I arrived at work today after two days off, and heard a continuous beep sounding in the lobby. I walked in and looked for a possible source, and noticed a light on the panel of the Emergency Alarm Control Panel. The panel is in a plastic box, with an iron cage, and padlock around it. The beep is coming from the panel, and an LED marked “system prob” is lit. I shrug, and continue in, stopping by my boss’s boss’s boss’s office to tell him the Chicken Little system is beeping. (No one else even close to management is in, of course, it’s Friday afternoon.)
The Chicken Little Alarm system is relatively new. It has multiple detectors, alarm annunciators, and computer inputs from FEMA, State and Local Police, The Coast Guard, NOAA, and of course, the Fire Department. It will notify us of impending doom of many varieties. Those who have read this thread might already know that if two rooms in any building report smoke detection, it will automatically summon the Fire Department, and activate building evacuation alarms. It also sounds an alarm and broadcasts small craft warnings covering any navigable body of water within 150 miles of here. Floods, tidal waves, storms, tornados, you name it, and the Chicken Little system will give you multiple advance warnings.
So, today I report that it is beeping about “system prob” and ask him to call maintenance. He says they have been in since two days ago, when it first malfunctioned. They think the rain might be the problem.
So I ask him, “Does this mean we have no fire alarms, and can reasonably expect to have none until after work for maintenance starts on Monday, if the weather stays nice?” He says, “Yeah, maybe.” I smile at him, he says, “What?!”
“I was just wondering, does this mean we can make popcorn now?”
Tris