Story time..

[Budah]

Since requested..I will tell you how I was poisoned this weekend. I had carbon monoxide poisoning this weekend....all weekend.

It turns out there was a slow leak in our comm center that started on Friday. I went back to comm center on Friday after a week long class training course. I worked roughly 24 hrs in the 36 hr due to overtime. As the few I grouped with on Sat morning know.. i wasn't feeling well. I kinda felt hungover, even though I haven't drank in forever. I chalked it up to the increase in time spent wearing a headset and looking at a computer screen. I thought maybe I needed to get my glasses checked or something. After going back to work on Sat morning, I was talking with a coworker and she said she had a headache too. We were slow that day, so I didn't talk to many people and just minded my own business since I felt bad. Nobody put 2 and 2 together and I went home and directly to bed when I got off work. Sunday morning, I went back in (I apparently work too much overtime..lol) and 3 other people were complaining about headaches. Since we don't have a supervisor over the weekends.. the lead dispatcher decided to call the Fire depart in just in case. Turns out (i think on Sunday morning probably) the leak got worse. By this time.. I felt like I was going to puke and still had a wicked headache. But I am pretty stubborn and wasn't going to leave work since I need the money. Turns out we had 300 units per million in the center....it takes 60 units per million in your body to kill you..fun fact.

Here's the fun part....we are 911... we can't just drop everything and leave.

We flipped the switch to divert all calls to the fire dept dispatch and the second I got off the call I was on.. I was rushed to the Fire dept to help them take calls...(apparently by help them I found out that they meant do everything cause Fire had no idea what to do). The 3 dispatchers on the radios had to stay down there until I got to Fire to instruct them. Normally that would be fine...but I am not fully trained yet. In fact I am a good 2-3 months from being fully trained and I am only completely trained at calltaking, not dispatching.

Needless to say.. We got lucky. I got to the Fire department and starting correcting the calls they had already gotten, answering the still ringing phone, and wondering how the hell I was suppose to get officers to where they should be. During this time.. they managed to dump it all on Fire and myself and completely evacuate the police comm center. Right as we started getting too many "high priority" calls and I said "screw it, I'll wing it" and started messaging officers, 2 fully trained dispatchers walked in and a couple fire dispatchers that were "seasoned" enough to know police protocol. Also, with the fire dispatchers came 3 fire officers who started yelling at me for running around once they found out that i was actually in the CO leak... hahahah. That was a fun bout. Eventually, I lost the battle and they made me sit down so I didn't pass out.

EMS was called to the fire dept to check me and I registered a 15 (I still had a long way to 60..lol) parts per million inside my system. They told me that was mild. I figured it was probably the drive/fresh air that lowered it and since they said it was mild.. i didn't fret much. The running around made me light headed and I still had a stomach/head pains..but I fine by my standards. They fixed the leak at our comm center and I went back.

Turns out mild is not as mild as it sounds. The only way to get rid of CO in your blood is to breath it out. So I decided to drink lots of water to help add oxygen to my system. They had tested everyone else in the comm center and only one dispatcher had a higher rating than me (she was at 23.. most others were between 8 and 12). Well, I guess the water worked, cause I was the only dispatcher involved that didn't go to the hospital and finished the 8 hrs I had left to work that day. I count that as a win. Bummer to find out though that I could have gone, not had to work, and still gotten paid.... oh well...haha.

When getting home last night, I had roughly 4-5 parts per million still in my system. So I can only assume I am fine now. My headache and stomach ache are gone and the only after effects are that I am still tired and a bit grumpy. But hell that could be the 14 days straight with no days off...Friday's check is going to be sweet though.

[Dililah]

This makes me think I need to plug back in my Carbon Monoxide Dectector.

Wow, glad you are doing better. They should give you a day off with pay to let you finish cleaning out your system.

[Darlantan]

What a horrid experience. I'm glad you're better now!

[Budah]

I think in the long run it will help me out. One of assistant chief of police came down to supervise and make sure everything was ok. So he was there when they were thanking the ones who stepped up and did what they had to do, myself included. So maybe when I am sitting in front of all of them to interview for officer he will remember that..lol.

As for the day off.. eh. I seem to be ok'ish now and my scheduled days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. So I should get it everything back up to speed tomorrow.

Edited November 22, 2010 by Budah

[Atrael]

To me, this is one of those experiences that highlights your dedication to doing what's necessary. I would say if you do not get the promotion to officer or w/e you want from them, then you're better off elsewhere. You did a helluva job.

P.S. Consider suing for an early retirement.

[Lapisluna]

I am glad it was caught in time. Good job and hope it pays off for you in some way.

[Fiz]

That's really scary, I am glad you and everyone are ok!