Friday, August 29, 2014

The non-fire fire at KGUN 9

It's been another week of almost non-stop work.  While I continue to do two people's jobs (mine and the job of the producer that left a couple of weeks ago), I have been working from about 7:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., then going home to take Lucky out to poop, taking an hour nap, eating something, and heading back to work from about 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.  Then I've gotten home, taken Lucky out again, ironed a shirt, and gone to bed between 12:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.

I must be KENsane.

We do have someone hired for the position, but I now have the added task of training them.  It'll take a while.  Hopefully by Christmas.

I was at work last night and at about 10:45 p.m. the fire alarms started sounding in the KGUN building.  The alarms are really loud and obnoxious so there is no mistaking that they're sounding.

I went to the end of the hall down from my office where the fire alarm controls are and verified it was not a false alarm (there was a light grey smoke coming out of the main computer server room), then went around to make sure the staff that was still working in the building knew it wasn't a drill, test, or false alarm. I had to get them motivated to get out of the building until the fire department could arrive and assess what the situation was.

There were no flames.  It was determined to be one of the giant air conditioning units on the roof (which is brand new) that had something burning up inside.  It was sending smoke into the building.

Once the determination was made by the Tucson Fire Department staff, we were allowed back in the building and I was able to finish my work for the night.

It was a fire but not really.  A non-fire fire.  However, it was a brief distraction at work from a long grueling week.  I did take a few photos.  Fire truck flashing lights are pretty.

Tucson Fire Department trucks arriving
at the KGUN 9 building.

The blinky fire truck lights are sooooo exciting.

These blinky fire truck lights are exciting, too.

Medics come just in case
I need mouth to mouth.

Fire fighters head into the building to
search for the source of the smoke.

Silhouette of photo journalist Alfonso
capturing footage of the firefighters
at work.
He's a professional photographer, and I'm the
guy who takes pictures of professional photographers.