Daily Red Cross: Climbing Higher....

Today I headed into Mass. Bay ARC this morning about 9am and met with Marc Fernandez, Help Desk Manager. While not the chapter's director of IT, he is the de facto tech guy - the IT Director is also the Comptroller, the latter job consumes 99% of his time.

I was led downstairs to a computer lab with Compaqs running Windows 2000 and told, on the way, that I would be supervising a Bank of America team doing data entry of "Client Intake" sheets into the master Client Assistance System (CAS).

The CAS is running on some sort of Siebel system requiring a Siebel High Interactivity Framework ActiveX control. So while Marc got everyone setup on the lab's computers and through entering their first client, I sheepishly tried to figure out how the hell to get IE to let me install the stupid applet.

The system was incredibly slow when we started this morning. To the point that logging in would take 2-3minutes. Unfortunately, add the fact that an IE Window saying I needed the ActiveX control would popup as would the "security" bar asking me whether I wanted to install the program. I had to click OK on the IE Window and by the time I did the "install program" bar disappeared as well. Ugg! I had to disable all sorts of security features to get it to default install - *shiver*

Luckily I'm pretty intuitive with tech so after about 5 minutes of rapid-fire questions about the form, I was able to get through my first client record. Well, 5min + the 15min to actually make it through all the damn prompts.

I offered to write some documentation for Marc because he is obviously overwhelmed supporting such a big chapter like Mass. Bay on his own AND having to train people on Data Entry, which he normally does not do. So I went through a few more forms and whipped up a tech doc. It's a start - I took screenshots which I'll add over the weekend so newbies that come in can enter the forms via DIY.

About 1ish, I got whisked downstairs to their walk-in service center where folks staying with friends & relatives, (including many Tulane students at Harvard and Boston University), would come in to register, get their "Client Assistance Card" activated and just have someone to tell their stories to that would understand. Normally these cards, (which we are also activating upstairs), take 24 - 48hrs to activate. Upstairs we were sending them to Chase to be activated. However, downstairs, I would be handed a form, enter it and within 3 minutes of clicking the button the card would be activated. How's that for service?

I only got through 6 forms though before I had to head out. Kirky, (kiekre) and I are going to see Elton John at the Fleet Center, (TD BankNorth whateverI'mnottypingthatlongname) - a present for Kirky's birthday.

Tomorrow, however, more fun! We have to go back to Camp Edwards/Otis ANG base to pull back all the Mass Care supplies to the New Bedford office in the rapidly north-ward headed Ophelia. How's that for irony? Hopefully she will continue to downgrade so we don't have to evacuate the evacuees from Otis to inland - you may recall I said that they were originally due to come into Logan and be housed at the Boston Convention Center. Mmmmm hmmm. We'll see if your playing politics backfires, Mr. Romney. These people can't afford the trauma of yet another extreme weather event. If they're watching the televisions in their rooms, no doubt they're petrified at the slight possibility of it hitting the Cape.

I've also offered to help prepare various Cape and South Shore shelters for Ophelia if there's flooding or other problems. Haven't heard back yet. I will also be returning to help Marc on Monday if my schedule allows it.

That's it for now!