Shrewsbury Homeowner Meets ADT Operator Who Helped Save Her Life

SHREWSBURY (CBS) -- A Shrewsbury woman was saved by a phone call after a fire erupted in her living room.

"The smoke started to overtake me... I couldn't think clearly enough to either dial 911 or leave the house," Debra Quinn said.

She explained it all started with some home repairs, including a touch-up on the new floors. She thought she did a proper job cleaning up her vanish and rags then went to bed. But at 4 a.m., the fire alarm went off and the house began to fill with smoke.

"As I got into the living room, there was what looked like a blow torch where I had left the pan that had the brush," Quinn said.

"I grabbed a fire extinguisher and tried to put it out and it wouldn't go out. I just kept trying but when I grabbed the fire extinguisher I set off the burglar alarm."

That is where ADT operator Kathy Taylor comes in.

Quinn said, "Suddenly, my phone rang and there was just the calmest voice saying 'ADT are you okay?'"

Taylor immediately knew the woman on the other end of the line was in trouble. "I could tell that she was coughing, I could tell she was a little disoriented, and my main concern was to get [her] outside the house," she said.

The fire department said early notification from the security system was key to saving the house and Quinn.

"I wasn't alone, I just had this voice helping me," Quinn said.

On Tuesday, the two women came face to face for the first time.

"I'm still awake at night thinking of what would have happened if you hadn't called," Quinn said to Taylor.

Taylor added, "It's an honor. It's an honor, but most of all, I'm just happy to see you and know that you and your family are okay."

She has been with ADT for 11 years. She was given an ADT Lifesaver Award for her actions.