I'm a 9th grader whose been to 3 schools in the past 5 years. I'm the top model student like how my parents want me to be. Apparently my weird past self wanted to rebel without my parents knowing so I decided it was my ultimate mission to press the fire alarm at every school that I transfer to.
Going back about 16 years I worked in an entry level admin job which included taking phone calls from people wanting repairs to their social housing. Lots of angry people calling.
Being the helpful young chap I was I also volunteered to test the fire alarm in the building with a couple of other colleagues. This was done at 9am every Monday morning.
One morning I'd had a particularly obnoxious caller and didn't get off the phone until about 9.15am. Straight after, I made my way to the alarm panel at the other end of the building and we did the test, no issues.....or so I thought.
Few hours later my manager calls me to go see her. She is fairly new. Turns out she wants to point out the importance of doing the alarm on time, I shouldn't be late doing it, and that I should organise my time better, etc. I tell her the best option is if I stop doing the tests, since I cant guarantee I am always free at 9am - for example if someone calls at 8.40am and chews my ear off for 30 minutes I am definitely not gonna put them on hold and piss them off more. Manager says I should stop spitting my dummy out and being sulky and petulant. I agreed that I would carry out the tests at 9am sharp in future......
Next few weeks pass and the manager is getting complaints from callers that either they get cut off or inexplicably put on hold. She notices this happens around 9am Mondays, and the complaints all relate to calls involving me. Yep - I was either just cutting callers off completely, or putting them on hold for however long it took, to make sure that alarm was done at 9am. Any callers wanting to speak to my manager? "But of course sir/madam, here are her contact details".
Needless to say I stopped having to do the alarm and my manager had to do it instead as nobody else was able to......
Manager and I continued to work for the same employer although I went off in a different team. We bumped into one another on training courses etc for some time and she was always frosty (had a reputation for it by that time) until recently when she was laid off and I did not find it hilarious at all....
Anyone who stays in the building deserves what they get.
because you‘re loud and annyoying
I’ve just completed my 30th year as a licensed fire alarm tech in Minnesota and feel I have some insight I’d like to share and something to get off my chest that’s bugging the shit out of me.
The occupation of fire alarm tech is NOT a calling or a religion, it’s an opportunity to earn a good living within an industry that generates billions. Like most industries our financial success is predicated on using our expertise in satisfying code compliance in a manner that costs building owners the least amount of money. The codes engineers use to design systems were not written on stone tablets next to a burning bush, they were agreed to at a table full of very fat cats from companies with names like Honeywell and Siemens.
Many of these codes have changed in my 30 years under the guise of “life safety”, here are the most impactful.
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Cabling... 30 years ago we ty-wrapped cables directly to the ceiling grid wires. Code change required the cables are now supported independently. Big winner was fastening hardware industry. We rationalize this change as an improvement in “life safety “.
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ADA... Americans with disabilities act required strobe lights like crazy under the guise of improved life safety for people who are deaf. This one I’m willing to meet in the middle and say it probably did (but, I’ll offer a million dollars to anyone who can provide data on death or injury to deaf people as a result of fire prior to and after this change). The big winner was of course our industry, NAC power expander and strobe light sales created additional billions in profits.
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Elimination of smoke detectors and pull stations... code changes now require smoke detectors in extremely limited area (elevators and door holders basically) provided the building is properly sprinkled. In fact two jurisdictions in my area now require all smoke detectors be programmed as supervisory. This change more than any illustrates the arbitrary nature of the purpose of a fire alarm system.
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Duct smoke detectors.... all over the map, from year to year they’re alarm, supervisory, installed by HVAC company, installed by fire alarm crew, stand alone, installed in ducts that penetrate 2 hour fire walls, one hour, not installed, supply duct only, return duct only etc etc etc. I inspect buildings with 300 duct detectors and buildings with 6 (the same size buildings). You tell me on this one (and I’m sure somebody is gonna chime in with absolute certainty).
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Speakers... (don’t worry, this is
I had to open in the deli kitchen this morning and completely forgot to turn the vents on. Everything seemed fine for the first few hours but then shit finally hit the fan when it started to get all smoky throughout Publix thanks to me and the dirty oil that hasn't probably been changed in over a month.
The fire alarm finally decided to go off , customers had to temporary evacuate the building for safety precautions, and then the fire department shows up about 10 minutes later.
Thankfully, I didn't burn the store down and all is well.
The unfortunate thing now about this situation im going to be known as the idiot who forgot to turn the vents on and lost some temporary buisness for 30 minutes.
This could perhaps be my first disciplinary write up working for Publix. 😆
I was wondering if you guys ever experience overly rude treatment and Class Discrimination from any of your Customers being a Fire Alarm Professional?
My opinion is it seems like one job many Office people and lower level Maintence Staff don't understand and they default to looking down at it, like they would to Painters and Sheetrockers.
Hi all thanks to Covid my husband and I moved to my country earlier this year. Before that we lived in Spain, where he's from. Someone in my town has offered him a brilliant opportunity to work as a security and fire alarm technician, which he did in Spain for about 3 years circa 2015. After that he worked as a technician but in a different field. The company here is giving him a 2 week trial because although he's a really good technician his English isn't perfect. His trial starts on the 20th so I'm trying to help him prepare. What kind of things would be helpful? Teaching him how to speak to clients? How to call the fire dept to tell them he's testing an alarm? How to demonstrate a key pad?? Would any of you have some blank paper work they you could send me so we can practise filling it in so that he gets use to it. This job would make a huge difference to us as right now he's only working part time for min wage and we've a baby. (I'm working as a teacher) Any help would be really really appreciated.
And if so, what topics are you interested in?
Where I work, we probably have hundreds of years of combined experience. If there's a question, we'll definitely have the answer. Make a podcast?
IDK, what do you guys think?
Hi! Does anyone know if they are testing fire alarms this week or have they all been somewhat genuine? I think we’ve had them go off for 3 of the 4 days back on campus. I’m just being nosey :)
Edit: thank you everyone for the awards!
Keep your friends and family safe!
Every time it's cold, the neighbor's fire alarm kicks off presumably from the heater. The neighbor isn't there to deal with it unfortunately. Do y'all have recommendations?
Edit: got a hold of the owner. He says there's some faulty wiring and that he'll be coming by tomorrow to fix it
