# How do exam boards cope with examinees in the emergency services getting called out? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646 "2014-08-15T22:11:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/1 "2014-08-15T22:11:47Z")
Maybe you’re a lifeboatman. Maybe you’re a police officer. Maybe you’re a reserve firefighter. You still take exams now and then. So, you’re taking an invigilated exam when your emergency bleeper goes off. You of course, hop to it and go to do your duty. After all, lives are at stake. But what about your exam? You can’t just return to it as you’ll have had time to look up the answers. It seems very unfair to fail you. So what does happen? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/2 "2014-08-15T22:18:50Z")
Lives at stake or not, for certain situations you aren’t reachable. By your thinking international travel would be off limits. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/3 "2014-08-15T22:27:31Z")
Unless it was an emergency with mass casualties, I’d imagine that the service-workers would be rostered off being ‘on-call’ for the duration of the exam. And if it were a major emergency (think 9-11 or Katrina) I doubt the exam is going to be at the forefront of anybody’s thinking for weeks or months to come. Just MHO. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/4 "2014-08-15T22:48:54Z")
When I took the GREs (c1985) there was a guy I knew taking them in my group. He had told me repeatedly that his GRE results would make or break him, and he looked like shit at the exam. At one point he had to go to the bathroom. He returned, running, sat down and time was called. He hit the john once more and came back looking awful. On his third trip he collapsed and was taken by ambulance. We never got any additional time or anything. I scored very well. Never saw him again (not that I would have regardless of outcome). ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/5 "2014-08-15T22:54:56Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Unless it was an emergency with mass casualties, I’d imagine that the service-workers would be rostered off being ‘on-call’ for the duration of the exam. For some (e.g. lifeboatmen) it doesn’t work like that: the maroons go up and you head to the boat wherever you are. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2014, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/6 "2014-08-15T23:16:03Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Unless it was an emergency with mass casualties, I’d imagine that the service-workers would be rostered off being ‘on-call’ for the duration of the exam. > > And if it were a major emergency (think 9-11 or Katrina) I doubt the exam is going to be at the forefront of anybody’s thinking for weeks or months to come. > > Just MHO. Speaking as a former Coastie, this. If you’re not “on-duty” or “on-call”, you’re off. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2014, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/7 "2014-08-16T08:57:55Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > Speaking as a former Coastie, this. If you’re not “on-duty” or “on-call”, you’re off. It’s slightly different here in the UK. There are many volunteers - RNLI, St John’s Ambulance, Special Constables, etc - and the lifeboats are crewed entirely by volunteers. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2014, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/8 "2014-08-16T09:49:56Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It’s slightly different here in the UK. There are many volunteers - RNLI, St John’s Ambulance, Special Constables, etc - and the lifeboats are crewed entirely by volunteers. Same in Aus, but there’s always times when you’re ‘off call’. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/9 "2014-08-16T13:55:29Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > For some (e.g. lifeboatmen) it doesn’t work like that: the maroons go up and you head to the boat wherever you are. I’m sure it does to a point- but are you saying that these volunteers can never travel out of town or make any plans that preclude them from responding to an emergency that’s not so major as to have caused the cancellation of everything else? If so, I can’t imagine how they get enough volunteers. If not, then whatever system is used that allows volunteers to go vacation will work to allow them to take exams. ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2014, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/10 "2014-08-16T13:55:59Z")
“What, they put me on the schedule even tho today’s the day I have a colonoscopy? Well … yeah … okay, I’ll be there as soon as the doc gets the camera out me bum.” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/11 "2014-08-19T03:36:29Z")
I scheduled exams on a day I had somebody else cover for me. “Emergency services” doesn’t mean everyone is on duty 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/12 "2014-08-19T06:33:01Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > It’s slightly different here in the UK. There are many volunteers - RNLI, St John’s Ambulance, Special Constables, etc - and the lifeboats are crewed entirely by volunteers. That doesn’t mean they operate any differently from full time emergency services personnel. They still have rosters, with people on and off call. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/13 "2014-08-19T08:00:01Z")
> [@dba\_Fred](#): > > “What, they put me on the schedule even tho today’s the day I have a colonoscopy? Well … yeah … okay, I’ll be there as soon as the doc gets the camera out me bum.” I sense the potential for a brand new category of fly-on-the-wall documentary: “Britain’s Lifeboat Crews - The Inside Story” ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/14 "2014-08-19T08:22:36Z")
Well there is a roster to be on call. They’d be off the on-call roster. (rostered to be at training/examinations.) But perhaps they are really special and so they do get called out for their special service. Well if they are called out, so then they re-schedule the test. Too simple. How often does such a special service get called upon ? ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/15 "2014-08-19T08:41:53Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I sense the potential for a brand new category of fly-on-the-wall documentary: “Britain’s Lifeboat Crews - The Inside Story” “Be there when it all goes to shit!” Brought to you by the fine folks at _Charmin_ and _Angel Soft_ and _Preparation H_. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/16 "2014-08-20T14:06:55Z")
Former volunteer fireman/EMT. If I was out of my jurisdiction, I was under no obligation to answer a page, and even if I was in it, I was not obligated to answer if someone else was scheduled at the time. First responders have lives outside of their respective services that need tending just like anyone else. If I was taking an exam, it was always outside my jurisdiction and I was 100% off schedule. ---
**Author:** ![lost4life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@lost4life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lost4life)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2014, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-exam-boards-cope-with-examinees-in-the-emergency-services-getting-called-out/695646/17 "2014-08-20T14:58:16Z")
I used to train a lot of first responders, military personnel, emergency managers, LEOs, what have you (nothing cool, just emergency management software). Scheduling was sometimes a bitch to get the right people in the same room, but if they were scheduled for training, they were not on call. Simple as that. I don’t think I’ve ever had someone leave a session.