 |
Every year our strata complex has mandatory fire alarm and vent cleaning checks. I understand and support this fully. It is in our mutual best interests.
There has been a sheet posted in the building stating it was our responsibility, as apartment owners, to confirm our appointment for the vent cleaning. The fire alarm testing is usually at about the same time. It can be earlier depending on the work of the technicians. It could be at 8 am. If so, if I am at home, I will let the fire alarm technician in and could stay in bed, if needed. I can close my bedroom door. I do work late often. I have online dealings overseas.
I confirmed the mandatory 10 am, July 31, appointment, yesterday with a sign-up sheet for the vent cleaning.
I live upstairs in the condominium complex and my Mother, disabled and with dementia lives downstairs in a hospital bed. I realize the first careworker arrives at 9 am. If I am not out of the complex at work or other, the Fraser Health careworkers have eight other apartment numbers to buzz to be allowed entrance into the complex to walk to our apartment. I set up this list with the Strata President. If I am home, I answer.
The buzz for 9 am will sometimes awaken me. In my underwear I buzz the careworker in and then get dressed and go downstairs to talk with the careworker and to give Mother her first meal or inform the careworker what is available to make Mother for breakfast.
Today, I am awakened at 8: 45 am approximately, by the phone ringing, which is the careworker arriving early. At the same time, as I attempt to buzz her in, I hear this woman yelling from downstairs (paraphrased) 'Russ, fire alarm'. I verbally yelled back. She could hear me. She replied. I am just awake, in my underwear attempting to let the careworker in as I usually would do, if home, and then get dressed. At that moment, the fire alarm technician (which did not bother me) bursts into my loft and checks the alarm.
What bothered me, were the actions of the Strata representative with a smirk on her face standing at the stairs looking at me. This was unethical and showed a lack of common sense.
She should have stayed downstairs. There was no need for her to show the fire alarm technician where the upstairs fire alarm was located. These apartments are virtually universally the same in every apartment he checks.
If she insisted on having a look, she could have given me thirty seconds to put pants and a shirt on, and to compose myself.
I gave her a very stern response. The smirk disappeared.
She stated I had two weeks notice. I was not going to point out her bogus reasoning while in my underwear. She missed the point...
I complained to my friend and the Strata President, that is approximately my Father's age. He stated that the Strata could not control the exact time of the fire alarm check. I understand. But, he agreed that this older woman and Strata representative should have stayed downstairs. If this was an actual fire, I could pardon her actions. She would need to clear the building.
As I homecare, for my Mother, I am probably the 'punk kid' of the complex, but I generally have common sense and expect it from the administration.
What, if instead of being, temporarily at least, a Christian celibate, I was a fornicator and had a 'bird' with me as they say in 1970's British television comedies? What if I was in 'the can' to use a North American expression, and just darted out to buzz the careworker in.
The Strata representative got off lightly...
As I write this, the 10:16 am venting technician has now arrived. The Strata President just apologized again and stated he will speak with the Strata representative.
I am glad my options for leaving are improving and that Mother would be taken care of by Fraser Health homecare. But overall, it is a good place to live. I am blessed.
