A FLT SVC STATION SPECIALIST COMPLAINS ABOUT SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL NOT EVACING THE FSS BUILDING WHEN THE FIRE ALARM SOUNDED DUE TO SMOKE AND FUMES.

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ON DEC/XX/97; THE DCA AFSS FIRE ALARM SOUNDED IN RESPONSE TO SMOKE DESCRIBED AS 'LIKE THICK FOG' BY SEVERAL EMPLOYEES; AND NOXIOUS; CHOKING FUMES IN THE OPS GREATER AREA. MGMNT RESPONSE WAS IN VIOLATION OF DCAA ORDER 3900.2A (DATED NOV/XX/93) 5A (1 THROUGH 5) AND/OR 5B (4; 5). WITH SIGHT AND SMELL EVIDENCE OF SMOKE; THE ALARM WAS FIRST SILENCED; NO EVAC WAS MADE OF PERSONNEL; AND NO CALLS WERE MADE BY MGMNT TO THE FIRE DEPT OR OTHER INSTITUTIONS AS MANDATED. MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF SIMILAR ACTIONS (12/X-Z/97) HAVE ESTABLISHED AN INFORMAL MODUS OPERANDI OF ACTION IN VIOLATION OF DCAA 3900.2A; SHAPED AND REINFORCED BY CONSISTENT EXPRESSIONS BY BOTH ATM AND AATM INFORMALLY AUTHORIZING THE ABOVE ACTIONS. SUPVRS; WITH EVIDENT FIRE AND/OR SMOKE; ARE INSTRUCTED TO DETERMINE THE PROXIMAL SUSPECTED OR LIKELY CAUSE OF THE FIRE ALARM ACTIVATION (ALTHOUGH NOT TRAINED IN FIRE DETECTION) -- USING A 'COMMON SENSE; GOOD JUDGEMENT' APCH -- AND FURTHER TO TERMINATE THE INCIDENT BASED ON THEIR JUDGEMENT OF HAZARD WITHOUT EVACING PERSONNEL OR SUMMONING THE FIRE DEPT FOR A FULL BUILDING CHK AS MANDATED BY DCAA 3900.2A. PROPOSED SOLUTION: DCAA 3900.2A SHOULD BE ADHERED TO FULLY; FORMALLY AND INFORMALLY; WITH THE PRIMARY; OVERRIDING AND SOLE DIRECTIVE; WHEN SMOKE AND/OR FIRE ARE EVIDENT; TO BOTH EMPLOYEES AND MGMNT TO EVAC THE BUILDING AND CALL THE FIRE DEPT FOR A FULL BUILDING CHK BY TRAINED FIRE FIGHTERS (IN ADDITION TO OTHER MANDATED ACTIONS IN DCAA 3900.2A). ALARMS MUST NOT BE SILENCED BY FACILITY PERSONNEL WITH EVIDENCE OF SMOKE AND/OR FIRE. BOTH THE ATM AND THE AATM NEED TO CLEARLY EXPRESS TO MGMNT AND EMPLOYEES THEIR AUTH OF ONLY THOSE ACTIONS DELINEATED IN DCAA 3900.2A; EXPLICITLY REVERSING THEIR (CURRENT) EXPRESSED VARIANCE FROM DCAA 3900.2A. ONLY THIS CONSISTENT STEP WILL CHANGE THE INFORMAL 'CORPORATE CULTURE' WHICH NOW PRIORITIZES CONTINUED OP ABOVE FAILSAFE; AUTOMATIC MEASURES TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES.