Ethical dilemma time; was I wrong to call 911

[MuckFusk]

A huge bolt of lighting just struck very close to my house a few hours ago. The electrical went crazy and then I smelled a burned plastic smell at one of the light switches, like it would smell if the wiring was burned, which can easily start a fire. So I called an electrician and he advised me that it could be serious and to call my insurance company's emergency number so they could send somebody out. My insurance company told me to have the fire department check it out, so I did. There was no fire that I knew of, but burned wires can cause materials around them to smolder for quite some time before fire breaks out.

So several tall, good looking firefighters (funny the things you notice when you're scared😄) came in and tested for signs of heat anywhere it shouldn't be. Nothing. It turned out the lightning had travelled through the wires and fried the light bulbs in the room where I smelled burned plastic. The firefighters turned some tripped breakers back on and waited to see if anything happened. Then they tested my smoke alarms. They were very thorough and extremely polite.

My question is whether it was wrong to call them on a maybe, because it could potentially have diverted them from something more serious. They assured me that I did the right thing, that people should always call in situations like that, but maybe they were just being nice. Opinions? Was it legit to consider that an emergency just because my insurance company told me it was?
I know it's a goofy question, but I tend to obsess about doing the right thing. If I'm being annoying feel free to tell me. I won't be offended.

Of course you didn’t do the wrong thing!

You did what you thought was best and on the advice of others, more knowledgable on this subject. You need to stop overthinking this and I would be surprised if anyone thought any different

You absolutely did the right thing. When it comes to the safety of your home and everyone in it, you can’t take chances.
If I were in your shoes and even if got criticized for calling (which you didn't); I wouldn’t have second-guessed it. Emergency services are there for a reason, and responding to a fire would’ve been a far bigger issue than just checking things out.
Honestly, it’s a bit odd that you would question your decision. Better safe than sorry—always.

You’ve already been told by your insurance company and the fire brigade that you did the right thing. Why do you need to be told again?
I’m glad everything was ok and hopefully you can stop worrying now you’ve had the source of the smell identified.

You didn't know that everything was basically okay - that's why you needed the fire dept to come out. It could have been dangerous, so you absolutely did the right thing in getting it checked out. Don't fret over it. Plus, if you hadn't followed the instruction of your insurance company, they could refuse to pay out for the existing damage and you will still need to claim for this .

If they had something more urgent they would have gone there instead.

Can you explain to me why you would be reluctant to call the emergency number for a lightning bolt scorching electricity cables and causing a potential house fire, when you were actually advised to do it by an electrician and the insurance company?

What if you didn’t call them and something happened after being advised to call them?

Im starting to think you might actually have to be dead a few hours before calling for help nowadays. (Joking 😁)

you did the right thing and glad you are ok

This is not an ethical dilemma. This is a common sense dilemma. Surprised anyone old enough to use the internet needs validation on this one. You did what you were advised to do. The end.

Thank you.

It’s not your place to judge whether they should have been on another call. They will have procedures for prioritising call outs and if there was a burning building around the corner then that’s where they would have been. You did the right thing.

It's the OCD. That has nothing to do with common sense.

Thanks. I wasn't judging them though, I was judging me. They were great. I was just wondering if I overreacted. I'm glad to hear that the consensus is that I didn't.

😄
I have OCD, so it's hard to explain. I was obsessing over whether I was taking up time they could have used for something more dire. Thank you for your kindness.

Yeah, now that I think of it they had two fire engines, but they sent one away, probably on another call. So I'm being silly

Good point. I still don't know for sure if the wiring was damaged, so perhaps I should get an electrician to look to be on the safe side. Insurance probably won't pay now that the firefighters gave me the all clear.

Just feeling a bit wobbly I guess. A lightning strike that close is absolutely terrifying.

You're right and in fact I am a bit odd, but quite harmless. ;-)

I have stopped. You all helped and I'm grateful.

The fire service are brilliant at prevention and would much rather do that than deal with a fire. I called them out for some smouldering leaves in a wood and they were on top of it in no time. They'd much rather stop a fire happening than deal with it once it's taken hold. They always bring the massive rig out here so they can leave and go to an emergency if needed.

Yeah, they really impressed me.

At least in the UK, fire services are often just on standby. They spend significant time doing general safety checks (eg if professionals are concerns about potential fire risk for vulnerable people). If an actual emergency comes up, they can go and sort that out instead. I imagine they were glad of something to do!

Yeah, I'm sure that must be the case where I live. I hardly ever hear sirens.
Maybe the reason I felt bad was because I had to call 911 twice a few months ago about a suicidal relative and I feel like I've taken up more than my share of emergency services. But I have to remind myself there was nothing else I could do. Thanks for your input.

Yes you did the right thing, the fact that the firefighters themselves told you you’d done the right thing in calling them should reassure you!

The fire services do a lot of preventative stuff like safety checks too, it’s not just the life and death emergencies.

You are absolutely right. I do feel better now. My thanks to all.

If your electrician, insurance company, 111 and the fire brigade themselves all say you were doing the right thing, why do you care what Mumsnet thinks?