CHARLOTTE — Residents of the Enclave at Rivergate Apartments are annoyed and fed up after people keep pulling the fire alarm, triggering false alarms and requiring people to evacuate their homes.
The latest incident on Monday night in southwest Charlotte was captured on camera. Two people pulled the alarm, got on bikes, and rode away.
The Charlotte Fire Department says the incident is one of at least five false alarm calls to the Steele Creek complex this year.
“I know I can’t swear on TV, so I don’t really have quite enough words to say how bad it is,” Margaret Weatherly said.
Weatherly lives with her son, David, who has autism and epilepsy. She says the constant false alarms are triggering for him. She also needs knee surgery soon and is sick of having to rush out from her second-floor apartment.
“One night, I just texted the manager and said, ‘Look, if they pull the alarm tonight, I will be at the top of the stairs and the firefighters can carry me down,’” she said.
The issue extends beyond false alarms. People are also flashing lights at homes, and knocking on doors and running away.
Madison Sippel and a group of neighbors met with their apartment managers about the problem. They said CMPD can’t do anything unless they catch the people in the act.
She’s worried if an actual emergency happens, people won’t take it seriously. She thinks Charlotte Fire is likely over it as well.
“I’m sure they’re sick of it, too,” she said. “They probably get the call. And it’s like, oh, it’s this building again. And we just got to go turn off the fire alarm.”
She says apartment managers are on board for changes like more cameras and lighting, but they need the approval of the property owner. The property owner is Ram Partners, LLC. The company did not respond to calls and emails from Channel 9.
One positive of this is Weatherly’s son is now well adjusted to the alarms. The same can’t be said about their cat.
“He pees all over the whole apartment every time,” she said. “And I had to drag him out from under my bed the last time.”
Now, Weatherly is left with a scared cat, annoyed neighbors, and daring pranksters whose joke is anything but funny to the people who live there.
(WATCH: Charlotte woman who uses wheelchair says she was stuck in apartment building during fire alarm)
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