Vapor release in Engineering Building causes evacuation

By Kayli Plotner, Daily Egyptian
February 3, 2016

The Carbondale Fire Department responded to a report of a vapor release about 11:45 p.m. Tuesday at the Engineering building.

A male graduate student was working on research when a small vapor release resulted in a building evacuation. SIU police, Jackson County’s ambulance service and Debra Sarvela, associate director of the Center for Environmental Health and Safety, were also called to the scene. The student was admitted to Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and has since been released.

Lt. Ryan House of the Department of Public Safety said there was no damage to the building and no reported injuries.

Sarvela said there were a few other people in the building at the time because many engineering students do their research late at night. The fire alarm was intentionally pulled to make sure those people evacuated.

“There were some protocols that weren’t followed as far as we can tell,” Sarvela said. “His professor will speak with him and find out exactly what went wrong. But we know a protocol was not followed and that’s going to be corrected.”

Assistant Fire Chief Doug Biggs said the release was a combination of six to eight chemicals mixed together, and his crew ventilated the building to make sure they were pushed out.

The Daily Egyptian’s campus desk can be reached at 618-536-3325.