NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Students were evacuated from New Rochelle High School on Wednesday due to a gas leak.
Officials at New Rochelle High School spent 40 minutes attempting to locate the source of a strong odor of gas in the building before pulling an alarm to call the fire department and evacuate the school at about 10 a.m.
In a statement issued by Principal Reggie Richardson, the source of the gas odor was described as a problem with the boiler vent.
“The boiler has been shut down until the vent problem can be corrected,” said Richardson.
A knowledgable source told Talk of the Sound that the problem involved gas lines running from Con Edison industrial gas meters in the area around “The Embassy” courtyard at the Clove Road entrance to the school building. The source said one of the pipes did not seal properly, venting gas into the school. NRFD scanner traffic indicated that Con Edison would “red tag” the boiler meaning it could not be used until it was repaired, inspected and certified in good working order. This stands in contrast to the official statement which said “NRFD and Con Ed did not detect any gas or other hazardous emissions in the school.”
The odor was very strong in the area near the Embassy Entrance. Neighbors along Clove Road and Flandreau Avenue called Con Edison to report what they believed to be gas in their homes. Con Edison workers said tests in the area of the homes were negative and most likely the odor they smelled came from the high school.
Two staff members were overcome and taken to Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital as a precaution, Richardson told Talk of the Student. A number of students reporting feeling unwell with dizziness and headaches.
The evacuation continued for 90 minutes before the fire department gave the “all clear”.
By the time class resumed shortly after 11:30 a.m. many students had left for the day on their own.
Although Richardson thanked everyone for “doing such an outstanding job in responding quickly and calmly to this unexpected situation” as is the custom, there were, once again, serious failures.
The school delayed calling the fire department for as much as 40 minutes before pulling the alarm to evacuate students and summon the fire department which is a violation of the district emergency response procedures.
Teachers are supposed to carry class rosters and take attendance to make sure all students are accounted for. Once the students were outside, they did not all line up near a pre-determined location outside the school. Attendance was not taken in many instances, a problem that has been ongoing for many years, and is another violation of district emergency response procedures.