Oops

I got Godfathered recently, pulled back in to help with Emergency Management. 

In my long time in the public service I have tried my hardest to step up and help make for a safe and happy workplace. Why? Because it benefits me to have a safe and happy workplace. So it's altruism with a core of Mikey-selfish. Anyway for years I volunteered in those various add-on tasks that they ask people to do—section warden, first aid officer, OH&S officer—but that you don't get fiscally compensated for because it's important to step up and do these things.

But when my First Aid Certificate expired—and with an eager replacement lined up to step in—I hung up my various coloured hard hats for what I thought was the last time. With my hip operation I still have mobility issues and so I didn't wish to be clambering up and down stairs or rapid jogging or all that other assorted physicality that can arise with such roles. 

Alas my retirement was not to be. I got pulled back in because the core person in my area who is the official wearer of the workplace Emergency Management hard hat wasn't in. And unlike other potentials I was trained.

It had been about three years since I've done people wrangling in the steering them to safety sense so I forgot a lot of it. I remembered to check the toilets for example when rushing people out the door to make sure no one was left behind.

Only ... two people were left behind. As the building alarm had failed on first attempt the drill-spawning lads used an alert tone on the bull horn. No one had heard that tone before so there was some confusion as to what it meant. It also meant that those people trying to have a private meeting who heard this odd noise, and likely presumed it to be construction ambiance, simply shut their door to block it out.

I forgot to do a sweep to check for inhabitants in offices with closed doors.

It was only when the two came wandering around the corner across the road from where we were all huddled in the assembly area that we realized they were missing, the head count having failed to detect their absence.

So yes ... I'd sent two people to the crisper were the drill an actual event of fire and with the burning and the screaming and waving of arms.

But as the lads running the drill noted this is why you have drills—to note the kinks, work out the solutions, and to instill in the mind the need to check all doors and who could be behind them; not just check for people having a sneaky sleep on the shitter.

Later I went and apologised to the two left behind, and to another senior person who only found out the drill was on when she saw people gathering across the road through her window and she opened her door to find out what was happening and I then hustled her out of the building.

Still, it could have been worse. It could have been super yucky outside so at least it was, on balance, a nice day for it. You know ... apart from the having left two people to choke to death on roiling toxic smoke.