Ah... a nice day off with the family.Today you've decided to grab the kids and head into the City for some time at the Museum. The crowds are thick on a beautiful spring morning and you navigate them with the skills of someone who has been through worse.
As you stand in line with another 250 patrons, wouldn't you know it, the fire alarm begins to sound.
Great.
Grabbing the little ones you make way with the others towards the exits and are rather impressed with the way folks are actually leaving the building. On the way out, your little one asks if the fire trucks are coming. Doing the quick math and having responded to an alarm at this particular building, you know the first due engine is only minutes away so you hurry along to the front of the building.
Outside everyone is asking everyone else what they think caused the alarm.
"Some kid playing with the alarm" someone says.
"What if they just needed to evacuate the building?" someone else asks.
Looking at your watch you realize the first due engine is past due and the alarm bell is still ringing.
10 minutes pass.
Then 15 minutes pass.
No sirens, no engine and everyone is still outside.
Do you step forward and if so, what do you say/do? This is your response area on your days on duty and something isn't right, but you have the family in tow.
What do you do?
You make the call.
Comments
As for the family part...kids will be doing a perimiter search and securing all non-essentual doorways while wife stands off to the side shaking here head refusing to acknowledge the whacker family she is part of.
"Where you on scene at the museum yesterday?"
"Me? NOOOOOO, I was enjoying a very nice Latte down the harbour! I heard the alarm went on?"
"Yeah,, silly kids..."
As for the family part...kids will be doing a perimiter search and securing all non-essentual doorways while wife stands off to the side shaking here head refusing to acknowledge the whacker family she is part of.
"Where you on scene at the museum yesterday?"
"Me? NOOOOOO, I was enjoying a very nice Latte down the harbour! I heard the alarm went on?"
"Yeah,, silly kids..."
After that, there are variables.
Are there signs of actual smoke or fire? That's part of the size up either way.
What is the age/quantity of kids, and how are mom and the kids doing in general? Self-reliant teenagers or little runaways? Rough day so far or good moods all the way around?
Based on those variables, I could argue extremes all the way from sending Mom and the kids to a nearby sandwich shop for a bite while SAFELY doing what you can to help people get out and keep them out and setting things up for a smooth transition to the arriving IC, to the other extreme of simply gathering the clan and getting out of Dodge without looking back.
After that, there are variables.
Are there signs of actual smoke or fire? That's part of the size up either way.
What is the age/quantity of kids, and how are mom and the kids doing in general? Self-reliant teenagers or little runaways? Rough day so far or good moods all the way around?
Based on those variables, I could argue extremes all the way from sending Mom and the kids to a nearby sandwich shop for a bite while SAFELY doing what you can to help people get out and keep them out and setting things up for a smooth transition to the arriving IC, to the other extreme of simply gathering the clan and getting out of Dodge without looking back.
After that, there are variables.
Are there signs of actual smoke or fire? That's part of the size up either way.
What is the age/quantity of kids, and how are mom and the kids doing in general? Self-reliant teenagers or little runaways? Rough day so far or good moods all the way around?
Based on those variables, I could argue extremes all the way from sending Mom and the kids to a nearby sandwich shop for a bite while SAFELY doing what you can to help people get out and keep them out and setting things up for a smooth transition to the arriving IC, to the other extreme of simply gathering the clan and getting out of Dodge without looking back.