The fire department was here

[wdfifteen]

Our shipping gir burned something in the office kitchen and set off the fire alarm. The alarm system automatically contacts the FD, and they didn't answer their phone when I called to tell them it was a false alarm. While I was calling our shipping girl silenced the alarm horn and opened the doors to let the smoke out. I'm still on the phone when the FD shows up and she tells them what is going on. The dude in charge shouts "EVERYONE SHOULD BE OUT OF THE BUILDING" at our shipping girl.
She said, "There are nine of us here today and they're all right here. There is no fire."
He shouts at her again, "YOU CAN BE CRIMINALLY CHARGED WITH SILENCING THE ALARM. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO THAT." Scares her to death.
So I step in, "It was just smoke coming out of the oven!"
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"
The shipping girl is at her desk crying now and I'm getting testy.
"SO YOU THINK THERE IS A BLAZE SOMEWHERE AND THE SMOKING OVEN WAS A F&%$ING COINCIDENCE?"
The guys start to leave and they haven't looked at any part of the building except the oven. On the way out I asked if they found the fire. Dude glares at me and gets in the truck. The alarm is still going off, it's just the noise maker that is silenced. They are supposed to reset it. So half an hour later I call them and tell them they forgot to reset the alarm. I asked the dispatcher (girl I went to high school with) to tell them to send the big truck and the loudmouth driver.
The fire chief (who was not on the original call) came to do the reset and apologized. He said he'd talk to the staff about community relations. I don't know if this clown was having a bad day or he's just a jerk and should find a job with Time Warner.

[island911]

With automatic fire systems, FF have to work extra hard to foist their authority/relevance onto people. I mean, being a FF is a Really great gig if you can get it. ...8 days a month... retire with a fat pension after 25 years.

oh wait, was that politically incorrect?

[scottbombedout]

A bit of sympathy with your FD.

Our company has just suffered a catastrophic fire in one of our properties and the insurance claim (hopefully) will be £1.5 to £2 million.
A tumble dryer went on fire. The staff thought they had put it out and didn't call the FD. They didn't realise the fire had spread until it was too late...

The insurance company are now wriggling, saying FD should have been called and they should have investigated.

[Gogar]

They were just cranky because your not-fire happened right in the middle of a wicked series of ping pong.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by island911

With automatic fire systems, FF have to work extra hard to foist their authority/relevance onto people. I mean, being a FF is a Really great gig if you can get it. ...8 days a month... retire with a fat pension after 25 years.

oh wait, was that politically incorrect?

I don't agree with you that it is a great gig. Okay so there are not a lot of fires but firefighters can experience smoke inhalation. The rate of respiratory diseases and cancer is high.
Cheers, Guy.

[dyount]

Problem 1...... Whomever required a smoke detector in the area of the kitchen has cranial inversion issues. As per the NFPA 72 ( fire alarm code) please change said detector if within 30 ft of a cooking appliance to a heat detector in order to alleviate nuisance alarms.
That way the issue is easily resolved and no more FF showing up in a huff cause nothings burning and no holes can be cut in the roof etc. All that said, if there is an alarm of any kind quite honestly everyone should exit the building. The silencing of the alarm by authorized personnel is not an issue if it already went out automatic to 911 or a monitoring company.
If the alarm is a newer type silencing the horns will not alter what caused the alarm anyway... FD walks in the front door, check the address of the alarm device, goes to said place to then say.... Nope, no fire. No idea of how OH does things but I had a fire person threaten to write me a citation at one point.... "feel free to get the citation out so I can make sure you fill it in correctly, and what's your badge number btw cause mine is "CE 21xxxx". Got real pin drop quiet at that moment.
I work as what is typically called a Fire Marshal,,, review plans,inspect construction of all systems, electrical,plumbing,structure,fire alarm & sprinkler.
If you have any further questions regarding I'll be glad to help.

[Seahawk]

How did the driveway sealer hold up?

And shipping "girl"? What is the name of your business, Tarzan, Inc.?

[sammyg2]

Most fire fighters are decent enough folk, but a small percentage of em can't handle the ego stroking and get too big fer their own britches.


I used to be a trained and licenced fire fighter with certificates from from University of Nevada-reno and Texas A&M.
I've fought eight large refinery fires but I also worked as a city firefighter for a short time, even got a letter of recommendation from mayor McCheeze.
That was a very boring gig. Lots of rack time, lots of seat time, lots of cleaning, polishing, and POSING. That was the worst part, the egotistical posers I worked with. They walked around all puffed out, as if their sheet didn't stink. Ever so often one of us would have to remind them that they can't BS us, we're in on the scam. It was only a few that were like that but they gave the rest a bad name.

We have a volunteer fire brigade where I work, and even there we have a few who insist on PRETENDING that they are bigger than life super-hero super-fire fighters, when in actuality they are
refinery workers who might fight one fire in their entire career. They even have plastic badges.

And if a firefighter gets smoke inhalation, he did something WRONG. He broke a rule, failed to follow procedure, or cut a corner.

[Cajundaddy]

I have appreciation for FD guys. I hang out with a bunch of them including several Capts and Battalion Chiefs with CDF. Their job is 95% training, preparation, and maintenance which can get real tedious but when they are on a serious fire they are all-in to win it at great personal risk.

Loudmouth was way out of line. He needs to spend some quality time with a toothbrush and some wheel polish, or unrolling inspecting, and re-rolling hoses until he remembers his manners. There are times when a fireman should put real fear in someone's heart to prevent them from killing themselves but this wasn't it. He was probably just pissed that someone interrupted his lunch for a non-issue alarm call.

[VaSteve]

This thread is worthless without pictures...

[GH85Carrera]

The bad:

A friend of mine had a small kitchen fire. His wife called the fire department right away as he extinguished the fire with an extinguisher. The fire department showed up and kicked down the unlocked front door. They proceeded to hose down the furniture in the living room which was not on fire. They went into the kitchen and hosed down everything, then they went into the two bedrooms and hosed down everything. The entire contents of the house was water damaged because if of a small kitchen fire that was out. My friend was not happy.

The good:

Different friend had a lightning strike roof fire. The fire department came in grabbed all the pics from the walls and other valuables and threw them on the bed. Grabbed the bedspread and hauled it outside. They saved a lot of pictures and put out the fire but there was extensive damage to the roof and the ceiling caved in. The stuff in cabinets and dressers and closets was salvageable. The FD did a great job but the house was a demo job and rebuild. They put out the fire and saved a lot of irreplaceable "stuff."

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Seahawk

How did the driveway sealer hold up?

It hasn't washed away yet. I'm hopeful the "110 gallons of sealer" is one thing he told me that wasn't a lie.

Originally Posted by Seahawk

And shipping "girl"? What is the name of your business, Tarzan, Inc.?

It's not PC, but that's what we call her.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by VaSteve

This thread is worthless without pictures...

LOL!



If you're angling for a picture of our shipping associate (is that better Seahawk?) it ain't gonna happen.

[porsche4life]

Tell her next time not to put the boxes in the oven to seal them shut.

[GH85Carrera]

Can you you get her on the roof. We all want more roof girl.

[wildthing]

Well, a reflection of the shipping associate on the oven glass would be fine too.

[recycled sixtie]

This thread should spawn pics of hot firewomen. Do firewomen exist even?
G.

[dyount]

Oh.... Ohio..... If it were here in my jurisdiction you'd not have burners on that stove or you'd have a suppressive hood over it.
Funny thing is the FD guys should of told you to remove the smoke detector and replace with a heat.... save em a trip next time you burn the bacon on BLT at the office day.
And move those boxes away from the stove as well... at least 3' would be a good rule.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by recycled sixtie

This thread should spawn pics of hot firewomen. Do firewomen exist even?
G.

There are a couple on our FD. I've only seen them with all the gear on, so I know nothing about their hotness.

[Rikao4]