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WESTON, FLA. (WSVN) – – Five people were transported to the hospital after a hazmat incident happened at a high school in Weston.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue and several other fire departments arrived at Cypress Bay High School, located at 18600 Vista Park Blvd, Friday morning.
7Skyforce hovered over the scene, where crews with masks entered the building and assisted people outside.
Once crews were inside the school, they detected high levels of carbon monoxide coming from the cafeteria.
According to officials, several school workers in the cafeteria reported that they were feeling lightheaded and nauseous. They are expected to be OK after receiving treatment.
“Once again they were consistent with carbon monoxide exposure: weakness, dizziness, headache,” said BSFR Chief Michael Kane.
Four cafeteria workers and one firefighter who responded to the school were treated at the scene and transported to the Cleveland Clinic with minor symptoms.
No students were affected by the incident.
“Firefighters made contact, they were able to determine there was a carbon dioxide leak occurring inside the cafeteria in the school. There were no students inside the cafeteria at the time,” said Kane. “Hazardous materials teams were requesting to respond, and they did. They determined that there was carbon monoxide leak occurring in or near the cafeteria. In an abundance of caution, the entire network of gas piping to the school was shut off.”
The cafeteria was evacuated, and all gas to the building was shut off.
Students were dismissed at noon.
“This was my concern. Now I can’t – now I’m calling him, and he doesn’t answer,” said a parent. “Hopefully they’re OK.”
Although students weren’t harmed due to the gas leak, some told 7News they could smell the gas.
“I walked in there like my eyes start tearing up like the gas leak was everywhere. I couldn’t see anything,” said a student.
“I was in my classroom, and I smelled gas through the air vents,” said Nicolas Karageorgos, a student.
We were all panicking in class figuring out how we gonna leave,” said another student.
“I was scared ’cause that’s, like, a really serious thing, and when I heard people were sent to the hospital, it was stressing me out,” said Isabella Santa Cruz. “I’m glad they worked it out and everything is good.”
As far as leaving school early on a Friday, we heard no complaints.
“Did you feel anything,” said 7news reporter Brandon Beyer.
“Only joy, got to leave school early because I had a quiz in my last period, and I got to skip it today,” said a student.
Students were sent home while crews ventilated the building.
“So we can assess, fix and also test over the weekend, so we can be back to normal operations on Monday,” said Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Howard Hepburn. “Just to make sure we find, pinpoint where this leak is. So out of an abundance of caution, we want to make sure everybody is off campus.”
The cause of the leak is now under investigation.
“In total, five people were treated at the scene — including four school employees and one firefighter…Further investigation revealed that there were elevated levels of carbon monoxide in the school’s cafeteria…the hazardous materials teams secured the propane gas system that supplies the school.”
Five hospitalized after carbon monoxide leak at high school in South Florida (cbs12.com)
