Re: Fire Alarms Certification

[G. Morgan <usenet_abuse@xxxxxxxxx>]

Frank Kurz Wrote:

> They would have you believe that
>only "Notifier Certified" techs are allowed to work/program/verify a
>Notifier panel.  Balderdash.

Exactly, you just have to have a buddy who's company is a dealer and buy
Notifier parts though him.

The FL MS-9200 is very similar to the Notifier panel of the same class.
Right after the commissioning was done at the college where the 9200 was
installed, my very next assignment was at a juvenile detention facility.
I had to add on detection to a new wing they built.  That panel, the
model # escapes me now; was almost identical in the programming.

I had to call Notifier's tech-support one time during the job.  My boss
gave me an 'alias' and phone number to use when I called.  (He knew the
Notifier dealer as a friend), so his buddy didn't mind one or two calls
were placed using his name and #.  I was asked not to disclose the
location of the installation (by my boss), and sure-enough they did ask.
I wonder why they care?  I think I gave 'a' physical address to the
support-tech, but used our one and only (serious) competitor's address.
Heh, heh, heh...

My boss worked with his competitor for years before starting his own
company.  So they had a lot of bad-blood feudin' and fussin' on a
regular basis.

I just naturally picked my employer's side in the mess, he was writing
my checks.  And I knew my pal Bill always had my ass, so there was never
even a question he'd lose me to them.


Besides, this other dude has a very bad reputation for speaking to his
customers with no compulsion of sense of responsibility to service it

As well, he also treated his employees like crap.  We stole some of his
tech's because of that.  They were his discarded but well-trained
"refugee" technicians who couldn't  deal with John anymore.  I heard
many bad stories about him, from a lot of people. I had a few building
engineers tell me he wasn't allowed on their site anymore, just because
of his attitude and lack of prompt service.

I saw him a few times, but I'd never been formally introduced, so he
didn't even know who I was.  I worked for the same company 2 times, the
date I got on first was Q1-'94 or maybe even '93. It was really just me,
Bill, and another long-time friend of Bill's that were capable of
understanding the logic.  I can't tell you how many resistors I've had
to remove from the EOL on ends of digital SLC's.  When I asked if I
could come back to Wack-o for my job back in 2002, he said ***PLEASE***
when can you be here?  He had grown the business so quickly in the
decade, when I came back there were about a dozen tech's (most of which
were not comfortable servicing a digital system).  This was like
'voodoo' to them.   I had been using addressable -security- products
well before I came back to Waco during that 9 years.

I was always a little pissed off (when I returned), that I was getting
paid close to what some wire-pullers were making because of an informal
'length of service" rule, Bill used 'selectively'.  After your first 6-9
months he would usually throw an extra dollar or two onto your hourly
rate.  If a year passes, and they didn't see a raise the whole year it
meant you were 'disposable'

I know this is turning into an RCH inspired essay, but since I left the
second time (only after a year) I realized he was not in a position to
be buddy-buddy like it was before.  I was treated just about like all
the other employees.  I was allowed to drive the company vehicle home
everyday, he amde everyone else drive-in on their petrol.  We knew each
other so well I knew he was just making his authority felt by his
minions, to stay credible and keep them on edge.

I would react that bravado display in the (his) shop and bite my lip (as
I would certainly not be helping the other tech or myself) if I got Bill
even more livid than he was.  Once I got him alone at lunch or
something, I'd call him a dickhead for something if I felt was 'dickish'
he did to another tech. I'd certainly call him on it.  He had morphed
from a generally calm and steady emotional state to a guy that was
consumed by his business and had little free time.

When I saw the difference 9 years of 'success' had done to his stress
level, I was amazed.  Not enough to feel sorry for him, but just to see
his personal transformation of a 8 man shop to a 25+ one made him
different.  Not, arrogant or more cocky than he already was when I knew
the 'old' Bill  But now (well, since 2002) is was just stressed so much,
it makes me wonder if any amount of income is worth it.  In fact, I need
to call and see how he's doing.  It's been 2-3 years since we spoke.

But, eventually the futility of trying to get him to "chill-out a
little" sunk in. He passed the point of no return where he/we/me
couldn't have the relaxed rules and comradely were shared as a small
group.  It's now an operation that has to be run professionally -in- the
office too.  The shop was sort of a 'sanctuary the first time I was
there.
We a had a Coke/beer-fridge, satellite TV, Bill would pick up the 6
string and always play and sing the same song...

"There is.  A house, in New Orleans....
....They caaaaall.......... "The Rising Sun"


and go back to some weared on me so much I quit again.   I never even
liked being in that geographioc area of TX. (both times)







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