This is what happens

So I spend too many weeks agonizing about this promotional opportunity and it turns out I am missing a couple of required tests and that disqualifies me. Oops. I really didn't know what to say when the boss pulled me in to go over it with me. I had a plan for getting the tests done but I mis-read the job posting and didn't realize that they had to be done prior to Dec. 31. I finished the testing yesterday. Oh well, I am really okay with the whole thing. I was pretty close to not applying anyway so I an really not that disappointed.

In other news, we had one hellacious windstorm yesterday. Took down trees and wires all over town, blew roofs off houses, blew outbuildings around, not to mention the power outages. It was amazing. In 35 years of living here I do not remember EVER having wind like that. Ever. We get a night of wind in late February or March that pretty much brings spring with it, but this was a different beast all together.

We were slammed in dispatch. Slammed. I didn't leave my seat, quit answering phones or the radio for 5 solid hours. And that wasn't the end of it. I went in at 4am (my new shift) and didn't leave until after 6 last night. My last hour I spent scheduling to make sure that the folks that worked all night got to go home after 12 hours. At least 4 people came in early for their shift (some by 4 hours) and there were 5 of us who worked over. Additionally we had actual fire chiefs in dispatch handling calls in their areas. And a representative from one of the local ambulance companies handling their calls because of radio problems caused by the storm. It was a full house!! We logged over 780 calls. That's over 3 times our average number of calls.

Amazing. There were wind gusts up to 40 mph in town. That's crazy, we don't usually get gusts over 10 or 15 mph. Wow. The CC PUD reports that there are still people without power and it may last for a few days. Unheard of! The can usually restore power in 24 hours. Incredible.

All in all everyone pulled together pretty well to make it work. Dispatch, PUD's, law enforcement, fire departments. Everyone. The boss even came in and made sure everyone got fed. So its time for a little R & R (yes, probably the drink) and a couple days off from work. Maybe I will get a cute kid story or two.