False alarm or co-worker prank?

1/27/2008

Inside My Shoes: False alarm or co-worker prank?
By TAMMY MALGESINI
The East Oregonian

Was there really a fire? That question started to pop into my head as I kept hitting dead ends in trying to gain information.

It all started around 7:45 p.m. Jan. 15 when I received a call from Assistant Editor Dean Brickey.

Dean, who obviously was calling it an early night, already was in his pajamas when he received a call from West Sports Editor Daniel Wattenburger.

Daniel had sketchy details, but I was told there was a city hall on fire. Dean asked me to drive to Hermiston City Hall to see if anything was happening there.

As I walked out of the newsroom, I drew in a deep breath, but other than the smell of wood-burning stoves, it didn't smell like fire.

As I sat in the parking lot at City Hall, I called Dean and told him everything was quiet in Hermiston, but I would call Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services because if there was a structure fire surely others would be called for mutual aid.

No one answered at the fire department, so I called the Hermiston Police Department to see if they had received any calls - they hadn't. After assuring them everything was fine at Hermiston City Hall, I started to drive away.

But I couldn't let it go. If there was a city hall on fire, I had to be there.

I then received a call from one of our photojournalists, Nicole Barker. She told me Daniel heard the fire was at a city hall and the roof was collapsing. She then added he heard Irrigon Rural Fire Department was responding, but said they were 25 minutes out.

I may not be that great at geography, but in my mind that narrowed the choices to Hermiston and Boardman. And since I already knew everything in H-town was fine, I thought, "It has to be Boardman."

For a fleeting moment, I thought, "This isn't really happening. It's (Chief Photographer) E.J. (Harris) getting back at me for a prank I pulled on him."

After getting him good with an earlier prank, much to the delight of Deputy Managing Editor Dave Sager, E.J. said he'd get me back. And he told me I wouldn't even know he was doing it.

He said he'd call me sometime in the evening and tell me there was a fire somewhere and to meet him there. I thought, "I wonder if he pulled Daniel into his little prank."

But that thought passed because if there was a fire I needed to be there.I attempted to call Boardman Mayor Ed Glenn to find out if he knew anything about his City Hall. After getting several busy signals, I scrapped that idea - anyone who's familiar with Ed knows he can shoot the breeze for a while.

I then called Utility Clerk Jackie McCauley (my cell phone is a virtual Dex telephone book). I told her my dilemma and she offered to drive to City Hall to see what was happening, so I didn't have to drive all the way there if it was nothing.

I drove back to the newsroom, but I wasn't satisfied to merely sit and wait for Jackie's call. I decided to call Barb Huwe, former owner of Huwe's Has It All, in Irrigon. I've learned that if something's happening in North Morrow County, she usually has information - or at least knows someone who does.

She told me her husband, Wayne, who is a volunteer firefighter, was at a city council meeting, but she had expected him back already. This fueled my suspicions that there must indeed be a fire and I should start heading to Boardman.

About that time, Jackie called me back and said it was a fire training exercise for mutual aid between the Boardman and Irrigon fire departments and Boardman City Hall was the site of the exercise.

I'm grateful Boardman City Hall wasn't on fire. I also appreciate those who helped me discern it wasn't, but I'm still wondering when E.J. will make good on his threat.
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Tammy Malgesini is a reporter for the East Oregonian. She can be reached at 564-4539 or tmalgesini@eastoregonian.com.