Fire Alarm While En Femme

[Bonnie Chan]

Well I didn't get into this situation myself. There was a (false) fire alarm in my apartment building just minutes ago. Usually at this time (around 9PM) I sometimes get dressed up in my room. But today I'm not doing that. So I just casually grab my jacket and went outside the building like everyone should and wait until everything settle down to come back.

Now that makes me wonder what if I'm en femme when that happened? I would probably rush to transform back to male mode and get outside. But I wonder what others are thinking if they have similar situation? Will you just take this chance to go out en femme? (That thought makes me feel excited too )

- Bonnie

[Melissa73]

Funny u write this! years ago, i lived in apt.... everyone evacuated cuz we all saw smoke! course i was dressed. What could i do? I quickly undressed and left my apt. But it made me wonder about if it was areal fire! (as it turned out, the landlord had set off bug bombs in a lower apt)

[carahawkwind]

Never had it happen before, but now I'm paranoid about it. Fire alarm in our building goes off a lot more than it should. Need will come up a plan.

[Jasmine Mae]

Whoa! Lil bit scary. When i dress i always have a pair of sweats and shirt on 'stand-by' and a box of baby wipes for emergency make up removal. Maybe i should market it as a xdresser rescue kit! Maybe try it though girls. It has saved me on many occasions!
xoxo Jasmine

[Joni Beauman]

I've had this exact thing happen in a motel. False alarm. Joni

[Marcelle]

Hi Bonnie,

My take on this would be that in the case of a fire alarm it may be tempting to transform back but I would not risk it in case it is a real fire . . . no sense in playing with your own life. I suppose you could just bite the bullet, present as best you can and meander outside and keep your distance from others but that might be difficult. A quick emergency plan is probably a good standby if you are uncomfortable presenting in public or wary your neighbours might notice you . . . much like Jasmine recommended . ... some baggy sweats (oversized hoody for a top) for a quick change, make-up wipes to get the majority off, sneakers to cover any toe nail polish . . . remove your dress, put on the sweats, quick wipe of face, hoody up and pull sleeves down over hands to cover any nail polish, sneakers on and out you go . . . oh and don't take time to put things away . . . dress and get out.

Hugs

Isha

[Lvjim]

If your evacuation alarms are going off on a regular basis find out why from management and go to the fire dept/building dept.. most times its because of poor maintenance

[carahawkwind]

If your evacuation alarms are going off on a regular basis find out why from management and go to the fire dept/building dept.. most times its because of poor maintenance

Yeah we were having some mechanical issues for a while and it was going off every few days couple years back, it's fixed now, but I still don't trust it. The common reason it goes off now, is some person burns something in their kitchen, but then opens their front door to air it out triggering the detectors in the common hallways. Most the people who own here know not to do that, but the people that rent their units out seem to have a lot of turnover, and the new people seem to screw it up.

[bridget thronton]

Same for me throw on sweats and go if I did not want to be seen (might grab my camping bag on the way down the stairs since it has more clothes and some useful necessities)

[Beverley Sims]

Unless there is someone checking the evacuation or it becomes a social gathering, I don't think many would notice.
In a false alarm situation all anyone want's to do is go back inside and get on with life.

[WandaRae2009]

That was actually what happened the first time I ventured outside En Femme. I was on a business trip. I just finished getting dressed, trying to get up the never to venture out, then the BUZZ BUZZ of the hotel fire alarm. Oh no, I don't have a choice now I have venture out. Exhilarating and scarey I grabbed my purse exited to my car and drove off. I got up the nerve and walked into a Walmart to pick something up I then realized I never moved my driver's license, credit cars or cash to my purse, but it as sitting in my man wallet in my room. Walked back to the car and drove back to the hotel. made the switch, and since I had gone that far went out again. Went to Target and picked up a couple of things, never had a problem. The closet door was opened.

[UNDERDRESSER]

The baggy sweats and a hoody thing is a good idea. I usually have something similar within easy reach this time of year anyway. Not for hiding my clothes, but sometimes running outside around here without warm clothes can get get you in bigger trouble than being seen in a skirt! It doesn't take long at -30C for skin to freeze! I have an easy on parka and a pair of thick pants most of the time from Nov through to march.

[suchacutie]

When Tina was first trying to figure out how to present en femme, I found myself at a conference for a week with time at night to let Tina experiment. Of course she wanted to try everything and by the second day there she was in the mirror completely transformed. A beeping in the hall of someone's phone as they passed by triggered the thought of what we would do if the fire alarm went off. I was on a high floor so I had already checked out the escape route, but there was no chance I could come close to passing at that point and I had colleagues in that hotel! Talk about cold water thrown onto a lovely moment!

Tina is a great planner so she sat down and worked out the details of what dressing limitations needed to be imposed is a quick change was required. Then we actually practiced! When she had it down to less than a minute it seemed acceptable. Of course, becoming comfortable with being in public became the obvious answer, as long as she remembered to shed her heels before walking down 20flights!

[Kate Simmons]

Not being in control of a situation always poses potential problems. One easy way to come out for sure.

[CarlaWestin]

Once in a shopping mall I was dressed so hot, it set the alarm off!

[Badwolf]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kyolOGfF78

[Rachelakld]

I would check to see if my apartment door had a Fire Rating label on it, If it does, your room should be safe for the time stated on the door frame (unless you drill holes in to the neighbors apartment). The building may also have sprinklers, which will control any fire. I don't live in an apartment, but the fire calls I've attended, one apartment was totally destroyed but all others were totally untouched as the fire service had the fire out well within the designed time.

When I used to care, I used to have baggy track pants, hoodie and sunglasses available

[Jennifer in CO]

real thing. Our house burned down 6 years ago. Neighbor banging on the front door at 5:15am shouting the house was on fire! Got the daughter out wife was trying to find the cats and a few things. I alway sleep in a gown and this night was no different. Grabbed the first pair of shorts and headed to the door getting the neighbor to call 911 (he already had). About an hour later I'm handed a tank top so I put that on. VERY hot day as it lingered and daughter brought me a cover shirt from her car. About 5pm things are settling down and we all sat down for a few quiet minutes. Its at this point I realize I'm wearing my (formerly) while fringed denim short shorts, a white tank top with eyelet lace trim, and an eyelet short puffed sleeved cover shirt. All day. Around everybody. Wore it to dinner at IHOP and then to Wally World to get new clothes for the next few days as well.
Trust me, when its that stressful a situation, you don't care how your dressed and no one around you is going to care either.

[BillieAnneJean]

One of the girls in our Group had a fire in her garage while enfemme. Had to open the garage door and put out the fire while hoping the neighbors did not see. She is really pretty and so if anyone saw her they would have wondered who the hot firewoman was. She is not out to her neighbors but does go OUT enfemme.

[celeste26]

If it is a big enough apartment complex who but the management would know everyone? Is it not reasonable to assume that you were an overnight visitor? that you don't know for sure where the "real you" is at the moment.

[Julie Denier]

The prospect of a fire alarm has crossed my mind during my dressing opportunities at hotels while traveling for work. I think the idea of going out dressed and being seen by business colleagues is more frightening than the fire ...

[Krisi]

There is always a risk of being caught whenever you do something "wrong", be it crossdressing, cheating on your wife, watching porn, etc. All you can do is recognize the risk and plan for what you might do if caught.

Baggy sweats is probably the best plan in this case unless it's 100 degrees outside. I can change back to male in about two minutes but I'm not wearing a lot of makeup.

[Sarasometimes]

Krisi you are right about the risk but cross-dressing isn't wrong neither is watching porn! Cheating on your wife is wrong!

A drawback to communal living is others can make a you a problem beyond your control.

In the early 80's I had a related situation. I got my real hair, had enough way back then, permed regularly (my wife at the time liked me with curly hair and a full beard, she didn't know I dressed).
My my salon was strict about all clients getting color or perms had to change into the cute salon gowns regardless of gender (a great rule). So there I was in one of their knee length leopard smock/gowns and plastic mauve colored cape with a head full of those bendy foam curlers with perm solution working away with a plastic cap covering them all reading a magazine when the police come in and announce a bomb scare in the building! We get hustled outside onto Main Street. Now in about 10 or 15 minutes my hair will need rinsing (a good thing) but till then here I am just standing on the sidewalk oppose the salon, in all my glory nervously waiting, trying to ignore all the looks from the crowd as they notice my "predicament".
The sweats and sweatshirt are a good try and grab those keys so you can exit and drive away till things all return to normal.
Fortunately my hairdresser was allowed to rinse and finish my perm at a competitors salon across the street. By that time the threat had been cleared and we were able to return and change in her salon.

[BillieJoEllen]

Once that alarm goes off you are no longer entitled to any type of privacy. Maintenance and management personnel will enter your apartment and make a quick search to ensure that everyone in that unit evacuates. Its at this point that you must leave no matter what. If you don't wish to listen to those two groups of people you will listen to the fire department because they don't take no for an answer and will physically carry you out provided they get there in time. I used to work at a large apartment complex and had to respond to three different fires. Never caught anyone in a 'compromising' position.

[AnneC]

This happened to me twice. I was fully dressed and it went off. I just stayed where I was figuring it was a false alarm which it was. If it had been the real thing, I guess folks would have met Anne. I don't know if it the right thing to do but it is what I did.