Last fire story—The Activities Committee several weeks ago had set up a Bar-B-Que luncheon for those employees who wanted to participate for Thursday. The cost was $9. A local favorite BBQ joint, Shealy’s, came in and set up their food warmers and laid out all their stuff on a couple tables in the cafeteria at around 11:00 AM. The first group in the plant that goes on lunch break is QA with about 25 people, and they start at 11:30AM. I don’t know how many of them took advantage of the BBQ lunch. I have no idea how many total throughout the plant were scheduled to get BBQ, but QA were the only ones to get a chance. Them and me. I eat breakfast at around 6:30, so at 11:30 I’m digging into my lunchbox even though my scheduled lunch time is 12:15. The fire alarm went off at 11:40ish, about 2 minutes after I got back to my desk with my plate. The caterers were forced to abandon the food to evacuate the building. When it turned out to be an actual fire and the smoke made its way into the cafeteria, the food was no longer able to be served to people (wouldn’t have mattered, as no one was allowed back in the building until around 3:00 PM anyway.)
Friday morning a couple of members of the Activities Committee made the rounds of the plant and gave everyone who had signed up for the BBQ their $9 back. When I tried to refuse the money, saying I had actually gotten my food, they told me that it was easier all the way around for them this way. Cool, I got a picnic BBQ on the lawn for free.