When Thomas Dilworth volunteered to watch 4-year-old McKenna and her 2-year-old sister Chloe, he thought it would be easy and uneventful. But with McKenna’s curiosity, it turned into an evacuation.
Around 5 p.m. on April 6, the emergency system in the UVU library was activated after McKenna pulled a fire alarm on the second floor. Patrons were alerted that an emergency had been reported by flashing lights, loud sounds and a repeated warning to leave the building.
“It’s called bad babysitting,” Dilsworth said. He had taken the girls with him to the library, where he was with friends working on creating a team for the PRSSA elections. The girls were running up and down a set of stairs when the fire alarm caught McKenna’s attention.
Dilsworth tried to notify library personnel that there was no emergency, but there was nothing that could be done by them.
According to circulation supervisor Trevor Morris, only the campus police can turn off the alarm.
After campus police determined that the building was safe, the alerts were turned off and patrons were allowed back in. An officer spoke to McKenna, who was upset at the loud noises. He explained that pulling the alarm is the right thing to do if there is a fire, but that there were consequences when it was pulled unnecessarily. He then offered her a high five.
McKenna declined to comment on the situation.
I am McKenna and Chloe’s real life aunt, and I’d like everyone to know that this NEVER would have happened if I was babysitting them! They would have been safely nestled in front of a Disney Princess movie eating candy if they were with me. But to be honest, I’m very sorry I wasn’t around for this because the irony of McKenna–who’s already very afraid of fire and loud noises–pulling a fire alarm in a crowded public place is absolutely hilarious to me. Nice job, Dilsworth…