If there is video tape to the extent they strongly feel your son was behind it, you need to see it for yourself.
There is a difference between bumping something and setting an alarm off.
Like I said, on purpose, most fire alarms are not in "bumping" reach in the hall ways.
Fire alarms would be getting bumped into on a daily basis if that were the case.
I'm not saying you should automatically think your son did something wrong, but be open to seeing what it is they are going by.
Be prepared to accept it might have been more than a bump.
The fire departments and police departments don't usually get involved over false alarms.
If they have tape to back them up, you have a right to see it so you know how to proceed from there.
IF your son DID do something wrong, now is the time for him to learn why it's important never to do it again.
Wnat might seem like a funny joke isn't all that funny when you get rescue people involved.
IF he did something wrong, he needs to admit it and promise not to do it again.
Why go to an emergency at a school when someone's house could truly be on fire? It's not a game.
If they have him on tape doing something wrong, the best thing for him to do is fess up and hope for a second chance based on him learning a lesson.

IF the tape shows him just bumping into something and the alarms goes off, I don't see why the police and fire departments would do anything beyond talking to him. Bumping into something isn't negligence.
I'm afraid there might be more to the story.
You will only know if you view the tapes.

IF your son made a mistake, then he will have to deal with the punishment. And they might go lighter on him if you, as a parent, understand the seriousness as opposed to trying to protect him IF the proof is irrefutable.

Kids make mistakes. They can learn from them and move on.
I would demand to see the tapes.

Best wishes.

You need to see the tape before you decide how to proceed with your son.

I'd prepare myself that my son might not be entirely innocent... the police SAW the tape before they issued the citation, if it had looked like a kid who just bumped the alarm trying to get by, there probably wouldn't have been a citation at all...

Also, typically, those alarm pulls have a hard plastic case you have to LIFT and then a large lever to pull or button to press... Unless his school is in real need of modernization, it seems like it would be pretty difficult to pull by accident.

Sorry you're going through this.

T.

ask for a copy of the security camera tape. It can show that he didnt do it on purpose. Then have him tell what happened and why he didnt day anything. If he pumped it then it will show that he didnt physically pull it with his hand. then the judge would have no choice but to throw the case out or lower the citation. he might still get a citation because he didnt tell anyone about it. Just sleep and pray on it. the truth will come out but just get a copy of that tape.... good luck

If it is an actual court hearing, you should probably have your lawyer with you.

Fire alarms aren't generally easy to bump and set off. They are kind of hard to pull. I would be prepared for the fact that that your son might have pulled it. If he really didn't, I'm sure a lawyer would make sure the videotape of the incident was presented as evidence.

(I promise you will laugh about this in 10-20 years)

I have never seen a fire alarm that can be set off "by accident".
I think you and your son have a right to see the video.
No need to circle the wagons if it's not a fight based on fact, right?

Learn the facts.

I'm sure he really, really wants to believe it was an accident, but, really, have you ever seen a fire alarm that was so easy to set off?

Don't most fire alarms have a cover that you have to lift up and a lever that you have to pull down to activate it? It seems to me that if there is a fire alarm in a high trafficked area, such as a school hallway, and all you have to do is bump into it to activate it -- it is that sensitive -- then it probably would be going off quite frequently. Enough to jostle the school administrator's attention that they have a defective fire alarm in the building. Not meaning to be argumentative about this but I do think that if you are going to defend your son, these are points that you may have to address.

Sorry I can't be of more help than this.

The fire alarms in our schools all have covers on them that must either be lifted or broken with a little mallet attached to them. There is no accidental bumping, really.

Yes, you should be represented at court. Get both sides of the story; your son's and his schools. Your son might be scared to death that he is going to get in really big trouble so he has manufactured his version of the truth.

Once you've put together all the details from both sides of the story, make sure you proceed in court in a respectful and truthful manner. Court is not where you want to pick a fight and split hairs; it really truly is a case of catching more flies with honey than vinegar. If you go in there with a blazing attitude about how much the school sucks and that police/fire are picking on your son then the judge is probably not going to have any sympathy for your son. If he is contrite and takes accountability for his actions, he might be excused with just a warning. Think of the long-term effects before speaking.

For legal reasons, you probably won't be able to view the tape since there are other students on them. But, request that the judge be able to view it before giving the judgment. If there needs to be a continuance, request one until the judge can view the footage himself. My only thought is that fire alarms are usually handles that need to be pulled. To be honest, I'm not sure how they can be accidentally pushed.

I find it hard to believe that fire alarms can go of by being bumped... but I know it can happen. My 13 year old daughter was in phys ed class a month or so ago, the fire alarm went off. They were playing a game called Bump with a ball, the ball hit the alarm and pulled it down, making it go off. No one was near the alarm in person, someone noticed it within a few minutes but the fire dept was already on it's way. The teacher wasn't even aware that there was an alarm in this particular place as it was kind of out of the way. I would ask to view the videos since it was a crowded hallway, a shirt/backpack/book etc could have gotten caught and pulled it, or perhaps your son was covering up what he did. Either way, seek the advice of a lawyer and stay calm.

I agree with the others that you need to see the video, also he needs to see it.
He will then know that he can't just make up a story to get out of some types of trouble.
And I have a 22 yo. In HS they will say anything to get out of this kind of trouble.
Hope he gets a good job this summer, he needs to pay you for every penny, including court costs, if he is found guilty and fined.

You don't mention how old your son is. I don't think a fire alarm is that sensitive. I think it would take some effort to set it off.

I am not passing judgement though because accidents do happen but it could also have been a mistake and he realizes he is wrong.

I would talk to the school and see what they can tell you. You'll probably have to go through the motions. Depending on his age may determine whether or not they let him off with just a stern warning or if you do have to pay a fine.

Plead not guilty and get that videotape. Can't they tell that it was an accident from watching the tape? I would assume you can tell if it's an accident or on purpose from facial expressions and such.

I do not know but what I do know is you will get in trouble if you purposefully pull the fire alarm in a non-emergency, but on accident, I do not know and I am trying to find out. I accidentally pulled the alarm once and no one questioned me and I was SHOCKED about that but my advice is to ask them to see where the Ultra Violet dye is on your son and if it is not on his hand, he is proven innocent also with the tape, you can ask them to look closely to see that it was him bumping it. At school, several retards pulled a false alarm but I do not know what happened to them. Hold on...
OK, I found a comment on www.thestudentroom.co.uk and here is 2 results I found and copied and pasted...
A friend of mine accidentally set one off (he was shoved and put his elbow through a break glass one). He got a slashed elbow and a detention.
At Uni setting of a fire alarm for no reason is a fine of £70. However at school, They may not take action if it was an accident, and generally if your a good pupil. May just a detention?
Those were the answers I found and so, the 2nd one is incorrect. The fine is £500 ($500) for an intentional false alarm.
Shelley R.
answers from Mayport on March 01, 2011
I find it hard to believe that fire alarms can go of by being bumped... but I know it can happen. My 13 year old daughter was in phys ed class a month or so ago, the fire alarm went off. They were playing a game called Bump with a ball, the ball hit the alarm and pulled it down, making it go off. No one was near the alarm in person, someone noticed it within a few minutes but the fire dept was already on it's way. The teacher wasn't even aware that there was an alarm in this particular place as it was kind of out of the way. I would ask to view the videos since it was a crowded hallway, a shirt/backpack/book etc could have gotten caught and pulled it, or perhaps your son was covering up what he did. Either way, seek the advice of a lawyer and stay calm.
That answer is false because at my school, someone was running in the hallway and they ran into the fire alarm and because my school is an old building, the alarm broke, set off the trouble light in the control panel for the system and after a few seconds, the fire alarm went off.
Frometoz
answers from Minneapolis on February 28, 2011
It costs the county a lot of money when a fire alarm is pulled--especially at a school. Kids don't understand that, but it is no joke which is why it carries a hefty fine. That is ALSO why it is virtually impossible to "bump into" a fire alarm and trigger it. I say virtually only because I have had my shirt get caught on door handles and the other day my purse strap kept getting caught on things in an odd way so I supposed anything could happen...
But I heavily doubt this was an accident in the true sense of the word....I'm thinking it's an accident in the sense that the consequences were surprising and he didn't intend for this outcome. The best you can do is make it safe for him to come clean.
Watch that video and once you have evidence that he did it (because he likely did) let him know that you know that this is a very scary thing for him and you totally understand that....you know he's a good kid and didn't mean to hurt anyone, etc...but that you want him to really honestly tell you what happened so that you can help him and he can help you. Explain to him that you want to be able to tell the judge the truth and that you will help him sort this problem out.
If he is found guilty, he should have to work off the fine. It's possible that you may ask the judge to allow community service instead but the fine in this case is typically imposed because there is an actual cost incurred. It may sound like a lot of money for a kid (and it is) but let me tell you, he will always remember the sting of that impulsive action. Who knows, the lesson from this may save you and your family a lot of grief down the line.
Either way though I recommend you review the tape and get legal representation.
This person said it is virtually impossible to accidentally set off the fire alarm because it happened to me because I was rubbing my back on the wall and the push in then pull down model was the one and when I put my back on the wall, it pushed in, and I lifted and with it still pushed in, when I rubbed my back in the downward motion and that did the pull down step and then I turned around because I felt something weird, and it was pulled down with this yellow piece of tape that said "ACTIVATED" and had a siren sound symbol on either side of the word activated, right above the main display, and I heard "RrRrRrRr" that sounded like a mosquito or a circuit motor and shortly after the alarm went off. It sounded like a whistle on the note of G and it beeped once, and a break that was just as long as the beep sounds and then it repeated that process except after the single beep, it was beeping in triplets. Sort of like this:
"BEEP!" "BEEP BEEP BEEP!" "BEEP BEEP BEEP!" and it continued beeping in triplets and a pause in between each set of 3 beeps.
And by the way I am not a M., I am a 6th grade boy.

Be preemptive-start the community service now. It will look good in court if you are able to say that for the past month my son has been doing so-and-so. A letter of apology to the FD might help. Word it carefully-the slightest hint of responsibility could be misconstrued and damaging. It sounds like the school contributed to his "negligence" by not conducting an orderly transition between classes. Children have to be monitored-constantly-and not by cameras-it is the responsibility of the instructors to see that decorum is maintained. It would have helped if your son had told what had happened before the police and FD had been dispatched. He was probably scared-who would blame him?