Had a fire alarm at work today and even though it's not my first (and most likely won't be my last), I'm still amazed or appalled at the level of stupidity and ignorance people show during a fire alarm.

During the fire alarm, I had several people start freaking on me for it (I guess it disturbed their naps) and some were saying "It's only a false alarm just turn the damned thing off!". Yes, it was another false alarm (faulty smoke detector) but by law, these have to be treated like the real thing. Some other people were trying to stop me to ask questions (is this a fire alarm?) and others were demanding that I run errands for them. I finally had enough and said loudly, "Folks, this is not the time!" and headed outside to wait for the fire trucks. After the alarm was cleared and the fire department left, I was getting a stream of complaints about the alarms we were having and people were telling me my job. They were insisting I check first and then call the fire department. Saves them $300 per truck for the false alarms. I told them as politely as I could "Fuck that! I'm not risking my life or job just to save you assholes a few bucks!" That was the message. The words I used were "Procedures are I call the fire department and let them check it out. If you have any concerns, please bring them up with management." Try saying that with clenched teeth while not making it obvious that you are clenching your teeth.

The last site I worked at was no better. The most idiotic reactions to the fire alarms came from government employees (federal) and lawyers. They were not the only ones but they seemed to be the worst. I've had people phone down during the alarm to demand the tones be turned off, the elevators be turned back on as they don't want to use the stairs, to schedule the alarm for another time as this is inconvenient for them and the best one was "set the elevator for our floor only. The fire fighters can use the stairs". Another idiot (not lawyer or government employee this time), demanded I go look for her car keys. I pointed out we have a fire alarm and she said "That's not important. Just find my car keys now! I want to go home!" I just refused and hung up. At this site, during a previous fire alarm, I had someone call and demand that I bring a note to their friend on another floor. I advised her to do it herself as that was not my job and hung up.

I was very glad to get the hell out of there today and go home. I believe that a thousand years from now, when some archeologist digs up my body, s/he are going to find permanent teeth marks on my tongue and lips. The answer I almost gave to the people asking if this was a fire alarm was "Nope! The local fetish club came to visit and they are getting their rocks off on the tones!"

BLARGH!

Thanks for letting me rant here. Got that off my chest!

Well, god forbid that something happens to interrupt their day. What a bunch of asshats. It sounds like you are a building manager, and not an employee of any of the companies. If that is the case, couldn't you send out a memo stating the laws / rules associated with fire alarms, as well as your responsibilities? I would think that your employer would support such a move, as it will help take the heat off of them. It's also a good way to put these people in their place.

I'm the security guard for a condo (supervisor at that) and yes, the property manager does fully support me. Apparently, there have been memos sent in the past but these seem to go unnoticed. Probably time for another memo.

At the time the alarm happened, the guy was out having his lunch so he wasn't around to take the heat for this.

Posted by rainman8889 At the time the alarm happened, the guy was out having his lunch so he wasn't around to take the heat for this.

Ack! Naturally!!!

Posted by PorkChopExpress Ack! Naturally!!!

Yup!

Funny thing was, this was maybe the third time in almost two months this guy actually left to take his lunch. The rest of the times he would work through his lunch. As I mentioned, he fully supports me as he knows the level of stupidity that these people show. And that's on a good day.

I feel for ya. I worked armored security for a couple years. I lost count of the number of idiots I had to deal with.

When a fire alarm goes off at work I run for the stairs and take off. Then I go shopping for about 45 minutes because it takes about a half hour before they can get everyone back in the building (too many people, not enough elevators and the stairs are exit only.) I love fire alarms at work!

I was totally on your side until you said it was a condo. I must say, I would be pissed if a fire alarm woke me up for a tasty nap. I would be very pissed indeed. My friend lived in a condo and every time I visited her the alarm would go off at some point. We always ignored it, but it always made us mad.

Fire alarms are for work only! I have only had one go off once at home and it was because the guy below me passed out wasted while cooking and it burnt through his pot. This happened at 4 in the morning. The fire dept came and made us open all our doors and windows. When I finally got to go back to bed an hour later there was a bat flying around my apartment. It took me two days to get that fellow out. Then, a few days after that I came home to new doors. Apparently the fire department didn't like my beautiful metal doors that I loved. Now I have these crappy doors and I can suddenly hear everything in the hallway.

Again, fire alarms are for work only!

Posted by argonian <snip> Fire alarms are for work only! <snip> Again, fire alarms are for work only!

NO! Maybe it's because you haven't had friends lose everything in fires, but fire alarms in homes are absolutely necessary too. I'm surprised you have that attitude even after such a close call. You know the hypotheticals I can ask, so I'm not going to waste your time, but damn!

Here in Durham Region, or at least Whitby, the fire department actually goes door to door checking if you have working smoke detectors on every floor of your house.

In Clarington, the city just goes door to door checking if you're trying to sneak by with an unlicensed dog/cat. There's priorities.

But yes, a smoke detector on every floor is actually the law here.

I am talking about false alarm fire alarms. Condos, from what I have seen, tend to cry wolf pretty often when it comes to fires. If that was the case I would be pissed.

Again, in my life at home (and I never lived in a single family dwelling) one time with the fire alarm going off and there was a good reason, but I would be pissed if I was having to deal with false alarms. From the reaction he got I assume this was not the first false alarm people dealt with.

when a fire alarm goes off where I work, it's a big deal.
people don't panic, but they do show a bit of disinterested concern about who what where and when.

Posted by argonian I am talking about false alarm fire alarms. Condos, from what I have seen, tend to cry wolf pretty often when it comes to fires. If that was the case I would be pissed. Again, in my life at home (and I never lived in a single family dwelling) one time with the fire alarm going off and there was a good reason, but I would be pissed if I was having to deal with false alarms. From the reaction he got I assume this was not the first false alarm people dealt with.

There is no place for false alarms anywhere. It is a royal pain in the ass to deal with them as I have a lot of paperwork to complete afterward not to mention resetting the elevators and at one building, the mag locks as well. I have far better things to do with my time than deal with fire alarms and they are just as much a nuisance to me as well.

Yes, we have had a few false alarms but the one I had prior to this one was more genuine. Some asshole had their toaster oven start burning and he dumped it into the stairwell. That set off the alarm and then people were trying to evacuate via that stairwell. Not a pretty scene. We were very lucky that no one got hurt or killed that day.

About 14 years ago, I was at the scene of a trailer fire. Two people died and they could have escaped if there was a working smoke detector. I helped carried one of the victims away from that trailer and I still remember the smell and the sight of her. That left me with nightmares for a long time. The nightmares are gone now but I take fire safety very seriously.

It does suck to be disturbed by a fire alarm but it would suck worse having to attend a loved one's funeral when that loved one could have survived a fire.

They are a MUST!
I'd rather deal with the annoyance of a false alarm then lose everything again..

Fire alarms where I work don't mean jack unless it's where you work, as in on your line.
We find out where it is by a listing we have and there's a whistle/airhorn system that tells you where it is and issues an evacuation alert, if it can't be fought. Even in a paper mill, fires can be fought, unless they just get so out of control and burn the dry roll stock in one of two places where it's kept.
Each department also has a radio system and other things that get the word out.
The only real alarm we're concerned with is the evacuation alarm. If that happens, then you shut down the machines as safely as you can, go to the meeting point and get the hell out.
Although, what bothers me is by the time you get to the gathering point, if the wind's blowing the wrong way, you're pretty much done. OSHA says that IP needs to have it, but it'll do little or no good if the boiler decides to explode. The old system when it was first put in is that it would break free and go up, blowing the top off of it and out through the roof, instead of out through the walls of the building. Now, with all the construction in and around it, no one knows where it'll go. Most likely, it'll leave a big smoking crater and nobody will know what hit them.

Shael