Got to use my lights/Power outage

A transformer at work blew, effectively knocking out power in our entire building. The "company" owns several blocks of property, but where I was posted is just a one story structure with several suites [I do security there].
Maintenence man showed up and decided to wait to retrieve the generators and hook them up. Why, I have no idea./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon3.gif Power company was awaiting arrival of another truck with more gear.

The other truck shows and then about 5 minutes later the maint. man is walking thru telling us to get ready they are gonna kill the power. It was less than 60 that the power went out. No one had time to shutdown their PC's or anything including myself./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif
So of course a minor panic ensues. But luckily I happened to have my Ultra and E1. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif The emergency lighting illuminated enough for everyone to walk out, but it wasn't enough for some folk to complete whatever little task or clean up to what they were doing. The supervisor and manager were grateful for a light they could use. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/bowdown.gif
After we got all the employees out and they were done, we were informed that the work would take several hours [this occurred about 8pm]. So they sent everyone home and had me secure the offices and posted me outside since all the outdoor lighting was down too and lots of cars were parked out there from the employees in the other buildings.

So it was time to patrol the parking using my SL Scorp. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Overall I had that satisfied feeling of being prepared having had my EDC's with me and being able to help others out and make my job easier under unforeseen circumstances.

I didn't get much notice that my light output was superior to the other guards that showed up with their 4 cell Mag Lites, but there was too much going on for anyone to notice or care I guess. After things quieted down one of the other guys on my crew did comment that he thought my E1 was a "pretty nice light you have there". /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Webley455-

What more amazing is the number of buildings with emergency generators that fail to power up when mains power goes out.

Batteries to start generator won't turn generator over, or the transfer switch doesn't work.

About a year ago a major hospital in my community lost AC power. While they said they test the generator weekly, sugury had to completed by flashlight. It was nearly a day before they jury rigged power back up.

I'm sorry and have no sympathy for companies who have a backup generator and then go dark when power goes out, refusing to have a case of flashlights on hand because they have so much trust in their backup power systems.

GregR

You know, it would a great idea for companies to get enough coin cell keychain LED lights for each desk. One per desk, unless it is a multiperson desk (more than one at the same time). They would be designated as emergency lighting, only to be removed and used for an in the dark building evacuation.

Anyways, your situation proves, again, that flashaholics are always prepared for lighting emergencies. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Charles-

Sometimes you have to do it yourself. A co-worker and I bought about three dozen of County Comm's $1.00 LED keychain lights at our own expense and passed them out to our Security Officers and Receptionists. That was a start.

GregR

That's kind of generous, Double_A! It certainly beats nothing at all. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Of course, all it takes is one incident, like you described in your initial post to see how miserably unprepared people are, and unfortunately, see how unthinking a company can be.

Apparently they never heard of Uninterruptable Power Supplies for computers, which is not excusable for a company in that area! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif

Human nature is always the enemy. Complacancy takes hold and people will not worry about ANYTHING unless it is in their face. Same as when there is an approaching natural disaster[winter storms, hurricanes, etc.], they wait till the last minute and fight the hordes at the grocery and hardware stores.
GREG,
I did that $1.00 deal at Country Comm last year for Xmas. Gave out about 20 as gifts to friends and co-workers. All were so grateful and amazed at "how bright it is". And they all said the same thing, "hey, that light came in handy the other night when..."
The problem I foresee in "issuing" company lights is the same one that plagues every office. People will steal or take the lights, whether intentional or not.

What gets me is how many security guards/officers out there do not put lighting as a priority in personel equipment. Yes, I have always exhibited the signs of flashaholism, but not to the extent I do now, which was maily fueled by situations I encountered after I started working in security. Plus its kinda cool to be the one that saves the day when there is a lighting emergency/incident. But alas, that is what makes us all so special.

Shortly after my co-worker and I gave away all those flashlights, one of our receptionists related a story. I guess the week after we gave those lights out, him and a buddy drove from San Jose to Oregon to buy a used car (I guess it was a great deal). They had to perform emergency repairs on the taillights with only that little LED keychain light.

The excuse why my company doesn't have any flashlights IS because they have a UPS system! Problem is, the UPS system and 60 Kilowatt diesel generator only powers up the toxic gas scrubbers, the toxic gas alarms, the computer servers, and a few hallway emergency lights.

I was able to convert my gadget freak boss.He hade my buy a half dozen E2e's for the ERT staff after he played with my old E2. I'm now buying another five more for the ERT's at the new plant across town.

GregR

He-he, another one bites the dust. Our ERT uses 4D Mags. I still have a couple of qualification courses [OC, baton], but once completed my name will be in the hat. A lot of security guys are still old fashioned in their flashlight views. No one says anything, but I've gotten a few "looks" in the past when using my E1 or Scorpion around these guys. I think a big factor for lots of folks is price [as discussed in other threads]. They don't see it as we do, they find it hard to justify $50+ for something that usually costs under 10 for home use and 20 for heavyduty [i.e. the MagLite syndrome as I call it].

We had the exact opposit problem with the generator in a cable R&D office I used to work in. They couldn't turn it off! The whole building is on UPS (everything except overhead lighting, but all machines and such) and to back that up is the generator. The UPS only needs to run the 30 seconds or so it takes for the generator to start and come up to speed. But, 10 or 15 minutes into the generator test the UPS exploded. (well, died or something) and they couldn't switch back cause you have to run from the UPS for a few seconds as the isolation switch goes back to line power! They couldn't shut down the cable plant, so they left the generator running for 10 days as they waited for UPS parts! I don't want to know how much gas they burned through in that time, but it was noisy as heck in my office which was right next to the back door where they generator was...

James-

I know all about running solely off of generator.

My previous company did not pay the electric company for 14 months. They came out and turned off our electricity. We ran off of our own generator for 4 months until it blew the windings. Just me and a CO2 extinguisher in a dark (well after I put out the fire anyway) equipment pad early in the morning. We were down for a day then they brought in a trailer mounted generator and ran us bare bones for another 2-3 months until the rest of us were laid off. I was taking to diesel fuel deliveries twice a day during this whole time about 90-110 gallons per delivery. I was lucky to get out of that place with all the accumulated vacation and other pay I was owed.

GregR

In our case the thing was natural gas powered, so as long as that kept flowing it would keep running (well, unless it caught fire!)

The company must have been REALLY in hoc to the electric company if it was actually cheaper to buy diesel than to just pay their electric bill!

James-

Yea, they owed $900,000. They wouldn't turn power on until they were paid the $900,000, PLUS an additional bond of $300,000.


GregR