B737-700 CAPT IS INFORMED VIA CELL PHONE THAT A SLIDE WAS LEFT ARMED BY HIS CREW AND DEPLOYED BY THE CLEANERS.

Narrative

OUR ARR AND SHUTDOWN AT THE GATE WERE NORMAL EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT DELAY FOR THE OPS AGENT TO POS THE JETWAY. WE DEPLANED ALL PAX AFTER THE SHORT DELAY. UPON ENTERING THE JETWAY TO REMOVE MY BAGS FROM THE ACFT; I WAS MET BY A MECH ASKING ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE ACFT. I INFORMED HIM THE ACFT HAD NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. HE INFORMED ME THAT I WAS TO CONSIDER THE ACFT RELEASED TO HIM AND I WAS FREE TO LEAVE. I MADE 1 MORE VISUAL CHK OF THE CABIN TO ENSURE ALL CUSTOMERS HAD DEPLANED AND RELEASED THE ACFT TO THE MECH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 789031: THE CAPT PARKED THE ACFT AT THE GATE. I COMPLETED THE LOGBOOK; ETC; AND EXITED THE ACFT. I MET MAINT ON THE JETWAY. I WAS ASKED BY MAINT IF THERE WERE ANY PROBS WITH THE ACFT. I SAID THAT AS FAR AS I KNEW; THE ACFT WAS GOOD. MAINT SAID THAT HE WOULD TAKE THE ACFT AS IS. I TOLD HIM THAT THE CAPT WOULD BE OFF THE ACFT SHORTLY. THE APU WAS RUNNING AND POWERING THE BUSSES. THE CAPT LATER EXITED THE ACFT; WE SHOOK HANDS; AND I DEPARTED FOR THE PLT LOUNGE. HE FOLLOWED SHORTLY AFTER AS WE MET IN THE ELEVATOR TO THE LOUNGE. UPON REACHING THE EMPLOYEE BUS STOP; THE CAPT'S CELL PHONE RANG AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT AN ESCAPE SLIDE HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED. HE WAS ON THE PHONE FOR SOME TIME. I PHONED THE CHIEF PLT AND MADE HIM AWARE OF THE EVENT. I ASKED THE CAPT IF THERE WAS A NEED FOR US TO RETURN TO THE ACFT. HE STATED THAT MAINT DID NOT NEED US AND THAT A SLIDE WAS BEING SENT FROM ANOTHER CITY TO REPAIR THE ACFT IN TIME FOR THE MORNING DEP. THE FLT CREW COULD HAVE CHKED THE SLIDES. THE FLT ATTENDANTS COULD HAVE CHKED EACH OTHER'S SLIDES. MAINT COULD HAVE CHKED THE SLIDES. THE PERSON WHO ACTIVATED THE SLIDE COULD HAVE CHKED IT PRIOR TO ACTIVATING IT.