Patrick_A_Townson@cup.portal.COM (05/11/88)
The cleanup and service restoration goes on, slowly it seems, yet an overview
shows tremendous progress at the Illinois Bell Hinsdale Central Office, in
the wake of the disasterous fire Sunday night which gutted what IBT has
termed 'one of the four super centers in the Chicago area'. Bell officials
have still given no date for the complete restoration of service. The closest
estimate is 'several days - perhaps another week'.
Wednesday brought these accomplishments --
Five additional emergency telephone centers were installed in various areas.
In addition to the center located outside the burned out building at 120 N.
Lincoln Street, the huge communication trailers have been moved into shopping
malls and near the City Hall. These centers are operating and attended 24
hours per day. Calls are placed free of charge for anyone with urgent business.
The calls are limited to a few minutes and two calls per person. The users
are then requested to go to the back of the line(s) and wait their turn
again. The one center open on Tuesday was literally swamped for hours with
hundreds of people waiting in several lines, snaking their way forward to
the phones. Illinois Bell attendants rushed around taking notes and helping
the customers establish connections. The five additional centers opened on
Wednesday should relieve the crowding.
Moving vans and trailer trucks blocked Lincoln for several blocks Tuesday
night and Wednesday. Each contained new equipment and supplies for the office
which is literally being built from scratch. As a truck was unloaded, another
vehicle moved up into its place. Two Greyound busses were parked nearby,
serving as places for employees to eat, rest and clean up between work shifts.
I was amazed to see a virtual ant-hill like atmosphere when passing by earlier
today. Dozens of people were busy at their assigned tasks. Some were painting
and cleaning. Others were installing lighting, air conditioning and such.
Carpenters were working to intall doors and windows. Several people were
working with circuit boards, assembly line fashion, passing them along to
others.
The main switch, which they had hoped to save, now looks like it will have
to be replaced -- if not in its entirety, then with virtually one hundred
percent new components. The corrosion and rust from the high humidity level
of Sunday night and Monday are very evident.
The work is going on 24 hours per day. Workers take breaks when they must.
When they quit after several hours, others who had been eating/sleeping in
the Greyhound busses take their places.
Directory Assistance has been restored for everyone except in the immediate
area. The data base was rerouted through another central office. Microwave
dishes have been installed and are being used by the hospitals, police and
fire departments in the troubled area. Although residents still have no
phone service and must go out into the street to locate police help,
the police are now able to communicate among themselves, as are the
hospitals.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, Illinois Bell employees visited schools and
shopping malls throghout the area. School children were given notices to
take to their parents giving the locations of the emergency communication
centers.
*Do Bell employees have dedication to their calling?*
I would say so... the internal newsline for employees (Illinois Bell
Communicator 312-368-8000) on Wednesday asked that, 'employees not specifically
assigned to restoration should *NOT* come to the site to assist. The limited
working space was already overcrowded with people, working in some cases
only 2-3 feet apart from each other at their tasks.
Yet show up they did, by the hundreds if it was otherwise their day off
Tuesday or Wednesday. Some came after their regular work was done; some
to assist in the public communications centers; others to man the
rest/feeding busses.
How badly has the fire hurt folks?
Hardest hit are not the teenagers of the village of Hinsdale, as they
would claim (smile), but the businesses which relied heavily on data services.
400 agents of the Illinois State Lottery are off line....
Several dozen ATM's serving the banks are off line....
Two major telemarking firms have closed 'for the duration', idleing several
hundred employees....
Stock and Option guys are tearing their hair out.....
Radio Shack reports that several hundred cellular units have been sold in
the past two days...units that function on channels assigned to Bell's
competitor and are in service....
I'll have more news for you tomorrow, and will continue to provide updates
until the crisis has passed.
Patrick Townson