Backdraft

Imagine, if you will, arriving at work as usual. Dawn has yet to lighten the sky, as usual. Although there was dew on your car, your view of the stars is nice and clear, as usual. It is quiet and serene, as usual. The only thing out of place is the odor of something burning. It's an odd time of morning (~5:15 a.m.) for someone to be cooking out or building a campfire, isn't it? Then you turn from your car and see flames shooting up over the fence surrounding your work yard. Yes, it was a genuine, "Holy crap!" moment.

I called 911 on my cell phone, but the NMSU fire department was already on the scene. Somehow, one of our open-top trash roll-offs had caught on fire. (My guess is that a cigarette had been smoldering all night and finally ignited something big.) The fire is out. No one was injured.

I notified Ob, since he is our solid waste manager, but he didn't hurry to campus. After all, I was on the job. When he finally arrived, he spouted trash to the campus police officer on the scene about how people can drive in and dump whatever they want. He claimed that the gate to the yard is rarely locked. (The police officer said he saw the fire department unlocking the gate.) He has offered no other suggestions, even though he has been whining about the contents of the roll-off for months.

Ob really ticked me off because I am doing his job more than he is. I was on the scene first by coincidence, but I stayed there longer than Ob did. I grabbed the digital camera and took pictures; Ob didn't. I made a list of the identifiable trash items; Ob didn't. Ob & Sub left at 7:30 a.m. for an 8:15 a.m. meeting, while I was still observing and itemizing. I told Ob who he needed to notify: the department safety officer, the university safety officer, the interim department head. Ob didn't even think of asking the fire department for a copy of the report until I suggested it.

Maybe I need to change his cell phone ring tone to "If I Only Had a Brain".