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CZU Stories
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BCFD36
Jun 2, 2021, 8:44:38 PM6/2/21
to
Well, someone asked about other CZU stories, I have a few more. I'll start.
During my 11 days of working in the office, I took between 1000 and
2000 phone calls. It is really hard to narrow it down more than that. Of
all those phone calls, I had exactly one "negative" call.
I had some weird calls, I had some pleading calls, lots of inquiries,
but only one where someone was swearing at me. It was more than enough.
I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
etc. The phone warbles (they don't ring anymore) and I answer. "Boulder
Creek Fire" and am met with "YOU MOTHER FUCKERS LET MY FUCKING HOUSE
BURN DOWN!!!" (I'd put that in underlined bold italics if Usenet would
let me do that.) I initially thought it was a joke, for about 5 seconds.
Dave and Bob were under no such illusions.
I said something like "Whut?" and he goes off on a tirade. I finally cut
in and ask where his house is. He tells me and yes, that area is a many
acre BBQ pit. I tell him that in no way did we let his house burn down.
In fact we almost had several engines burned over trying to protect the
neighborhood. They got out by the skin of their teeth." He went off on
another tirade. I think this guy may have been a Drill Sergent at some
point because Dave and Bob were taking notes on the swearing. He was
skillful, but completely unreasonable. I tried one more time to get him
to calm down and finally told him that I had other calls and he could
call back when he was not so cranky. I hung up of course.
Dave and Bob asked me why I put up with it for so long. Well, I figured
it was better that he go off on me on the far end of a phone than go off
on someone else face to face over something else.
I don't know if anything came of it after that.
--
Dave Scruggs
Captain, Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
Sr. Software Engineer - Stellar Solutions (Definitely Retired)
During my 11 days of working in the office, I took between 1000 and
2000 phone calls. It is really hard to narrow it down more than that. Of
all those phone calls, I had exactly one "negative" call.
I had some weird calls, I had some pleading calls, lots of inquiries,
but only one where someone was swearing at me. It was more than enough.
I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
etc. The phone warbles (they don't ring anymore) and I answer. "Boulder
Creek Fire" and am met with "YOU MOTHER FUCKERS LET MY FUCKING HOUSE
BURN DOWN!!!" (I'd put that in underlined bold italics if Usenet would
let me do that.) I initially thought it was a joke, for about 5 seconds.
Dave and Bob were under no such illusions.
I said something like "Whut?" and he goes off on a tirade. I finally cut
in and ask where his house is. He tells me and yes, that area is a many
acre BBQ pit. I tell him that in no way did we let his house burn down.
In fact we almost had several engines burned over trying to protect the
neighborhood. They got out by the skin of their teeth." He went off on
another tirade. I think this guy may have been a Drill Sergent at some
point because Dave and Bob were taking notes on the swearing. He was
skillful, but completely unreasonable. I tried one more time to get him
to calm down and finally told him that I had other calls and he could
call back when he was not so cranky. I hung up of course.
Dave and Bob asked me why I put up with it for so long. Well, I figured
it was better that he go off on me on the far end of a phone than go off
on someone else face to face over something else.
I don't know if anything came of it after that.
--
Dave Scruggs
Captain, Boulder Creek Fire (Retired)
Sr. Software Engineer - Stellar Solutions (Definitely Retired)
Julian Macassey
Jun 3, 2021, 12:39:50 PM6/3/21
to
On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>
> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
> etc.
May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
>
> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
> etc.
hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
ears via the microphone (sidetone).
--
"We can’t be successful unless we lie to customers.” Larry
Ellison to Bruce Scott.
pH
Jun 4, 2021, 11:57:04 PM6/4/21
to
On 2021-06-03, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
> Well, someone asked about other CZU stories, I have a few more. I'll start.
>
> During my 11 days of working in the office, I took between 1000 and
> 2000 phone calls. It is really hard to narrow it down more than that. Of
> all those phone calls, I had exactly one "negative" call.
>
> I had some weird calls, I had some pleading calls, lots of inquiries,
> but only one where someone was swearing at me. It was more than enough.
>
> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
> etc. The phone warbles (they don't ring anymore) and I answer. "Boulder
> Creek Fire" and am met with "YOU MOTHER FUCKERS LET MY FUCKING HOUSE
> BURN DOWN!!!" (I'd put that in underlined bold italics if Usenet would
> let me do that.) I initially thought it was a joke, for about 5 seconds.
> Dave and Bob were under no such illusions.
This is obviously venting and you were very kind.
> Well, someone asked about other CZU stories, I have a few more. I'll start.
>
> During my 11 days of working in the office, I took between 1000 and
> 2000 phone calls. It is really hard to narrow it down more than that. Of
> all those phone calls, I had exactly one "negative" call.
>
> I had some weird calls, I had some pleading calls, lots of inquiries,
> but only one where someone was swearing at me. It was more than enough.
>
> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
> etc. The phone warbles (they don't ring anymore) and I answer. "Boulder
> Creek Fire" and am met with "YOU MOTHER FUCKERS LET MY FUCKING HOUSE
> BURN DOWN!!!" (I'd put that in underlined bold italics if Usenet would
> let me do that.) I initially thought it was a joke, for about 5 seconds.
> Dave and Bob were under no such illusions.
I mean, what can a rational person really conclude when the world is on
fire?....anyway...
>
> I said something like "Whut?" and he goes off on a tirade. I finally cut
> in and ask where his house is. He tells me and yes, that area is a many
> acre BBQ pit. I tell him that in no way did we let his house burn down.
> In fact we almost had several engines burned over trying to protect the
> neighborhood. They got out by the skin of their teeth." He went off on
> another tirade. I think this guy may have been a Drill Sergent at some
> point because Dave and Bob were taking notes on the swearing. He was
> skillful, but completely unreasonable. I tried one more time to get him
> to calm down and finally told him that I had other calls and he could
> call back when he was not so cranky. I hung up of course.
say that word in today's world since the internet follows us forever.
>
> Dave and Bob asked me why I put up with it for so long. Well, I figured
> it was better that he go off on me on the far end of a phone than go off
> on someone else face to face over something else.
>
> I don't know if anything came of it after that.
>
pH
Jun 4, 2021, 11:57:44 PM6/4/21
to
On 2021-06-03, Julian Macassey <jul...@tele.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>
>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>> etc.
>
> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>
>
Julian! Julian's here, too. Huzzah!
> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>
>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>> etc.
>
> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>
>
pH
BCFD36
Jun 7, 2021, 2:45:53 PM6/7/21
to
On 6/3/21 09:39, Julian Macassey wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>
>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>> etc.
>
> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>
>
I'd have loved a headset. But there was no opportunity to get one. I
> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>
>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>> etc.
>
> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>
>
just went with what I had available.
For my cell phone, it talks directly into my hearing aids through
bluetooth. THAT is pretty cool. Plus gives me the choice of 5 different
programs for filtering. The sirens, chainsaws, table saws, shotguns, a
Doobie Brothers concert at my high school, etc. all contributed to my
hearing loss. And there may be a genetic factor.
Julian Macassey
Jun 9, 2021, 1:08:03 AM6/9/21
to
On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 11:45:51 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
> On 6/3/21 09:39, Julian Macassey wrote:
>> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>>> etc.
>>
>> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
>> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
>> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
>> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
>> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
>> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>>
>>
> I'd have loved a headset. But there was no opportunity to get one. I
> just went with what I had available.
Where there are phones that may be used for dispatch,
> On 6/3/21 09:39, Julian Macassey wrote:
>> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>>> etc.
>>
>> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
>> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
>> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
>> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
>> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
>> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>>
>>
> I'd have loved a headset. But there was no opportunity to get one. I
> just went with what I had available.
order taking etc. having headsets available makes life so much
more pleasant it leaves both hands free for note taking,
scratching etc.
> For my cell phone, it talks directly into my hearing aids through
> bluetooth. THAT is pretty cool. Plus gives me the choice of 5 different
> programs for filtering. The sirens, chainsaws, table saws, shotguns, a
> Doobie Brothers concert at my high school, etc. all contributed to my
> hearing loss. And there may be a genetic factor.
magnetic component in the earpiece that US hearing aids could pick
up to feed the audio into the hearing aid. Such phone handsets
were designated HAC (Hearing Aid Compatable), back in the old
days when we could trust and respect telcos, payphones had that
blue rubber grommit on the handset, that meant the hadset was
HAC.
I would guess with so many "Mutt & Jeff" boomers,
I'm sure there are Bluetooth adapters for desk phones.
--
If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to
help people. - Anthony Wedgwood Benn
BCFD36
Jun 10, 2021, 5:18:08 PM6/10/21
to
On 6/8/21 22:08, Julian Macassey wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 11:45:51 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>> On 6/3/21 09:39, Julian Macassey wrote:
>>> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>>>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>>>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>>>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>>>> etc.
>>>
>>> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
>>> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
>>> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
>>> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
>>> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
>>> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>>>
>>>
>> I'd have loved a headset. But there was no opportunity to get one. I
>> just went with what I had available.
>
> Where there are phones that may be used for dispatch,
> order taking etc. having headsets available makes life so much
> more pleasant it leaves both hands free for note taking,
> scratching etc.
This was just a phone in the back office, usually used by the day
> On Mon, 7 Jun 2021 11:45:51 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>> On 6/3/21 09:39, Julian Macassey wrote:
>>> On Wed, 2 Jun 2021 17:44:43 -0700, BCFD36 <bcf...@cruzio.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I was sitting in the back room of the office with Dave Dunning (was on
>>>> BCFD many years ago) and Bob Presswood (a BCFD Commissioner and owner of
>>>> The Redwood Keg) taking calls. I had the phone set to speak-phone mode
>>>> since I can hear it much better AND I have both hands free for writing,
>>>> etc.
>>>
>>> May I suggest you use a headset. With age we all lose
>>> hearing, loud music and machinery in your youth doesn't help.
>>> With a headset you can feed audio into both ears and muffle local
>>> sounds which also helps. It can also help if you can mute your
>>> microphone while listening so local noise doesn't come into your
>>> ears via the microphone (sidetone).
>>>
>>>
>> I'd have loved a headset. But there was no opportunity to get one. I
>> just went with what I had available.
>
> Where there are phones that may be used for dispatch,
> order taking etc. having headsets available makes life so much
> more pleasant it leaves both hands free for note taking,
> scratching etc.
workers or an officer for something. Never meant for what I was using it
for. Speaker allowed hands free.
>
>> For my cell phone, it talks directly into my hearing aids through
>> bluetooth. THAT is pretty cool. Plus gives me the choice of 5 different
>> programs for filtering. The sirens, chainsaws, table saws, shotguns, a
>> Doobie Brothers concert at my high school, etc. all contributed to my
>> hearing loss. And there may be a genetic factor.
>
> I've been away for a while, but US telephones had a
> magnetic component in the earpiece that US hearing aids could pick
> up to feed the audio into the hearing aid. Such phone handsets
> were designated HAC (Hearing Aid Compatable), back in the old
> days when we could trust and respect telcos, payphones had that
> blue rubber grommit on the handset, that meant the hadset was
> HAC.
make due with what we had.
>
> I would guess with so many "Mutt & Jeff" boomers,
> I'm sure there are Bluetooth adapters for desk phones.
>
>
>
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