“A week before my birthday you guys saved my life,” Jon Patrick McConnell said. “I get to celebrate another year because of you.”

Jon has been a Vector Security customer for more than 15 years. He was home cooking Easter dinner when his fire alarm went off. “I was roasting vegetables, so I naturally thought that was what set off the alarm,” he said.

But when he saw it wasn’t the oven, he turned the corner from his kitchen and saw smoke coming up from the basement. At this point he, his partner Robbie Keplar, and their dog Kermit evacuated the house immediately. Vector Security was already on the phone with him.

Swift Response from the Monitoring Center

“Everything happened so fast. Vector Security called within seconds, while Robbie was calling 911,” Jon explained. “By the time Robbie got through to 911, they told him fire trucks were already on their way because of the dispatch by Vector.”

The trucks arrived within six minutes and crews were able to put out the fire before a total loss of the house. “We have the framework remaining, but everything inside has to be gutted and rebuilt,” Jon said. “We are so grateful to Vector Security. They did everything beautifully and saved our lives.”

Jon went on to explain that Vector Security window decals indicating that there was a pet inside the house prompted firefighters to double check that their dog was safe. “Luckily Kermit was already outside with us, but the decals let responders know that there was also a pet in the household.”

A Customer Relationship Built On Trust

Jon told the story of how he became a Vector Security customer more than 15 years ago. Back then, he lived in a small apartment when he had an appointment with Kevin Grube, who has been his security consultant since day one. “There was only one way in and out of my apartment, so Kevin told me I didn’t really need a security system. That’s when I knew I could trust him,” Jon shared. “But I went ahead and got one anyway because I’ve always been overly cautious.”

Naturally, when he and Robbie moved into their new home eight years ago, they chose Vector Security. This time, they put sensors on all the windows and doors and smoke detectors throughout the house, including the basement. Jon said he is thankful that the smoke detectors all work together to go off regardless of location of the fire.

All Equipment Working Together

“If the smoke detector in the basement was the only one that went off, we probably would not have heard it as quickly as we did. But thankfully, they all went off while the control panels we have throughout the house indicated where the fire was. Everything was so loud; there was no chance of missing the alarm.”

Jon added that the carbon monoxide alarms also went off to alert of potentially toxic gasses, while the system also immediately shut down the HVAC equipment to stop the flow of oxygen to feed the fire. “Everything happened quickly and simultaneously. Our Vector Security system did so many things instantly and automatically, which store bought smoke and carbon monoxide detectors that do nothing but sound an audible alarm cannot do.”

Jon, Robbie and Kermit are living temporarily at his parent’s house while making plans to rebuild their home.

To learn how Vector Security can design a life safety solution for you and your loved ones, contact us for a consultation.