According to testimony before the Common Council Monday night, Fire Chief Gary Oulette said that Keigwin Middle School Principal Tracey Koff, did not follow standard safety procedures when there was a gas leak at the school on January 19.
Oulette said that the gas leak was caused when a maintenance worker turned on a gas main to the science labs after being informed that bunsen burners in the room would be used that day. Apparently petcocks in the labs had inadvertently been left open causing gas to fill the labs, and sending a gas odor throughout the wing of the school which houses the labs.
The principal ordered students to the other end of school to wait in the gymnasium until the gas could be cleared. She then called the director of school facilities. The fire department was never informed. That day a letter was sent home to parents informing them of the incident.
The letter was the source of information for the fire department, and Oulette insists that the principal's actions were unsafe, incorrect and "could have caused a tragedy." He said that the school should have been evacuated immediately, and that fire and police personnel should have been called in to handle the situation.
Oulette brought his concerns to the mayor, and to the superintendent of schools, Michael Frechette. According to Oulette, the superintendent dismissed his concerns. Oulette then brought his concerns to the Public Safety commission.
"That's one of the most outrageous decisions anyone could do," Council member Phil Pessina said.
Council members were outraged at the inaction of Koff and Frechette, and insisted that procedures be reaffirmed at all schools. Council member Ron Klattenberg suggested that a "cultural" problem existed in the school system and that the challenge would be solving the "cultural problem." Council member Deb Kleckowski insisted that the principal, her staff and the superintendent were culpable.
"There should be ramifications attached to this," Kleckowski said.
Police chief Patrick McMahon confirmed that the schools have had, for many years. a safety manual written and published by the Police Department with clear instructions on how to handle such an emergency.
Oulette referred the incident to state's attorneys for consideration for possible prosecution. The state attorney declined to prosecute due to the absence of physical evidence.
6 comments:
Superindendent Frechette says it was a "judgement call". How about a "lack of judgement call"!
Too bad there is no way to teach common sense, because for all their degrees, educators often show a serious lack of it!
You wonder why our school system is as screwed up as it is. How do we find these incompetent people?
I've dealt with these college degree/no common sense types for well over two decades and this is not the only instance of poor judgement in the schools- although it is possibly the most egregious.
The parents of these children should be beyond outraged! They should call for the heads of all those involved.
Outrageous! That's all I can say about the Principal, and the B of E's reaction to this incident. Common sense dictates when you smell gas, to leave the building and call the Fire Department. So was the Principal equipped with a four gas meter, which told her exactly what the concentration of gas in the building was? So not only is she a principal, but a Fire professional also?
I read this was a judgement call on the Principal and Ken Jackson's account. Well all I can say is that was very poor judgement. What are these individuals thinking when it comes to the safety of our children? I have two children in the system, and have some knowledge about what should have happened. Honestly this calls for the removal of all those involved. If you can disregard the safety of these children, how many other incidents have gone under the Fire Department's radar? Dr. Frechettes answer of nothing happened, let's move on shows just how much the Board of Ed ignores what other professionals deem safe. Who is he to disregard this incident, and call upon all of us to just let it go. I am outraged that the lives of these children were placed in jeopardy by educators who are supposed to know better!
As far as Chief McMahon's statement, do we really need a manual to detail for our educators to call 911 on? Here's how that goes, I smell smoke, gas, or see a fire I dial 911. Period end! We teach these kids everyday the importance of reporting incidents, and we see this outrageous behavior. Be lucky that the leak did not reach explosive levels. I seriously doubt these educators realize how close they truly were!
If I called the fire department every time I smelled gas, there would be sirens in my neighborhood 24 hours a day.
The BOE was extremely lucky this time! If the rules for when to evacuate a building were not followed, just think if the rules for not turning on an electrical switch in the lab were not followed either! Supt. Frechette should not just fluff this event off to cover his tush.
Most of us live in extremely safe environments, and, as a result, assume that safety rules exist just because there are a lot of alarmists out there. But common, everyday items can be hazardous under certain circumstances. Light switches and telephones can both generate sparks; in a gas-filled room, that's a really bad thing.
Lots of people still think you should throw flour on a kitchen fire, too -- which works great except for the occasional explosion.
It seems to me (and I'm not connected to any of the people incvolved in this story) that a gas leak is a Big Deal, and a safety manual should be followed to the letter. Common sense isn't common, and it isn't even always right.
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