Thank God It Wasn't a Heart Attack

[NateTheChops]

There are three emergency code words we all must know. I won't go into too much detail for the same reason we try to avoid using the actual names of the places we work. But when one of these emergencies occurs, we say "Code A, location" three times.

I was returning shopping carts when a man came in and asked where the you aisle was. After telling him, I asked him if he needed a shopping cart. He stops and turns around, then begins wobbling for a bit after which he falls to the floor.

I quickly go for my radio, but my mind goes blank on which of the "Codes" I have to us. Thankfully a coworker was there and I quickly asked him which the right one was. When he confirmed it, I called.

Me: Code B, location, Code B, location Code B, location. *To the man* Are you okay, sir?

The man was just a little shaken, but he said he was fine and he got back up. It took him a few seconds to get to his feet. The coworker I asked for the code was still there and puzzled, I looked around. I had definitely heard my voice over the other radios, but no one was there yet. I know it's a big store, but I was surprised to see the front end supervisor standing not two feet away, turning around and acting surprised that I was even there, much less that I was helping the man climb to his feet.

Me: *to coworker* Um... I just called a Code B, right? You heard me.
Coworker: *Just as puzzled* Yeah, I heard you.

Finally three managers seem to appear out of nowhere. I offered to get the man an electronic cart, because I was concerend he'd fall again and as I was going to get the cart, I saw another manager (we have a ton of management in this store an I can't go into too much detail about who is what, again, obfuscation) standing beside the doors and I nearly panicked.

See, a Code A would be for a missing child. In a Code A, someone is supposed to stand by the door and wait for further instructions. I blanked again for a moment as I worried if I had called the wrong emergency word. Fortunately three more managers came through the door as they were just arriving from some Corporate meeting or whatever.

Anyway, the man was fine, except for some brusing on his arm where he fell. He went about his shopping day and I didn't hear anything more on the subject.

A: I hope I'm quicker to respond in the event that it's a much bigger emergency than it turned out to be.

B: I sure as hell hope the response time from everyone involved is much quicker next time.

[cashierbex]

My store has a code where I do not understand why they can't think of something else. "Code 911". Regardless, my managers come by faster than a bullet.

[fireheart]

There were 3 main codes used at Old Store: Code 5, Code 50 and Code 100.

Code 5 was a "change order" meaning that if you needed change, now was the time to do so.
Code 50 was a "safe drop" which we all know what THAT means.
Code 100 was the big one. It meant Security.

It was always amusing to watch people go BOLTING off after the thief in question and trying to catch them.

[Food Lady]

I can't ever remember the codes outside the missing child.

[RealUnimportant]

One job I was in I only found the emergency attendance code AFTER the one event I needed to call for assistance... Can't remember what it was, I know I made a rather breathless yet still ambiguous-as-possible call for people to rush to my location, and luckily it all worked out, but when I found out we actually had a code, first thing I said was "why did no-one ever tell me?"

[crazylegs]

but when I found out we actually had a code, first thing I said was "why did no-one ever tell me?"

Because "everyone knows what it is"? It's amazing how many people don't know things that 'everybody knows'.

[Zoom]

The only code we have is 94, which means someone's trying to get away with theft usually.

Anything else consists of yelling into the intercom or calling the desk.

Will this inefficiency cost lives? Who knows? The last guy who died in my store was one of our elderly coworkers. In the parking lot. Where they didn't find him for a half-hour.

[rose_metal_nz]

The last guy who died in my store was one of our elderly coworkers. In the parking lot. Where they didn't find him for a half-hour.

Oh that's awful

[mhkohne]

My store has a code where I do not understand why they can't think of something else. "Code 911". Regardless, my managers come by faster than a bullet.

They figure that code has the advantage of being hard to forget.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Back years ago we had a code word we used on the PA if we had an emergency situation (or shoplifter) that would cause management to come running faster than a speeding bullet . . .

NOW

If any of us employees used it . . . as in "Need management up front NOW!!!" not only would the MOD come running, but so would any male employees that were in the store at the time (such as our meat cutters, our dairy/ff guy/produce person, etc)

One year a couple of my coworkers decided to surprise our store manager with a cake for Bosses' Day. Started out innocently enough . . . Irene (our then market manager) went to the Big WD store (we worked in a smaller store w/no bakery or deli) to pick up the cake and snuck it into the store and all the way to the breakroom without being noticed.

We had everything set up a short time later right around lunchtime and we sent our Produce Manager to page Woodman (our store manager) to the breakroom . . .

"Woodman, please come to the produce back room," Produce Manager could be heard saying over the microphone

"NOW!"

Oh SHIT. Both Irene and Lady Di (our AM at the time) were both trying to stop Produce Manager from saying the code word but it was too late.

Next thing we knew, the the doors from the sales floor coming into the Produce Back room FLEW open with a BANG and Woodmam came running back down the hallway, looking like he was on fire.

I think we all looked like we could've ran out the back door but one of us meekly said "Happy . . . Bosses Day??"

Produce Manager startwed laughing and trying to apologize. Woodman realized what was going on and he changed from anger to laughter in a split second. Ended up having a good time nonetheless.

[Caractacus_Potts]

Glad the guy was OK but he should still get that checked out. One day going into my gym an elderly man cominjg out collapsed in the parking lot. I stayed with him and on the phone with 911 until the ambulance came but I found out later he died on route to the hospital.

When I was working at a McD's in the Watts district of LA I found out our store had a silent alarm connected directly to the local PD when some fully decked out SWAT guys complete with machine guns came waltzing into the store. Turns out I had accidentally leaned against the silent alarm button no one had told me existed and the SWAT team had had the store surrounded for ten or fifteen minutes before determining that there was no hostage situation.

In the five months I worked there the place was robbed three times, once at gunpoint.