The Hot Zone

The Hot Zone

by

Richard Preston

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on The Hot Zone makes teaching easy.
As the colony manager at the Reston Primate Quarantine Unit, it is Bill Volt who calls Dan Dalgard to tell him that the monkeys at the facility are dying in unusually large numbers. He also delivers the infected monkey corpses to the USAMRIID scientists and soldiers after Dalgard initially refuses to let them into the building itself. He does not seem to truly understand the gravity of the situation until two of his employees fall ill, at which point he begins to panic (although neither of them ends up getting sick from Ebola).
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Bill Volt Character Timeline in The Hot Zone

The timeline below shows where the character Bill Volt appears in The Hot Zone. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2, Chapter 1: Reston
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Globalization Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
Preston introduces Bill Volt , the Reston monkey house manager. On October 1st he calls Dan Dalgard to tell... (full context)
The Power of Nature Theme Icon
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
Another shipment of monkeys arrives the same day, and Bill Volt places them in Room H. Dan Dalgard, meanwhile, becomes worried that the monkeys have a... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 2: Into Level 3
The Power of Nature Theme Icon
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
Dan Dalgard checks in with Bill Volt the next day, and learns that no monkeys have died overnight. He calls Jahrling, but... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 7: The Second Angel
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Bravery and Teamwork Theme Icon
...that he has been autopsying monkeys since October, but has not fallen ill. He calls Bill Volt and orders him not to open up any more monkeys, then waits for a phone... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 9: Garbage Bags
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
Bravery and Teamwork Theme Icon
...monkey house until the two men have met face-to-face. He drives to work and calls Bill Volt , who gives him terrible news: one of the animal caretakers, who is called Jarvis... (full context)
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
Bravery and Teamwork Theme Icon
At last a van pulls up, with Bill Volt driving. He shows the Army team seven double bags filled with monkey corpses. Peters, Nancy,... (full context)
Part 2, Chapter 13: Reconaissance
The Power of Nature Theme Icon
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
Bravery and Teamwork Theme Icon
...cages. Klages thinks that they shouldn’t even be inside without a spacesuit. The men find Bill Volt in his office, and are ill-at-ease, wondering whether that room too is contaminated—they almost vomit... (full context)
Part 3, Chapter 2: A Man Down
Human Error and Fragility Theme Icon
Innovation and Curiosity vs. Hubris Theme Icon
...faint—he suggests that maybe the bad smell of the monkeys made him retch. Dalgard sends Bill Volt out to get a thermometer, and the men discover that Frantig has a 101 degree... (full context)