Out Of The Loop

So, let me back up with an update of last nights post, since it's germane. Sgt Uncle T had a mild heart attack and spent three days in the hospital. He's going in for a cardiac cath and stent surgery the first week of next month.

I found all this out in the parking lot this afternoon when he came back to work. he was wearing some sort of portable heart monitor that was like a cell phone connected to the hospital. They were monitoring him all the time. Weird.

Right after shift change they called a code 16 on staff outside central on B-side. It scared the snap out of me, as I knew that was where Sgt Uncle T was at that moment. Turns out that it was Sausage. He's had the flu and wasn't eating right and apparently just fell off the bench and passed out. They got him up and fed him something and sent him home for the next couple of days. When he comes back I may have to smack him and Uncle T for scaring me like that.

The other day when I came in they had rearranged things in the comm room inventory and now had twelve radios marked with "FB" for Fire Brigade. And there was a list of all of the fire brigade members posted. They are supposed to get the FB radios when they come on shift. I knew nothing about it.

Well, my name wasn't on the list. I said "Huh! Was I excluded, dropped or just forgotten?" Ran into Sgt Homer and he said "Just write your name on there! You are on the fire brigade! I know you are!"

I found out later this evening that those FB radios have extra channels for the local fire and PD, just in case we have an actual fire. Then we can help coordinate. Or something. Supposedly this was all explained in an email that was sent to everybody on the brigade.

I didn't get that either.

Just in case somebody runs into the little bald guy that's in charge of fire and safety, tell him he's starting to hurt my feelings just a little.

There was one other issue that came up about that this evening.

Years ago I got put into the position of Head of maintenance for an Army hospital up in Alaska. Turns out I was also Fire and Safety as well. It came along with the job. One of the most important things I got when I got the job was a key to reset the fire alarms. Because 99% of all the fire alarms that I had to respond to were alarm malfunctions. Just a power surge or a glitch in the system that set it off and scared the snap out of everybody.

Or, like tonight, somebody accidentally whacked the alarm box and set it off. Happened over in A-dining when they were cleaning up after chow. Luckily, dinner was already over.

I was out in the P-Car and I knew the Watcher was inside and he could field the alarm. Heck, he probably knows more about it than I do. Even without any training. he's probably the closest thing we have to a genius around here.

A slightly twisted and partially evil genius, but a genius nonetheless.

So, it was a false alarm and we just needed to reset the system at the box.

Where was the key?

He came back up to the comm room and tried out both sets of keys marked "Fire and Safety". Neither one of them had a key that fit the box. What good are they then?

Called all three of the higher ups on the brigade. Turns out that all three of them carry a reset key on their personal keyrings. But not one in the sets in the comm room. And all three of those guys work day shift and mostly can't be reached at night.

Oh joy.

We finally got hold of one of the guys and he came in and reset the alarm almost three hours after it was first called. And he told us that there is one other key on the Captains keyring kept in the desk up in central.

Did the Watcher or I know this?

No.

Did the Captain know this?

No.

Did anybody besides the fire and safety guy and his assistant chiefs know this?

Apparently not.

But we added to our knowledge base this evening. It can't be considered a wasted day because we learned something that might be important. But it was sure like pulling hens teeth to pry out that little bit of information.

It seems like we are bombarded with information the whole time we are at work. This has been going on and we found that over there. This thing is broken and that thing is new so don't break it. This one had a baby and that one just lost his great aunt twice removed and her funeral is in that cemetery at three pm and she liked tulips.

But when it comes to the really important snit, like hey, your buddy is in the hospital... Or if you want to do your job you might need this thing kept here..... Everybody is silent.

Or maybe I'm just out of the freaking loop. I dunno.

Where is this loop and how do I get in?

Enough of my ranting. Let's check the calendar.

Thursday is No Housework Day. I'll let the wife know. She'll be pleased. Just don't tell Chanel. She'll cheat and do the dishes anyway, I'm sure. (grin, wink)