The response time to the "Panic Button" at work is about three to five minutes...

You might wonder how I know this.
I tried it out this morning!
That's how I know.

As you may be aware, I get to work pretty early. I had been there for about an hour this morning, and was already to the point of stocking the shelves out front with new freight, when I thought I heard someone walking across the roof of the store.

A few seconds later, I was SURE I heard another someone walking across the roof of the store. They were doing something to the air conditioning vents! Since it was a quarter to seven in the morning, I really wondered if these men on the roof had a legitimate purpose in being up there messing with our AC units. (I had heard on the radio just yesterday about the increased amount of thefts of commercial sized units going on in Tulsa and surrounding areas.)

I thought I ought to call the police and have them look into just why these guys were on the rooftop. If they were legitimate- hey, my bad! But if they were up there swiping our AC units, and I just assumed they had a legitimate purpose up there... now that would be pretty unexcusable.

I didn't rush right over and push the "panic button". First off, I thought I would try the local police station. Since it wasn't an emergency, I just looked up and dialed their regular phone number. I got a busy signal. So I tried again after a few seconds. Still busy! After a third time of reaching a busy signal, I walked to the front of the store and pushed our silent alarm panic button. Then, I tried the police again. Still busy!
Next I dialed my boss's cell phone. He didn't answer either... but he happened to be just arriving in the parking lot about then.

I told him about calling the police and pushing the alarm... and about that moment the alarm company called us back. Boss talked to them and explained why I had called, and that it was OK... it was just the roofers there to fix the leaky roof!

I'm going to be teased about this forever.