BIG red trucks

Big noise……..and flying feet.

That's what happens when the fire alarm goes off in a near empty wing where the early birds are.

There's kids in the building, down the hall and to the left…….and right.

"False alarm!!" yells one of the staff members.  Well, that was a good thing to know.  My "I'm in charge" kicks in and, even though I'm not really in charge, I assume responsibility for the safety of the people around me.  Dunno why………maybe it's the 24 years of being responsible for the lives of all the students and staff members in the building……

Do I know where the key is to turn off the alarm?

No.

Do they?

Nope.

But it's quiet, they tell me……so the alarm's turned off.

That's great, but I know alarm systems and they need reset.  Quiet doesn't mean it's not still sounding at the fire department's alert system…….so there's a process and I DON'T KNOW IT.

That's not going to happen again.  I fumbled my way through the instructions that I scrambled to find.  I got the alarm folks called, too late of course.

Yup…….big red trucks and an apology to them in person .  They'd got the call from the alarm folks as they were coming into the drive.  That's good.  At least I know there's follow through with the alarm company.  *sigh*  Big red trucks…….

The good news is it WAS a false alarm.  And I now know where the key is to reset the system.

I'll get a lesson in the process from the folks who work it during the daytime hours.
But holy cow……

I don't like the sick feeling of not knowing—especially critical things like THAT. 

And I couldn't turn to the person who's been in the building for years and years and get answers?  *sigh*

I'll get answers.  And I'll get familiar with the process, where things are placed and how to read the alarm system.

I do NOT like that sick feeling of 'not knowing' critical things like that.  And even if I'm not 'in charge', I'll always assume a position of responsibility cuz that's how I'm made……..  That's not a 'bad thing'….that's just a 'true' thing.