Showing posts with label Fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fire. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Maybe it is Time to Move
The other day I got home from work just after 8 like I normally do. On my way upstairs I remember thinking just how nice it is to work nights since now I am not home when the fire alarm goes off. As it turns out, I picked the wrong morning to be having that thought. Not 2 hours later the fire alarm is going off. Azrael is hiding in my closet and the super is banging on the door... an indication it's a real fire. So I grab shoes, coat, wallet and cell phone and venture out into the hallway. I must say that all those things I learned in school about what to do in case of a fire has long since disappeared from memory. On my way outside I almost trampled some little old lady. Personally, I just chalk it up to Darwinism and "Survival of the fittest." Don't worry I didn't push her down the stairs or anything. Get outside and you can see smoke billowing from a third floor window. Fortunately it was on the other side of the building and away from my apartment. The fire department got there pretty quick. There were 4 fire trucks, the command vehicle, 2 police cars and an ambulance. Lots of activity. After almost an hour (good thing it wasn't all that cold) a bus showed up. It was somewhere to sit that was a little warmer. But, not even 10 minutes later, we were given the all clear and allowed to return home. Seems it was caused by an improperly placed heater. What concerns me most is that this is the 4th fire since I moved in 2 years ago. Granted most of them have been minor but still. I have never had the pleasure (or pain more like it) of being evacuated from a burning building before.... and now it seems to be a regular occurrence. Perhaps it's time to look for a new place to live... or at least get insurance on all my belongings. Pictures to come later, I am currently at work.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Just Another Day
The other night I was on my way out to McDonald's. I am really wishing that more restaurants were open late so I could get a little variety on my late night runs. I'm not sure that eating that much McDonald's is good for you. Not that McDonald's and my diet had anything to do with this post... but whatever. So on my way out the superintendant gets in the elevator with me. I ask what floor he is going to and he too is heading down to 1. It seems that someone (or more then 1) have lit the garbage on fire and now it's burning. Just in case you weren't reading my blog back then this isn't really a new thing. I posted about the arson back in June of 2006. Now that time around the recycling was still in the building and someone decided to torch it causing damage to the building. This time around it was the garbage bin out back that was set on fire. Just another day around here.
Speaking of the apartment they are super speedy at fixing things too. Now when I had the leak in the kitchen they got to it fairly quickly. I had to go for a weekend without being able to use the kitchen sink but it wasn't a big deal and I had said it was okay. Then at the beginning of this week I started having trouble draining the kitchen sink. I reported it on Tuesday and figured it wouldn't take long before they came in to add the Drano. Supposedly the building maintenance guy came by but I didn't answer. Now a) why do they never call to give me advance notice? and b) why did they not tell him I had given permission to enter if I wasn't home. So he promised that he would come by today. Did he show up? Nope. As much as I might not want to do dishes I really don't want them sitting on the counter indefinitely either. So I took matters into my own hands and went down to Zellers. Picked up some Drano and poured it down the sink. So far so good. But then I'm not entirely sure that it wasn't an issue with the sewer system in the building and caused by someone else's apartment since it was backing up when I wasn't even running water. Either way I thought that the reason I paid so much for rent was so that I didn't have to fix my own issues. That was supposed to be a perk.
Speaking of the apartment they are super speedy at fixing things too. Now when I had the leak in the kitchen they got to it fairly quickly. I had to go for a weekend without being able to use the kitchen sink but it wasn't a big deal and I had said it was okay. Then at the beginning of this week I started having trouble draining the kitchen sink. I reported it on Tuesday and figured it wouldn't take long before they came in to add the Drano. Supposedly the building maintenance guy came by but I didn't answer. Now a) why do they never call to give me advance notice? and b) why did they not tell him I had given permission to enter if I wasn't home. So he promised that he would come by today. Did he show up? Nope. As much as I might not want to do dishes I really don't want them sitting on the counter indefinitely either. So I took matters into my own hands and went down to Zellers. Picked up some Drano and poured it down the sink. So far so good. But then I'm not entirely sure that it wasn't an issue with the sewer system in the building and caused by someone else's apartment since it was backing up when I wasn't even running water. Either way I thought that the reason I paid so much for rent was so that I didn't have to fix my own issues. That was supposed to be a perk.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Emotional Response Based on Previous Experience
Today got me thinking about conditioned responses. Obviously my day started off with the fire alarm. In my old building the alarm went off pretty frequently. So the assumption was that it was a false alarm. It did not bring with it a rush of adrenaline or any strong concern that it might be real. It was seen as nothing more then a nuisance. And I would go outside just in case it was real. A year ago tomorrow the alarm went off in the building. At first I thought it was just another false alarm. Turns out it was a real fire. It changes you... even though it wasn't a serious fire. But it's also about the context. I was still working in the old building and the alarm would go off but I wouldn't react to it. My mind still associated it with a false alarm. Whereas if I was at home the adrenaline would kick in and my mind would go into overdrive. The fear would kick in about whether or not there was a real fire and whether or not I would make it out of the building. The last time around the smoke was filling the stairwell and I had trouble breathing from about the third floor on. It's interesting how the mind works and how we condition ourselves to respond to the environment around us with repeated exposure to the same stimuli.
Takes Your Breath Away
The smog that is. What am I doing out in the smog you might ask? Well the fire alarm is what got me out of bed... Granted it was noon so I can't really complain about the time. So I decided since I was going to be outside and working on my tan any ways I might as well make use of the time. After all if it is a false alarm then I will be outside for about 30 minutes and if it's real then it will be hours. So off I go.... The cloud was just gray and the air was thick. I had trouble breathing. But I got the few items I needed and then returned home again. Home to a hot, humid apartment. Can't breathe in it either. I was planning to buy an air conditioner with my tax return so that I wouldn't have to rely on Steve's sense of timing. Then I had no job and paying bills was more important. So now I am waiting.... and hoping he comes through soon.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Fire Alarm, Part 2
So last night I was online almost ready to go to bed.... I was killing time and doing an online IQ test. Suddenly the fire alarm was going off... And my thoughts immediately went back to the last time I heard the alarm. There was a fire in the recycling. For details check out my post on it or the newspaper article. It's not like my old building where it was common for the alarm to go off.
As soon as the alarm started going off Azrael ran away. He went to hide in my closet where he couldn't hear the alarm. As for me... the adrenaline really kicked in. I was hoping that it was just a false alarm but couldn't be sure. So I grabbed my keys, cell phone and wallet... Put on a thicker sweatshirt and headed out the door. No I didn't take Azrael with me. I thought about it but knew that it was likely a false alarm. I also knew that if it was a fire it was a gamble. He wouldn't take well to me trying to get him into the carrier... and the sound of the alarm had already spooked him. And if I didn't use the cat carrier he'd be gone. So I made the decision not to take him but was praying that it wasn't a real fire and that he would be fine.
The adrenaline is probably a good thing... It meant that I wasn't paying attention to the 5 flights of stairs as I ran down them. I always find the reaction to a fire alarm interesting when you live in an apartment building. My thought is always that there is about an 80% chance that it is a false alarm and 20% chance that it is real. Now last time around I didn't want to leave and, based on the conditioning that in my last apartment it went off all the time, I didn't immediately leave.... until I realized that it was a real fire. But typically I don't want to gamble with the possibility that it's real. Yes the odds are that it isn't and going outside is a waste of time... other then it means you don't have to listen to the alarm. But what if it's real?
All the way down the stairs I didn't see anyone. When I reached the door there was a lady standing there with her kid. After a 5 minute conversation I decided to make my way outside since I was not comfortable being inside the building with the alarm going off. Sure you are at an advantage being right at the door... but you are still in the building... Last time I checked you should be quite a ways away from the building so that if there is debris or fire that you are safe. I walked around the back of the building and didn't see anyone. Not a soul. So then I walked around the front of the building. At most there were about 20 people out there. There are something like 96 apartments in the building... and only 20 people bothered to leave.
As I watched there were people that took the elevator. Then there were people that stayed on the first floor which again defeats the purpose. And as I looked up there were people on the balcony of their second and third floor apartments so they didn't have to listen to the alarm going off. Again I don't understand why people don't weigh the risks and rather then take chances don't just leave the building, with the stairs.
We did get 2 fire trucks and the command truck out. Pretty good response time too. For those that are wondering I have no idea if the firemen were good looking. Once again it was 3:00 in the morning and I was a little tired. I was more interested in getting back inside and worrying about Azrael.
Fortunately it was a false alarm and after about a half hour we were allowed back in the building. The first thing I did was go find Azrael, who was hiding in my closet. He quickly became the happy cat again. Unfortunately my IQ test had timed out so I had to retake it. Now I am not sure how accurate the results are at 4:00 in the morning *LOL* But it said I had an IQ of 130. It took a long time for the adrenaline to wear off... and to finish the test... so I didn't end up going to bed until 6:00 a.m. Good thing I didn't have to be up early today.
As soon as the alarm started going off Azrael ran away. He went to hide in my closet where he couldn't hear the alarm. As for me... the adrenaline really kicked in. I was hoping that it was just a false alarm but couldn't be sure. So I grabbed my keys, cell phone and wallet... Put on a thicker sweatshirt and headed out the door. No I didn't take Azrael with me. I thought about it but knew that it was likely a false alarm. I also knew that if it was a fire it was a gamble. He wouldn't take well to me trying to get him into the carrier... and the sound of the alarm had already spooked him. And if I didn't use the cat carrier he'd be gone. So I made the decision not to take him but was praying that it wasn't a real fire and that he would be fine.
The adrenaline is probably a good thing... It meant that I wasn't paying attention to the 5 flights of stairs as I ran down them. I always find the reaction to a fire alarm interesting when you live in an apartment building. My thought is always that there is about an 80% chance that it is a false alarm and 20% chance that it is real. Now last time around I didn't want to leave and, based on the conditioning that in my last apartment it went off all the time, I didn't immediately leave.... until I realized that it was a real fire. But typically I don't want to gamble with the possibility that it's real. Yes the odds are that it isn't and going outside is a waste of time... other then it means you don't have to listen to the alarm. But what if it's real?
All the way down the stairs I didn't see anyone. When I reached the door there was a lady standing there with her kid. After a 5 minute conversation I decided to make my way outside since I was not comfortable being inside the building with the alarm going off. Sure you are at an advantage being right at the door... but you are still in the building... Last time I checked you should be quite a ways away from the building so that if there is debris or fire that you are safe. I walked around the back of the building and didn't see anyone. Not a soul. So then I walked around the front of the building. At most there were about 20 people out there. There are something like 96 apartments in the building... and only 20 people bothered to leave.
As I watched there were people that took the elevator. Then there were people that stayed on the first floor which again defeats the purpose. And as I looked up there were people on the balcony of their second and third floor apartments so they didn't have to listen to the alarm going off. Again I don't understand why people don't weigh the risks and rather then take chances don't just leave the building, with the stairs.
We did get 2 fire trucks and the command truck out. Pretty good response time too. For those that are wondering I have no idea if the firemen were good looking. Once again it was 3:00 in the morning and I was a little tired. I was more interested in getting back inside and worrying about Azrael.
Fortunately it was a false alarm and after about a half hour we were allowed back in the building. The first thing I did was go find Azrael, who was hiding in my closet. He quickly became the happy cat again. Unfortunately my IQ test had timed out so I had to retake it. Now I am not sure how accurate the results are at 4:00 in the morning *LOL* But it said I had an IQ of 130. It took a long time for the adrenaline to wear off... and to finish the test... so I didn't end up going to bed until 6:00 a.m. Good thing I didn't have to be up early today.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Mail Call
I think I mentioned before that all of my mail was being held at the distribution center due to the fire. Trust me, that is anything but convenient. It's down by FutureShop so basically not near anything really useful. It's not exactly walking distance either. Well I suppose it might be if I was healthy. And, on top of that, they are only open 8 to 5:30 Monday to Friday. Doesn't work with my schedule. No word yet on when we will have mailboxes here again. So I have to rely on someone to drive me down there to pick it up. Not ideal at all.
So after two weeks I finally got someone to drive me down there. I knew I had a package waiting for me. But I still seem to be missing quite a bit of mail. I had 2 bills and that was it. Normally I would get mail quite frequently. Ever since I moved here I get almost none. I was supposed to get something about identity theft from Capital One and ironically never got it. never got their bill either. And I called about my student loan and they were sending out the interest relief forms. I never did get them. So that's another aggravation. Now I have to call the student loan center again and have them resent. I'll have to go down and pick them up somehow. And I'll likely have to call the bank and try and get a hold put on my student loan. Can't anything be simple and straightforward?
So after two weeks I finally got someone to drive me down there. I knew I had a package waiting for me. But I still seem to be missing quite a bit of mail. I had 2 bills and that was it. Normally I would get mail quite frequently. Ever since I moved here I get almost none. I was supposed to get something about identity theft from Capital One and ironically never got it. never got their bill either. And I called about my student loan and they were sending out the interest relief forms. I never did get them. So that's another aggravation. Now I have to call the student loan center again and have them resent. I'll have to go down and pick them up somehow. And I'll likely have to call the bank and try and get a hold put on my student loan. Can't anything be simple and straightforward?
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Nightmare
The heart may freeze or it can burn
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future, there is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss
No other road, no other way
No day but today
(Rent - Another Day)
The pain will ease if I can learn
There is no future, there is no past
I live this moment as my last
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss
No other road, no other way
No day but today
(Rent - Another Day)
The first thing I want to say is that not everything in my life is a nightmare. At the moment work is still going remarkably well. Sure there is stress but there will always be stress in the job. If there isn't then you're probably unemployed. Christie is a great team manager. She is really laid back and gives me space to just do my job. But she is also there if I need something. And Pat and I work well together. We both have strong work ethics and keep in mind that it is a common goal. If one person fails we both do. And we've managed to succeed for 2 straight months. Now I am not so crazy about being volun-told to help another team for 10 days next month. That has nothing to do with me not wanting to help... I am just concerned about how it may affect our own mandate. Both Pat and I already have to do 16 aces a week. That's a lot of work. Plus other jobs to do... and still help them out. I'll do my best.
Home life is sort of iffy. Oh I love the apartment and really feel like it's my own space. It's nice to just have me and Azrael and not have to deal with a roommate. So that part is good. But of course I am paying more for rent. Then there was the fire in the building. For the most part I am over that. I can rest a little easier at home. But as a result of the fire my mail is being held at the postal distribution center. I was going to stop by today before work but Steve didn't get here in time. I also need to mail back my defective hard drive... Any ways... the post office where it is being held is only open Monday to Friday from 8 to 5:30. I work 9 to 5:30 all next week. And one of the things I am waiting for is my interest relief form that I REALLY need to get back to them so I don't end up paying my student loan. Now the bills I am not that excited to see but I do need to pay them. So that is an annoyance *Sigh*
Then there is the rheumatologist. Apparently his office has been calling for the last month. Now I went to see him in February and they said to makea follow-up appointment but I was back at work and didn't really think much of it since he had already said that he doesn't treat fibromyalgia cases. why did it take so long to really try and get ahold of me? But they want to do some follow-up on my lab tests. Now I am wondering if my family doctor sent him a copy of the third set of blood tests or if he is discussing the tests that were done 3 months ago. I guess I'll find out on the 19th when I have to go in.
Quitting smoking is definitely not easy. Sure the Zyban helps but there are still some withdrawal symptoms. Right now I am definitely not sleeping through the night. Having some pretty vivid dreams courtesy of the Zyban. I keep waking up and when I do I have trouble falling asleep again. Now the blinds in my bedroom are not helping. Steve is supposed to be hanging the new ones but he is definitely not reliable. so the blinds only go down to the air conditioner and the light wakes me up in the morning. Azrael is also contributing to this as well. As soon as I go to bed he comes in with his stuffed animal and cries... It's not the "I want attention" cry or "I want food." In fact if you touch him he will bite you. I have no idea why he is doing this. He used to do this once in a while but now it's every night. He has really been crying a lot more lately. I'm nt sure why he has suddenly become so vocal. You'd think I was torturing the cat or something. As soon as I get off the elevator I can usually hear him... and my apartment is almost at the end of the hallway. Hoping going to get a good night's rest tonight. I could really use it.
Home life is sort of iffy. Oh I love the apartment and really feel like it's my own space. It's nice to just have me and Azrael and not have to deal with a roommate. So that part is good. But of course I am paying more for rent. Then there was the fire in the building. For the most part I am over that. I can rest a little easier at home. But as a result of the fire my mail is being held at the postal distribution center. I was going to stop by today before work but Steve didn't get here in time. I also need to mail back my defective hard drive... Any ways... the post office where it is being held is only open Monday to Friday from 8 to 5:30. I work 9 to 5:30 all next week. And one of the things I am waiting for is my interest relief form that I REALLY need to get back to them so I don't end up paying my student loan. Now the bills I am not that excited to see but I do need to pay them. So that is an annoyance *Sigh*
Then there is the rheumatologist. Apparently his office has been calling for the last month. Now I went to see him in February and they said to makea follow-up appointment but I was back at work and didn't really think much of it since he had already said that he doesn't treat fibromyalgia cases. why did it take so long to really try and get ahold of me? But they want to do some follow-up on my lab tests. Now I am wondering if my family doctor sent him a copy of the third set of blood tests or if he is discussing the tests that were done 3 months ago. I guess I'll find out on the 19th when I have to go in.
Quitting smoking is definitely not easy. Sure the Zyban helps but there are still some withdrawal symptoms. Right now I am definitely not sleeping through the night. Having some pretty vivid dreams courtesy of the Zyban. I keep waking up and when I do I have trouble falling asleep again. Now the blinds in my bedroom are not helping. Steve is supposed to be hanging the new ones but he is definitely not reliable. so the blinds only go down to the air conditioner and the light wakes me up in the morning. Azrael is also contributing to this as well. As soon as I go to bed he comes in with his stuffed animal and cries... It's not the "I want attention" cry or "I want food." In fact if you touch him he will bite you. I have no idea why he is doing this. He used to do this once in a while but now it's every night. He has really been crying a lot more lately. I'm nt sure why he has suddenly become so vocal. You'd think I was torturing the cat or something. As soon as I get off the elevator I can usually hear him... and my apartment is almost at the end of the hallway. Hoping going to get a good night's rest tonight. I could really use it.
"Will I wake tomorrow from this nightmare?" (Rent - Will I?)
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Smoke Inhalation
Looks like inhaling smoke on the way out the door really wasn't so healthy. I feel like I did right after I quit smoking. I feel like my lungs are clearing out the tar and other chemicals. The difference is that a) I was running down the stairs so I was breathing deeper and b) it was more concentrated. I won't go into details but I've felt somewhat sick since then. Today I almost called in sick to work except I was scared to miss a day... and get further behind on my work. Now I'm fighting a headache on top of everything else. When will it end?
Anxiety Attack
I'm beginning to think Valium at work would be a good thing... at least for me any ways. As Pat was leaving I was almost ready to have a meltdown. Today was one of those days where I just shouldn't have got out of bed. It didn't start out well and it did not end well.
I slept in this morning. The funny part about me saying that is that I work at 1:00 this week so my alarm was going off at 11. That was 9 hours after I went to bed. Not sure where the difficulty was. So then I am rushing around trying to get ready and have no time to either make a lunch or have a Carnation with breakfast. I did manage to have a bowl of Rice Krispies. Then Steve was late picking me up and I figured it was going to be close to get to work on time.
I did manage to get to work with time to spare. Pat wanted to get the Ace done on me right away. The call was fine. Then it was time to listen to a few calls. I went without my first break and my lunch just to get 3 calls listened to. That's bad for me. Usually I can get more done. So that was starting to stress me out. Plus we are getting more new team members. One of the current team members has taken to badmouthing me on a regular basis. As soon as I get to work I feel like I am under the gun. Even after Pat left from the day it didn't stop. I had one brutal calls and was the last one out of the building. I didn't finish the call until 10:08. Then I could finally go home.
Plus there was the arson at the apartment. I have had trouble relaxing when I am at home. I keep wondering if it's going to go off... and thinking about how I can't hear it in my bedroom. And since it was an arson maybe they will try again. With a fire I could lose everything. I can't seem to get it out of my head.
I'm also thinking that this is related to me quitting smoking. The Zyban is controlling the cravings and the reward pathways but that doesn't mean all the side effects are gone. I'm just not attributing the anxiety and the irritability to the withdrawal symptoms because I don't notice those symptoms. We always want an answer... an explanation.. Why am I anxious? Why am I irritable? But because I don't feel any other effects from the withdrawal I am associating that with the fire... and with work... and other events. Hopefully it passes soon. But I think this was about the breaking point the last time around as well. This time has been better but it actually seems to be getting worse not better. Maybe that's because the assumption is the beginning is the hardest. But it takes a long time to rid the body of the chemicals... and as stress builds up so does the desire to start smoking again. So far I have resisted though.
I slept in this morning. The funny part about me saying that is that I work at 1:00 this week so my alarm was going off at 11. That was 9 hours after I went to bed. Not sure where the difficulty was. So then I am rushing around trying to get ready and have no time to either make a lunch or have a Carnation with breakfast. I did manage to have a bowl of Rice Krispies. Then Steve was late picking me up and I figured it was going to be close to get to work on time.
I did manage to get to work with time to spare. Pat wanted to get the Ace done on me right away. The call was fine. Then it was time to listen to a few calls. I went without my first break and my lunch just to get 3 calls listened to. That's bad for me. Usually I can get more done. So that was starting to stress me out. Plus we are getting more new team members. One of the current team members has taken to badmouthing me on a regular basis. As soon as I get to work I feel like I am under the gun. Even after Pat left from the day it didn't stop. I had one brutal calls and was the last one out of the building. I didn't finish the call until 10:08. Then I could finally go home.
Plus there was the arson at the apartment. I have had trouble relaxing when I am at home. I keep wondering if it's going to go off... and thinking about how I can't hear it in my bedroom. And since it was an arson maybe they will try again. With a fire I could lose everything. I can't seem to get it out of my head.
I'm also thinking that this is related to me quitting smoking. The Zyban is controlling the cravings and the reward pathways but that doesn't mean all the side effects are gone. I'm just not attributing the anxiety and the irritability to the withdrawal symptoms because I don't notice those symptoms. We always want an answer... an explanation.. Why am I anxious? Why am I irritable? But because I don't feel any other effects from the withdrawal I am associating that with the fire... and with work... and other events. Hopefully it passes soon. But I think this was about the breaking point the last time around as well. This time has been better but it actually seems to be getting worse not better. Maybe that's because the assumption is the beginning is the hardest. But it takes a long time to rid the body of the chemicals... and as stress builds up so does the desire to start smoking again. So far I have resisted though.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Odd Question
So today I got to thinking... always a scary thing... *lol* since the fire was in the back of the building and the back entrance is currently sealed off how am I going to get my mail? Not only was the recycling in the back but so were the mailboxes. Now the bills I am not so concerned about... although I do seem to be missing a few bills already with all the address changes. But I am expecting a package soon from Amazon. I'm not sure why I have an obsession with mail. I think it's just the ritualistic nature. When I was younger I would get the mail on my way home from school. And now I check the mail on my way home from work. It's a habit. Almost always it's just another bill but every once in a while it's something worthwhile, like my monthly copy of Maxim. Which reminds me I really need to ask Joe for this month's copy. I forgot to change my address with them. Yes I know that was a really bad habit. But it does look like it might be a while before I am actually receiving mail.
Confirmed Arson
According to the Peterborough Examiner today:
Arson causes evacuation
Don Peat
Monday, June 05, 2006 - 09:00
Local News - About 27 residents were evacuated by city bus to the Kinsmen Arena early Saturday morning after fire erupted in a Talwood Drive apartment building.
City fire department Platoon Chief Lloyd Hutchinson said the arson caused damage of up to $50,000 and about five people were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
At 3:30 a.m. the building's fire alarm was set off when a fire began in the north side entranceway where the building's recycling bins were kept, says building superintendent Ron Bourne.
"It started in the middle of the room, expanded both ways, blew out the glass door and with the oxygen coming in it just expanded," Bourne said pointing to the melted remains of a large bin.
Tenants living on the ground floor escaped through their patios.
Damage was confined to the main floor but smoke travelled throughout the building, said acting platoon chief Ron Sparks
Around 7 a.m., residents were allowed back in the building.
Building resident Jaime Sawdon was asleep when the alarm went off but managed to get out with her son Daniel.
"The smoke was atrocious," said Sawdon describing her trek down the stairwell and out a side entrance.
She took her 15-month-old to the hospital to ensure he wasn't harmed.
By Saturday afternoon an emergency cleaning crew from a fire restoration company was in the building starting to cleanup.
"This is a large scale commercial fire," said Earle Chambers of Superior Restoration.
To convey the scope of the fire, he pointed out how the plastic lamp shades along the ground floor hallway, even lights several metres away from the flames, had melted.
Mary Meyers was in a friend's apartment on the third floor when she smelled smoke just before the alarm went off.
They walked down the stairs and out the building's side entrance.
"There was a lot of smoke, I couldn't see any fire," Meyers told The Examiner.
"The fire department and emergency medical personnel did a good job, they made sure we were as comfortable as possible."
City police said they are still investigating the fire.
Arson causes evacuation
Don Peat
Monday, June 05, 2006 - 09:00
Local News - About 27 residents were evacuated by city bus to the Kinsmen Arena early Saturday morning after fire erupted in a Talwood Drive apartment building.
City fire department Platoon Chief Lloyd Hutchinson said the arson caused damage of up to $50,000 and about five people were taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
At 3:30 a.m. the building's fire alarm was set off when a fire began in the north side entranceway where the building's recycling bins were kept, says building superintendent Ron Bourne.
"It started in the middle of the room, expanded both ways, blew out the glass door and with the oxygen coming in it just expanded," Bourne said pointing to the melted remains of a large bin.
Tenants living on the ground floor escaped through their patios.
Damage was confined to the main floor but smoke travelled throughout the building, said acting platoon chief Ron Sparks
Around 7 a.m., residents were allowed back in the building.
Building resident Jaime Sawdon was asleep when the alarm went off but managed to get out with her son Daniel.
"The smoke was atrocious," said Sawdon describing her trek down the stairwell and out a side entrance.
She took her 15-month-old to the hospital to ensure he wasn't harmed.
By Saturday afternoon an emergency cleaning crew from a fire restoration company was in the building starting to cleanup.
"This is a large scale commercial fire," said Earle Chambers of Superior Restoration.
To convey the scope of the fire, he pointed out how the plastic lamp shades along the ground floor hallway, even lights several metres away from the flames, had melted.
Mary Meyers was in a friend's apartment on the third floor when she smelled smoke just before the alarm went off.
They walked down the stairs and out the building's side entrance.
"There was a lot of smoke, I couldn't see any fire," Meyers told The Examiner.
"The fire department and emergency medical personnel did a good job, they made sure we were as comfortable as possible."
City police said they are still investigating the fire.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
What Happened to Relaxing on the Weekend?
Yesterday started out as a normal day... I got up and got ready for work. Pat was there to pick me up. Got to work early so I had everything ready to go. And now that I'm not smoking I don't need as much time and don't feel as rushed. Then I did my worst call evaluation ever... of a senior agent. Didn't really start the work day off well. Then it was off to a team meeting.... that ended up being a war. Somehow it took me until 5:00 to present that ACE. I really didn't have time to help other teams today. But hey... we met our mandate :o) Took calls... and then went home after work. It was a little more stressful then other days but it had still been pretty routine. I got home and flipped on the TV. Was watching TV and playing on the Net. I was actually planning to go to bed around 1:00... In hindsight it's a good thing I didn't go to bed.
At 3:30 in the morning the fire alarm went off. Now that happened a few times at Times Square and was always a false alarm. I always went outside since I lived on the second floor. Here, it was actually a bigger decision. I figured it was just a false alarm with someone pulling the switch... or burning toast or something. So at first I was just wandering aimlessly and debating whether or not to go outside. I even realized that I could hide in my room and wouldn't hear the alarm. Hence the reason I said it was a good thing I hadn't gone to bed. I stepped out on the balcony to see if I could see anything. And as soon as I looked to the left I saw the rising smoke and it only looked like it was a floor, maybe two beneath me. Then I heard someone yell that there really was a fire. So I grabbed my cell phone, keys, PDA and MacBook since they were all in the path to the door and headed out. I didn't even lock the door since I knew I would be fighting with the door. By the time I reached the third floor I was inhaling smoke so I was trying to breathe as little as possible the rest of the way. I get outside joining other people milling around. Then we all headed across the street, away from the burning building.
One of the first things I thought about was the fact that I don't have insurance. Recently I had been thinking about getting apartment insurance but I don't currently have the $30/month I would need to insure it. My second thought was that Azrael was still in the building. I'm a control freak so not knowing anything really didn't help me. Someone said they thought it was the garbage cans out back... or from the garbage chute. That made me feel a little better... but I'm not sure that explained why at the far side of the building, away from the garbage area I was inhaling smoke 3 floors up...
Someone was calling the fire department right after I got out the door and they were already on their way. Next thing I know there are 3 fire trucks, a couple of ambulances and a number of police cars arriving on the scene. It actually got up to 3 fire trucks, 4 ambulances and 6 police cars.... not including whatever was at the front of the building. The paramedics were handing out th emergency blankets to people that were cold. Fortunately I was out there in a sweatshirt and track pants so I wasn't too bad. Could've used a jacket though since it was lightly raining.
I felt pretty alone and isolated standing on the other side of the street watching the paramedics treating people for smoke inhalation, and the fire department trying to put out the fire. Most people had family out there with them... or their pets.... or friends. I had no one... and Azrael was stuck in the building. Mind you a complete stranger offered me a place to sleep since we were not getting back in the building any time soon. It really is amazing how some people really pull together when something happens. I turned them down since I wanted to make sure Azrael was okay.
I remember looking up at the windows at one point and saw a child's face looking out the window. My heart actually sank at that point. I didn't know if there was a need to be concerned but didn't like the possibility of someone being trapped in the building, especially a child.
Now an hour later I was starting to think I should've taken them up on the offer. I had taken my sleeping pills at 2 am so I just wanted to crawl into bed. I kept thinking that if it was just the garbage then we shouldn't be out there all that long. At 4:30 I was being a smartass and thinking that in the movies the fire department always puts out a fire a lot faster. At about the same time I heard that it was going to be a lot longer before we could go back into the building. A lot of people knew people in one of the other buildings so it cleared out quite a bit. There were only a few people waiting around at the back of the building.
I ended up calling Steve and asked him to pick me up. I didn't want to... but I also didn't want to end up being outside for a few more hours waiting. At this point I have no idea how extensive the damage is. They were trying to clear the smoke out of the building. I walked down to Macs and Steve picked me up there. I was able to get a few hours of shuteye. Steve went by the apartment first thing in the morning and made sure it was locked. The super had gone by and locked all the apartments.
When I came back here it was immediately clear that it was worse then I originally thought. People were saying the fire was out back. I came up to the front door and into the lobby. There was pretty extensive smoke damage. They were working on the floors. The walls were all black. The panel with the buttons for the elevator had been removed. I got off the elevator on the 5th floor and they had blowers in the hallway to get rid of the smoke. You could still smell it in the building. Azrael was a little pissed with me for leaving him. Fortunately, I was high enough that my apartment wasn't affected. But I am still trying to relax now and that is a bit of a challenge.
I was talking to mom earlier today. She asked me if I had grabbed my wallet and my jacket on the way out the door. I was pretty much ready for bed when the alarm went off. It took me about 5 minutes or so to even realize there really was a fire. So, at that point, the last thing I was thinking of was that I should grab money and a jacket to stay dry. I just wanted to get the hell out of the building. I don't even think I followed half the safety rules before I left the building. Well I did check the door handle... but didn't look out the peephole to see if there was any smoke in the hallway. Then I just ran down the stairs to the first floor. Everything turned out okay but I am not sure that I am really going to be relaxed and enjoying my time off work.
At 3:30 in the morning the fire alarm went off. Now that happened a few times at Times Square and was always a false alarm. I always went outside since I lived on the second floor. Here, it was actually a bigger decision. I figured it was just a false alarm with someone pulling the switch... or burning toast or something. So at first I was just wandering aimlessly and debating whether or not to go outside. I even realized that I could hide in my room and wouldn't hear the alarm. Hence the reason I said it was a good thing I hadn't gone to bed. I stepped out on the balcony to see if I could see anything. And as soon as I looked to the left I saw the rising smoke and it only looked like it was a floor, maybe two beneath me. Then I heard someone yell that there really was a fire. So I grabbed my cell phone, keys, PDA and MacBook since they were all in the path to the door and headed out. I didn't even lock the door since I knew I would be fighting with the door. By the time I reached the third floor I was inhaling smoke so I was trying to breathe as little as possible the rest of the way. I get outside joining other people milling around. Then we all headed across the street, away from the burning building.
One of the first things I thought about was the fact that I don't have insurance. Recently I had been thinking about getting apartment insurance but I don't currently have the $30/month I would need to insure it. My second thought was that Azrael was still in the building. I'm a control freak so not knowing anything really didn't help me. Someone said they thought it was the garbage cans out back... or from the garbage chute. That made me feel a little better... but I'm not sure that explained why at the far side of the building, away from the garbage area I was inhaling smoke 3 floors up...
Someone was calling the fire department right after I got out the door and they were already on their way. Next thing I know there are 3 fire trucks, a couple of ambulances and a number of police cars arriving on the scene. It actually got up to 3 fire trucks, 4 ambulances and 6 police cars.... not including whatever was at the front of the building. The paramedics were handing out th emergency blankets to people that were cold. Fortunately I was out there in a sweatshirt and track pants so I wasn't too bad. Could've used a jacket though since it was lightly raining.
I felt pretty alone and isolated standing on the other side of the street watching the paramedics treating people for smoke inhalation, and the fire department trying to put out the fire. Most people had family out there with them... or their pets.... or friends. I had no one... and Azrael was stuck in the building. Mind you a complete stranger offered me a place to sleep since we were not getting back in the building any time soon. It really is amazing how some people really pull together when something happens. I turned them down since I wanted to make sure Azrael was okay.
I remember looking up at the windows at one point and saw a child's face looking out the window. My heart actually sank at that point. I didn't know if there was a need to be concerned but didn't like the possibility of someone being trapped in the building, especially a child.
Now an hour later I was starting to think I should've taken them up on the offer. I had taken my sleeping pills at 2 am so I just wanted to crawl into bed. I kept thinking that if it was just the garbage then we shouldn't be out there all that long. At 4:30 I was being a smartass and thinking that in the movies the fire department always puts out a fire a lot faster. At about the same time I heard that it was going to be a lot longer before we could go back into the building. A lot of people knew people in one of the other buildings so it cleared out quite a bit. There were only a few people waiting around at the back of the building.
I ended up calling Steve and asked him to pick me up. I didn't want to... but I also didn't want to end up being outside for a few more hours waiting. At this point I have no idea how extensive the damage is. They were trying to clear the smoke out of the building. I walked down to Macs and Steve picked me up there. I was able to get a few hours of shuteye. Steve went by the apartment first thing in the morning and made sure it was locked. The super had gone by and locked all the apartments.
When I came back here it was immediately clear that it was worse then I originally thought. People were saying the fire was out back. I came up to the front door and into the lobby. There was pretty extensive smoke damage. They were working on the floors. The walls were all black. The panel with the buttons for the elevator had been removed. I got off the elevator on the 5th floor and they had blowers in the hallway to get rid of the smoke. You could still smell it in the building. Azrael was a little pissed with me for leaving him. Fortunately, I was high enough that my apartment wasn't affected. But I am still trying to relax now and that is a bit of a challenge.
I was talking to mom earlier today. She asked me if I had grabbed my wallet and my jacket on the way out the door. I was pretty much ready for bed when the alarm went off. It took me about 5 minutes or so to even realize there really was a fire. So, at that point, the last thing I was thinking of was that I should grab money and a jacket to stay dry. I just wanted to get the hell out of the building. I don't even think I followed half the safety rules before I left the building. Well I did check the door handle... but didn't look out the peephole to see if there was any smoke in the hallway. Then I just ran down the stairs to the first floor. Everything turned out okay but I am not sure that I am really going to be relaxed and enjoying my time off work.
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