AI Case Switch Issue - Javascript, 2D Shooter

First the code:

 function Update () {
 player = 
 CheckStatus();
 print ("Checking Status");
 switch(status)
 {
 case AIStatus.Idle:
 print ("Idling");
 Idle();
 break;
 
 case AIStatus.Firing:
 print("Activating Firing");
 Firing();
 break;
 
 }
 
 
 }
 //does successfully switch between idle and scared one time, and one time only.
 function CheckStatus () {
 
 //dist = (player.position - this.transform.position).magnitude; //not updating for some reason
 dist = (player.position.z - this.transform.position.z); //not updating for some reason
 if (dist < fireDistance) {
 status = AIStatus.Firing;
 print ("AI is Firing at dist:" + dist);
 }
 if (dist > awareDistance) {
 status = AIStatus.Idle;
 print ("AI is Idle at dist: " + dist);
 }
 
 
 }
 function Idle() {
 
 
 }
 
 function Firing() {
 
 
 }

Now the issue:it appears that CheckStatus() never updates the dist variable, and always shows the initial distance. The result is it's always stuck in one state or the other. In other words - it's either always idling, or always firing.

Halp

edit: The issue was apparently with dist always reading negative. Solved by taking a negative of the whole equation.