VIDEO: Schaumburg Fire Department called a MABAS Division 1 Hazmat Box Alarm calling for Hazmat Techs from as far as Wheeling and Pingree Grove (Elginet Media).
Schaumburg firefighter/paramedics responded about 12:43 p.m. Friday to an activated fire alarm at Schaumburg High School, 1100 West Schaumburg Road. When first firefighters arrived on the scene received an early unconfirmed report from a maintenance man that concrete contractors were raising a floor, and that they were drilling into the floor when they observed some type of slight cloud involving “yellow, noxious gas” inside the building. Firefighters immediately accounted for all employees working in the building by about 12:58 p.m.
Weather at the time of the incident was reported as winds NNE at 12 MPH — gusting to 20 MPH.
Fire command called for an extra alarm HazMat response known as a MABAS HazMat Box Alarm at about 1:14 p.m. Friday. Fire equipment was staged on the far east side of the high school parking lot. By about 2:00 p.m. an emergency decontamination truck (MABAS DECON 1) was set up and ready for operation.
By about 2:15 p.m. firefighters reported no readings on any of their HazMat papers and no reaction on litmus paper tests. Firefighter checked all floors with air sensors, and summarily reported zero readings about 2:43 p.m.
The hazmat operation was terminated at about 3:00 p.m. after no hazardous material was detected.
Concrete contractors were raising the floor in or near a ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ bathroom while students were off for the day.
Firefighters and hazmat technicians from Algonquin, Arlington Heights, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, Des Plaines, Palatine, Streamwood, and West Dundee assisted Schaumburg firefighters either at the scene or by providing fire station coverage for the Village of Schaumburg.
Developing …
Stay informed with news from The Cardinal’s Emergencies Behind the Scenes Facebook page — Facebook.com/CardinalEmergencies. Includes links to favorite public safety and emergency rescuers and product manufacturers and safety companies that have facebook pages. Submit your pictures or just stay up-to-date on with fire, rescue, EMS and police photo galleries. Please add your public safety photo to the wall album — go direct to the Arlington Cardinal Emergencies Behind the Scenes photos. For a list of all of The Cardinal Facebook fan pages, go to Arlingtoncardinal.com/about/facebook …
