"Inspector Sands" at Earls Court 25/08/14

[Deleted]

I was changing trains at Earls Court (SSR) on Monday at around 10.30, and I heard the "Would Inspector Sands please go to the operations room immediately." announcement for the first time; it was played twice, but none of the visible staff reacted in any way, and everything just carried on as normal. Any idea what was going on?

[Deleted]

That's a code for a fire alert.

[Deleted]

That's brilliant! I assumed they were just a member of the BTP or something

[John Tuthill]

Aug 26, 2014 13:26:58 GMT @81stock said:

I was changing trains at Earls Court (SSR) on Monday at around 10.30, and I heard the "Would Inspector Sands please go to the operations room immediately." announcement for the first time; it was played twice, but none of the visible staff reacted in any way, and everything just carried on as normal. Any idea what was going on?

Could be a coded message in order not to panic the punters.
Many years ago I worked for a fire alarm company. In one of our larger emporiums if the alarm went into 'evacuate' mode, an automatic message was played over the PA, if I remember rightly it was something like "Would Mr Brown report to the managers office immediately" or words to that effect.
The idea being that all staff would lock their tills(pre chip & pin days) and prepare for a 'human' message.

[Deleted]

Aug 26, 2014 13:37:34 GMT @spinba11 said:

That's a code for a fire alert.

I know that much!

[domh245]

It may have just been a standard fire alarm test (just the inspector sands bit - not the evacuation message) or equally a false alarm. I suppose that if the point of an inspector sands message is just to alert the staff and not worry the passengers, then having all of the staff on the platform suddenly leg it for an exit, or otherwise start acting differently, that would then worry the passengers - rather defeating the point of the message

[Deleted]

I have heard the exact same PA at Acton Town on a number of occasions recently. It was followed by a loud ringing chime as I recall but nobody reacted the slightest.

[rummer]

Its a a message for a single fire alarm point being operated, as stated above its a coded message so the customers don't panic. If 2 or more alarms are activated then it will sound a normal alarm to evacuate the station. Most of the time you hear the inspector Sands its just the fire panel being tested you only need to worry if you the staff acting on it.

[class411]

When we went to have a look at the revitalised Kin's Cross a few weeks ago we were treated to the longest string of 'Inspector Sands' messages I've ever heard. It's a very clear PA system (or was where we were walking) and the message must have repeated a minimum of a dozen times. This was a continuous repetition; there was no noticeable gap between each instance.

Previously I've only ever heard it repeated once - and it's usually (in my somewhat limited experience; about half a dozen times in total) not repeated at all.

[superteacher]

In my experience it's usually repeated at least three times.

[crusty54]

It will continue until the system is reset by the Station Supervisor or it goes into evacuation mode.

A member of staff will check the call point that has been operated.

[revupminster]

Football grounds covered by the same Section 12 regulations use Mr ........ is in the stadium. It usually followed by Mr ....... has left the stadium. Same reason one fire alarm has gone off. I have forgotten the name West Ham used but it always got a big cheer.

[Tomcakes]

Perhaps the staff knew it was a test or similar? Many public buildings use a similar system for one break-glass or smoke-head activated, to allow staff to take up evacuation positions (or at least prepare to do so) whilst the activation is investigated.

[rincew1nd]

People everywhere use lots of code words to communicate to staff that there is an emergency situation whilst not wishing to create panic at large. This article from the ToryGraph kinda goes a way towards explaining it all though.

I'm sure some friends in the Theatre have told me about "Mr Skylight" or "Mr Jet", I can't remember which though.

[mcmaddog]

Makes me wonder what the beeps are at Jubilee line extension stations are ... Bih bih bih bi bi bi bi bih

[John Tuthill]

Aug 26, 2014 23:02:40 GMT mcmaddog said:

Makes me wonder what the beeps are at Jubilee line extension stations are ... Bih bih bih bi bi bi bi bih

You're entering an episode of Inspector Morse?

[brigham]

Looks like O-S-A depending on the gaps. Does it ring a bell?

[paulsw2]

Aug 26, 2014 13:26:58 GMT @81stock said:

I was changing trains at Earls Court (SSR) on Monday at around 10.30, and I heard the "Would Inspector Sands please go to the operations room immediately." announcement for the first time; it was played twice, but none of the visible staff reacted in any way, and everything just carried on as normal. Any idea what was going on?

As a former CSA at Earl's Court I can tell you that was a daily test of the fire alarm panel. It is tested every day at about 10 (after morning peak) it cannot be tested at night as most stations are because of a noise abatement order on the station regarding public announcements.

[revupminster]

Aug 26, 2014 18:08:27 GMT revupminster said:

Football grounds covered by the same Section 12 regulations use Mr ........ is in the stadium. It usually followed by Mr ....... has left the stadium. Same reason one fire alarm has gone off. I have forgotten the name West Ham used but it always got a big cheer.

I have just recalled. Mr Moon is in the stadium and Mr Moon has left the stadium.

[Deleted]

Aug 26, 2014 21:24:47 GMT rincew1nd said:

People everywhere use lots of code words to communicate to staff that there is an emergency situation whilst not wishing to create panic at large. This article from the ToryGraph kinda goes a way towards explaining it all though.

I'm sure some friends in the Theatre have told me about "Mr Skylight" or "Mr Jet", I can't remember which though.

[Deleted]

Sorry for last post, I was trying to quote in my reply.

I used to work for Wetherspoons when I was at uni and the codewords there were "Mr Jet" for a fire alert and "Inspector Gadget" for a bomb alert.

[Indefatigable]

If i can add my own little names or two...

For many years the Children's Ward at my local hospital had a special one to not scare the patients in the case of a blaze - Fireman Sam (nice thinking). The local bus interchange will sometimes ask for an "Inspector Blake" to report to the control room.

My personal favourite is a story told to me by a ship's captain (will not say the vessel's name) who told me it is standard practice for British ships to play "Yellow Submarine", "Sailing" and Row Row Row Your Boat" in the event of abandon ship

[causton]

Meanwhile in the shopping centre I work in, the PA system has 2 announcements saying "this is being investigated" upfront and clear to the customers in a man's voice. The second "evacuate" message is in a lady's voice, so if another member of staff asks me what the announcement is outside I ask if it's a man or a woman's voice

...then the fire alarm sounders inside the individual units go off...

Edit/PS: It is a shame they have had to add "Do not return to the car park" message to the end, as people must instinctively think that if the building is on fire them and 1000 other shoppers can all get out of the premises quicker than by walking out of it!

[class411]

Sept 15, 2014 21:58:03 GMT @rhysey said:

Sorry for last post, I was trying to quote in my reply.

I used to work for Wetherspoons when I was at uni and the codewords there were "Mr Jet" for a fire alert and "Inspector Gadget" for a bomb alert.

Way to avoid arousing suspicion.