I live in an apartment building. We have a number we can call for emergencies- but otherwise maintenance is done 9-5 M-F. I woke up to the sound of dripping water (couldn’t see any drips). About 9 pm, I decided that the constant drips (now visible out of my vent in my bathroom) constituted an emergency- I didn’t want the other damp ceiling spots to start dripping, and called the emergency number. Half an hour later, maintenance showed up- another half hour later (give or take slightly) he told me that the pipe that fills the toilet upstairs had come loose and flooded the upstairs bathroom (and maybe bedroom) and no one was home to call about it. Next time, if there is a next time, call immediately.
Ok, Fair enough, but . . . I’ve never experienced a leaky ceiling before (and I wasn’t home for large chunks of the day-- notably from 4pm-9pm). What emergencies have you had to recognize or how did you recognize a new kind of emergency?
Water leak, no heat, floor of kitchen replaced by hole :eek: no water, swamp creature in toilet-those are emergencies. Lack of AC when it’s obscenely hot is also.
Drippy tap, toilet that runs to refill every few hours, windows that rattle when the boyz play they musik-not emergencies. 
Order it to advance and give the password.
My apartment’s lease comes with a list of things that are considered emergencies. Floods (like yours), fires, broken windows, no heat when it’s below 55 outside, no air conditioning when it’s above 85 outside, toilet doesn’t work, major structural problem. I think that’s about it.
FWIW, my apartment’s lease came with a list of things considered emergencies- I just kept hoping that the people upstairs would call about the problem. (They weren’t home–according to maintainence).
But I may have phrased my question badly. I’m really more interested in the philosphical side- How do you tell the difference between an unfamiliar situation you can handle yourself and one that you should contact an expert to cope with?
It’s usually the lights & sirens that clue me in.