Arrgh! easy child said 6 fellow lifeguards ditched everyone at the pool in the storm

[TerryJ2]

A huge storm just blew through our area. easy child just walked in and said she is SO MAD! because all of the lifeguards, incl the asst mgr, ran into the bldg. instead of clearing out the pool and deck. She was the only one there doing her job. She gave one of them the what-for and said she's mtng with-the mgr tomorrow.
Isn't that against the law or something? Who's got the liability if the lifeguards ditch out?
We had a tornado touch down in the county right next to us. We got lots of strong winds (our yard looks like a battlefield) and then hard, hard rain about 10 min. later.
Must be spring!

 

[BusynMember]

Wow. No idea, but good for your easy child!! I'd think the city (if the pool is the city pool) would be liable since they are employed by the city. But I don't know for sure. What were they thinking?????!

 

[Liahona]

easy child isn't the only one who'll be livid.

 

[TerryJ2]

It's a private company in the same county where the tornado touched down.
easy child already tried calling the mgr. I'll see if she got through.

 

[tiredmommy]

My Lord, what were they thinking?!?!

 

[TerryJ2]

Nope. Mgr's ph went to voxmail.
She'll see him tomorrow.

 

[HaoZi]

Good for easy child, and hope the mgr listens to her and disciplines them accordingly.

 

[Hound dog]

I'm not sure if it is a personal liability or if they can have their lifeguard certification revoked for such behavior. It might depend on where you live.

I would be livid for certain.

The year I coached Travis' soccer team we were having practice on a huge field near a paper factory. Lovely day. I was watching the boys but also keeping a wary eye on the horizon as I recognized some nasty looking storm clouds in the west. Other coaches were certain storm wouldn't arrive before practice was over. I don't think they realized how quickly it was moving. Next thing I know......not only did I see a funnel......but there was a tornado. You simply would not believe how difficult it is to get people in authority's attention for something like that. I nearly smacked them! Then they couldn't make a decision! I told them they had the responsibility to clear the field and get those kids out of there! And I went over their heads and started telling parents to grab their kids and clear the field. We were being forced to make arrangements for the boys of my team and others that had just been dropped off and their parents weren't there.........that took an enormous amount of time to make certain each child was paired off with an adult............by then there were two tornadoes headed straight for the field and no where to go for cover.

Suddenly? Somehow that got their attention. People piled into to cars and fled to shelter, be it their homes or a business or whatever. I was reporting the sighting even while clearing the field.

That was my first taste of how utterly moronic people can behave in an emergency. Those coaches gawked right at the first tornado but couldn't make a decision because the storm hadn't yet hit us. We got those kids out of there with just minutes to spare. Three tornadoes were descending from that funnel as I drove my kids home (thankfully not too far) and the sirens went off as we reached the front doors. I say the coaches, but honestly the parents were no better than the coaches.

I grew up where nasty tornadoes are common. I recognize the conditions and know when to take cover. That darn storm can arrive at nearly the same moment as the tornado........which this one did. Thankfully this one when it got close........the 3 tornadoes didn't touch down in our area, but wind damage and hail damage were still bad.

Good for easy child for sticking it out doing what needed to be done!

 

[trinityroyal]

Terry, I too hope that easy child's manager responds appropriately and reads everyone the riot act over that. Perhaps when she's talking to him/her, she should emphasize the company's liability rather than "the right thing to do". Sadly, that's more likely to get the attention this issue deserves.

And in addition to the riot act, it's clear those other lifeguards need some sort of emergency response training. Maybe they need to be taught gumption if it doesn't come naturally.

That was my first taste of how utterly moronic people can behave in an emergency. Those coaches gawked right at the first tornado but couldn't make a decision because the storm hadn't yet hit us. We got those kids out of there with just minutes to spare. Three tornadoes were descending from that funnel as I drove my kids home (thankfully not too far) and the sirens went off as we reached the front doors. I say the coaches, but honestly the parents were no better than the coaches.

Lisa, I've seen that moronic reaction first-hand as well. Years ago I was travelling to another nearby city for work, and taking the commuter train. The train I was on was being decommissioned for the night and moved to the outdoor yard for storage. So, when we got to the main hub, most of the passengers disembarked but a few of us were still inside (huge rush hour crowd), and then the conductor locked the doors and the train started to head off toward the yard. The procedure is that the inspector is supposed to walk the length of the train before decommissioning to make sure it's empty, but in this case they didn't do so. It was the dead of winter and freezing outside (about -25 C), so it would have been a disaster spending the night in the unheated train at the outdoor yard.

I said to the woman sitting next to the Emergency Call button to push the button. She said that she didn't want to get in trouble, and that the button was only for emergencies. I replied that we were already in trouble and this looked like an emergency to me. She still refused, so I got up and pushed the button. The other 5 passengers would have just sat there like lumps and then found themselves at the stock yard, locked in. I can't imagine the panic that would have ensued in a small, locked train carriage at that point, and I'm glad I didn't have to find out.

 

[Hound dog]

Trinity, I'm glad you didn't have to find out too. omg People amaze me sometimes.

easy child had to be trained to not freeze up. And believe me working cardiac intensive care she does not freeze up. But I have noticed.........in regular life, she can still be blindsided sometimes. She is better, much much better.........but still.

Nichole on the other hand is more like me and Acts, nearly instinctively, instead of freezes. Doesn't matter what the situation is.

Sadly, though, one never knows how they will react in an emergency situation until they find themselves in one.

I know how I react as I've been in more emergency situations than I'd like to bother to count. For me it seems as if a dormant part of my brain takes over, there is no fear, do doubt, I just do what needs to be done. The emotional reaction comes after the emergency......

 

[trinityroyal]

I know how I react as I've been in more emergency situations than I'd like to bother to count. For me it seems as if a dormant part of my brain takes over, there is no fear, do doubt, I just do what needs to be done. The emotional reaction comes after the emergency......

I react that way too. While the crisis is underway, I'm calm and level-headed and decisive. The passing-out comes afterward, once I know everything is okay.

 

[TerryJ2]

Hound Dog, yikes! That's awful! You wait until it hits? Great.
Reminds me of my b-I-l. He was coaching in MN a few yrs back and there was lightning in the distance. He refused to call the game because "That's a different kind of lightning." We still laugh about that, behind his back. And my sister if filing for divorce (if that's what he does in public, you can imagine what he's like as a husband).

 

[TerryJ2]

OMG, Trinity! LOL but not really funny, after all: "She said that she didn't want to get in trouble, and that the button was only for emergencies."

 

[TerryJ2]

Trinity and Hound Dog, I'm like you. And then I'm a wet noodle for a week after. But stuff gets done!

 

[witzend]

Geez, husband was all set to do a company-wide computer transfer last evening, even went into work late. Five-Thirty rolled around and they were getting everything together and the big big boss said, "Didn't you guys check to see if there was a storm warning?" Of course, trees were down all around the city by then. Sure enough, the weren't on the right mailing list to know, but they weren't allowed to do a company-wide transfer because maybe, somewhere in their service area - which is HUGE - someone might lose power and not be online to get all of the instructions.

Pools? I bet this was a matter of $$$. They knew darned well there was going to be a storm, everyone knew. If you let people in then tell them to get out there is going to be debate about refunding money. If it's a surprise, well, maybe it will happen, and maybe it won't, but everyone will just be glad they got out of the pool if it does. Holy cats, they should have shut down for the day.

 

[TerryJ2]

easy child talked to the mgr. They are having an in-service mtng next wk. I just hope the main "girl" who took off gets fired.
The rest were supposedly down at the other pool (there are 3 pools; 2 regular and one kiddie) but there was a clear lack of communication. easy child was all by herself at the biggest pool.

 

[witzend]

I hope that the main girl will be strongly disciplined or let go, too. Your easy child did the right thing. I hope that they will follow up appropriately.