Couple Thanks First Responders, ADT Dispatcher After House Fire

DENVER (CBS4) - A Green Valley Ranch couple and their pets are safe, after a fire nearly destroyed their home on Father's Day. Greg and Tiarra Pailin met the first responders and ADT dispatcher from Florida who prevented a disaster from turning deadly.

"We saw an orange glow outside our window. When I first saw it I didn't think that was our house," said Tiara.

At first, the couple thought the smoke they smelled was the neighbors barbecuing for the holiday.

They went outside and saw flames from an electrical fire next door spreading to their house. Tiarra began rounding up the pets and moving their cars, while Greg ran to help his neighbors.

"I grabbed some fire extinguishers and tried to put it out but it didn't work," explained Greg.

The neighbors were able to exit their home safely. Meanwhile, the fire at his house was growing.

When Greg rushed to help, he left his cellphone inside. Tiara was occupied trying to find their four small dogs hidden throughout the home. It wasn't clear if anyone had dialed 911.

Little did they know, someone 1,700 miles away already did.

"I'm not really an emergency dispatcher. I was just helping out that day," said Britney Friend, an employee at ADT's Jacksonville office.

Friend received the home's smoke alarm signal from Florida. She alerted the Denver Fire Department, but started to worry when neither Tiara nor Greg answered their phones.

"My house is on fire. Where are my dogs? Where is my husband? I don't want to answer the phone, why is ADT calling me? That's what was going through my brain, but when I finally answered it was comforting," said Tiarra.

Tiarra and Greg had plenty of time to talk Wednesday morning, and thank Friend and the firefighters. They met outside their severely damaged home, that won't be repaired for another six months.

"I'm glad that I was able to help prevent more from happening," said Friend.

Thousands of pets die in home fires every year, but this family got lucky. Tiarra was able to get two dogs out by herself, but she was there to tell firefighters there were two more dogs inside.

ADT and its partners donated $15,000 to the Denver Fire Department that will be used toward pet window stickers for other homeowners. A sticker on the window indicating a home's total number of pets will let first responders know how many animals are in need of saving.

Learn more about ADT at adt.com/home-security.