fire, fire

When I moved into this little cottage, the smoke detector was lying on the bedside table. It belonged in the hallway outside the bedrooms. I tried to install it, but it beeped constantly. That was too irritating. I left it lying idle for a few weeks.  I had a contractor inside working on another project, so I asked him to take a look. He demurred and offered, “It’s probably the battery”. I had changed it, but he suggested those might have been old.  Two batteries later, I had another friend take a look. He suggested that I give up on that one and just go get a new one.

I am not “fire” minded or highly risk averse, but a couple of things lined up to cause me to take action. There was a house fire with loss of life the next day on the news. There are certain things that just don’t cost that much, but make a big difference. So, between the example of what could happen and the low cost of correction, I bought one even though it was supposed to be in place and operating when I arrived.

There were several models to choose from. The one that is hanging in the hall ceiling is battery operated, smoke and fire sensitive with a voice warning alarm. When the food in the oven is burning or the frying is too brisk, she says quite loudly and insistently, “Fire, Fire”…..”Fire, Fire”…..until someone can shoo the smoke out the window and settle her down to quiet alertness once again.

So, during a routine reading of an agreement to rent a gallery space, I saw a statement that raised my alarms. Fire Safety- Security: There is a hand extinguisher in the gallery. The gallery does not have sprinkler, fire alarm, smoke detection system or Burglar Alarm system. What? I could hear my little alarm lady’s voice “Fire, Fire”. So, I asked if they have the smoke and fire detectors in the adjacent bathrooms or hallway leading back to the new Library?

This led me to thinking about how the owner was so intent on extra liability insurance and indemnity, yelling “Fire, Fire” for every little thing that I do not find disturbing and overlook this? I called a fireman friend and asked how we could set the location up for safety. He suggested these new reasonably priced electronic alarms that connect to an app on your phone to alert you when the alarm has been set off. Wonderful! Help me get one of those! It is not my responsibility here, either. I don’t expect a fire, but if generous donors are loaning their art, I should take reasonable precautions. Insuring against the unlikely event of someone accidentally falling and suing, took precedence in the owner’s mind over this real risk?

Which fire are you putting out today? Have you heard people say, ” All I do is fight fires”? I think they mean, they spend all their time trying to settle urgent issues. Maybe, they use their time for whatever seems most pressing.

Is yelling “fire, fire” like yelling “wolf, wolf”? Will people start to ignore you if you find danger on every corner that does not exist? I am afraid that they won’t trust your judgment if it seems faulty too many times. If you yell fire when none exists, you may yell in vain when one does. On the other hand, how can you overlook simple protections from real risks? Why would a person become so consumed with unlikely risks that they don’t see the real risks facing them?

Nothing stirs us into action like the trill of a fire alarm or a little voice saying “fire, fire” from a sophisticated alarm system. I am equally thankful for and perturbed by them.  The same is true of identifying risks, real and imagined. Risk reduction is based on accurately assessing the likelihood of the risk and seriousness of the consequence. Will it kill you or your project? Threat remediation is more likely what we are all doing. How many real risks do we face? We have lots of little threats that people yell “fire, fire” over which reduces our response to the real FIRES in our life.  Today, decide what is an uneasy threat you can live with or a real risk to you, your family and your happy life. If there are threats or unlikely possibilities, remember 90% of what we worry about never happens. Keep them in the corner of your eye, but don’t let them control your actions.  If you have any real risks, deal with them right now.

If I ever yell “fire, fire” it will be for a deadly circumstance that requires immediate action. Don’t activate an alarm- without a real fire in your life. Think about who it affects and use good judgment on how focused you get on risks to the detriment of your enjoyment of life.

Make educated decisions about the energy you expend and resources you allot to managing risks and threats. One of the owners said, “we are not being myopic”. Wrong, they were!