Gadgets of Christmas Past: The Antiprank Fire Alarm

If the blithering idiocy of this device wasn't clear to its creators, there's little hope for mankind. One can only hope that at some early stage of development, it was pointed out to them that trapping people inside burning buildings wasn't good business, and some understandable motive (bureaucracy, money, demonic possession) forced them to see it through.

Fire Box Traps Pranksters
The sending of false fire alarms by mischievous persons may be eliminated through use of a newly developed call box. To use the device, the sender of an alarm must pass a hand through a special compartment to reach the signal dial. Once the dial has been turned, the sender’s hand is locked in the compartment until released by a fireman or policeman with a key.

The model's smile, failing at it does to quite reach the eyes, perfectly complements the message, "As your reward for saving my colleagues from a horrifying death, you get to increase your risk of doing the same!"

Fire Box Traps Pranksters