Milford's fire chief is sounding the alarm about the importance of dialing 911 after a call came into the fire department's business line to report a fire.

The call was made yesterday after a fire broke out at a home on Alden Place.

Officials say the fire started near the kitchen and spread throughout the first floor causing extensive damage.

The family made it out safely, but Battalion Chief Christopher Zak says things could have ended much worse especially since the call came through the station's business line and not through 911 like it should have.

 "The original caller called our business line. Fortunately, it was when the office staff was working. The secretary picked up, she promptly transferred 911 to our call-taking center. But that is seconds added to the turnout time and the response time of the fire department," he says.

Zak says he wants to remind the public that when in doubt, dialing 911 is always the number to call.

"That's the number where we're going to get the quickest amount of time to get the people out the door," Zak says.