It is simply a part of our everyday work routine. The PA system announces the statement "We have a Code Adam." Details follow giving the age and description of the child"s clothing and sometimes where he was last seen. Over the years, we have developed a rather efficient system for searching. Quite simply, you stop whatever you are doing and start walking the floor and looking for the child. Very shortly, you are joined by your associates. We kind of form a line as we spread out over the store. This allows us to see at least one other associate and direct line of sight down each aisle of the store. Very often the PA announces "Cancel code Adam", before you even get out of your own department. Most lost children are found before they know they are lost. Some time back, I started looking at my watch as I started to look. Most children are found within thirty seconds. A minute is a long code. One that lasts longer than that usually finds people having their privacy in the restrooms shockingly violated. The doors are blocked, allowing no one to leave the building. And we are by that time in the garden center, the automotive bays and on the front sidewalks. Nothing escapes scrutiny. We look in plastic containers on the shelves and in customers carts. We look under clothing racks. We look anywhere that a child could possibly be. In short, we find that kid in nothing flat!
So Friday when our PA system announced that we have a code Adam ( a three year-old girl wearing green shorts a white shirt and white shoes), I looked first at my watch and then at the children in my immediate area before I started down the aisle. I walked across the front looking down all the long aisles that go almost to the back of the building, then down one of those long aisles to look in aisles that are at a ninety degree angle, all the way to the back of the building and through the toy department, back through sporting goods to hardware and health and beauty aids. I looked at my watch...three minutes. Damn, Where is she?!!! The building was silent. Most our of customers understand what going on at a time like this and everybody is waiting to hear those three words..."Cancel code Adam". Okay,on to housewears, seach the plastic containers and trash cans. Four minutes and twenty seconds.
Now I can see the panic on the faces of my associates. I know they must see it on mine. So I turned to the garden center. "Did you guys look under the plant stands". "Yes", but we looked again anyway. I'm back through the door to search the pet department again. Five minutes and thirty seconds. SHE MUST BE SOMEWHERE!!! THINK!! Where could a three year old hide if she wanted to? Nothing came to mind. Okay, could she possibly be in the stock room...lots of places to hide there. So I started that way. Just as I reached the doors to the stock room, the PA came to life and pronounced relief. Six minutes and forty-two seconds. Only a mother's heart knows what an eternity six minutes and forty-two seconds is.
I had customers waiting so I went to serve them, but later when I had time, I went to the service desk to inquire where she was finally found. I COULD NOT BELIEVE what they told me. It seems the mother thought she might have gone back to the car and maybe she should go look there. Associates who were on the front walk and in the parking lot reported that the woman went to a car opened the door, got in and drove away. They did not report seeing the child.
We assume the child was in fact in the car and we did call the police to inquire if we should take any further action.
SIX MINUTES AND FORTY-TWO SECONDS! Does this woman have any idea of the panic she caused? Does she care? Would it really have been SO difficult for her to just turn and wave to the associates outside to let them know all was well?
But to other parents, you need not worry. If your child gets lost in our store, we will make every effort to return said child as quickly as possible. I do know how quickly it can happen. Just one moment when your attention is diverted and your little one is out of sight. It happened to me once. My child required thirteen stitches in is forehead and still has the scar. The one that is an almost perfect match for the one he gave his brother.