It is a typical, cold Tuesday morning in January. Some students arrive at school early to partake in their clubs. Others are coming in waves as school buses drop them off. Suddenly, a voice is heard over the school speaker system, asking students and staff to evacuate the building as quickly as possible. All conversations stop for a sudden moment as the voice announces that there is a gas leakage in the building.
All the people inside the school building, and those that have just gotten off of their school buses, are rushed to the football stadium and onto the cold, metal bleachers. Chatters and murmurs are heard all around and everywhere, and the same question is asked: “What happened?”
The first gas leak evacuation in County’s 70-year history took place on Tuesday, January 30. The leak was caused by a carbon buildup in one of the two boilers at the back of the school, according to an email that Luttrell received from William Wohead, director of facilities operations. Choir teacher William Rosenfeld smelled the gas and immediately reported the odor to the facilities. The boilers were then shut off and checked. A thorough inspection of the machines showed that one of the boilers was faulty and was expelling gas, which was heavily dangerous for those who breathed it in.
As per district policy, all schools must follow a step-by-step procedure in case of an emergency like this one. Once an evacuation has been set into place, the process needs to be followed precisely. First aid, like the fire department, is called as soon as an event like this occurs. Until then, administrators have to follow evacuation protocol.
“Security and admin position themselves in areas predetermined by a response plan,” principal Michelle Luttrell said.
As explained by Luttrell, school administrators have an initial level of decision-making to do, like calling food services and other high schools to prepare for having to move evacuated students; however, most decisions come from higher authority.
As principal, Luttrell is the center point of information and the person through which all information is channeled.
“I am essentially a liaison,” Luttrell said.
While all of this was occurring inside the building, evacuated students had to wait outside for approximately two hours, in 40-degree weather. Students were not prepared for these cold circumstances, but they came up with creative things to do to pass the time while waiting.
Sophomore Caitlyn Kozowyk and her friends huddled together to share airpods and watch the “Shiny Happy People” documentary. Other students played card games, like Uno and Spoons.
“I was frustrated we couldn’t go home,” senior Katherine Garvey said. “My friends and I were going to get ice cream if they let us go.”
Not only did the evacuation affect students, but it also impacted teachers and their classes.
Science teacher Terri Moulds’ AP Chemistry class was affected by the gas leak. Although the evacuation began before school started, Moulds’ students were scattered throughout the stadium, and she wished that everything was “more planned and prepared for.”
“We haven’t practiced a school-wide evacuation in a very long time, so considering we did that in 15 minutes, that was still a very great thing,” Moulds said.
Back in the building, the fire department used special instruments to measure the amount of gas around the school, and later used other techniques, like opening all doors and windows, to pull the air out of the building. The building was then considered safe for students to return to the school.
A carbon buildup can cause restlessness and headaches, along with increased heart rates and respiratory problems, such as trouble breathing. These symptoms can be harmful, and excess gas can cause explosions.
To prevent problems like this from arising in the future, LCPS has also conducted an assessment of the entire school and removed any unnecessary parts from the boilers that may cause further issues.
“It was just beautifully done,” Luttrell said. “Everyone was quiet, focused, and followed directions, which is exactly what we need them to do. We cleared this building very quickly, and that was great.”
