Fire drill?

[bronwynrh]

Those of you at IU know that when there's a fire drill in Jordan Hall, you leave. You don't leave for fear of an actual fire or other disaster, no. You leave because the fire alarm is an horrific shrill electronic scream that can drive you mad.

At least, that's why I always left.

Just now, the alarm here in the Eckstein Medical Research Building sounded for the second time in the two and a half weeks I've been here.

It sounds like an airport pager. Bing. Bing. Bing. Bing. Then a pleasant male voice asks for our attention and politely informs us that an emergency has been reported in the building. "Please cease operations" and get out. Don't use the elevators. Do NOT use elevators. Bing. Bing. Bing. . .

Now, I know from the first time around that the police and firemen DO show up for these things, as the poor folks are required to do, even though we all know that false alarms are a weekly event. The folks who work here though, just keep right on doing what they're doing. They walk into the building, ignoring the pleasant pleading voice.

I guess we stay complacent until the authorities fine the university.

It's pretty sad, actually. One of these days, I'm might regret ignoring the pleading man.

Comments

[kendokamel.livejournal.com]

Hahaha!

That sort of reminds me of the fire alarm in my freshman dorm, except mine wasn't as quite as pleasant as the ding-dings. There was a quasi-Star-Trek-red-alert-like sound, followed by a K-Mart-Blue-Light-Special-announcer-type voice:

whoooooOOOOOOOP!
May I have your attention, please?
May I have your attention, please?
There has been a fire reported on your floor.
There has been a fire reported on your floor.
While this report is being verified, the building manager would like you to proceed to the stairwells and evacuate the building.
Wait away from the building for further instructions.
Please do not use the elevators, as they may be needed.
whoooooOOOOOOOP!

That year, we had 157 false alarms...

...and one raging inferno that engulfed an entire room, damaged an entire floor, and still managed to take 45 minutes to get everyone to leave the building and go out into the sub-freezing temperatures at 2 in the morning during spring mid-terms...

[bramey.livejournal.com]

That's good information, there. Two down, 155 to go before I have to leave the building.

[wistfulunicorn.livejournal.com]

There are areas in my building that don't even hear the fire alarm - the bathrooms and others. I've been known to face away from the door, open it and yell into the men's room. I'm captain of the safety/security team and fortunately have 4 helpers. No one in the department is safe. We'll roust them from any and every where.

With the weather and temps you have in Iowa you certainly don't want to have to stand outside for a false alarm. BRRR! Hope someone gets that alarm fixed and soon!

luv!

Yet another reason I'm glad Shoppers fired me

[miasmaman.livejournal.com]

When the fire alarm used to go off at the mall, mall employees weren't able to leave or close up shop or anything until mall security informed us that there was a problem. Which means that you have panicked shoppers milling around due to a loud bell going off, and others that are ignoring it and continuing to shop. It's all very weird.