Chemical Identified In Friday’s HAZMAT Incident
January 23, 2022 at 10:29 p.m.
Chemical Identified In Friday’s HAZMAT Incident
By David [email protected]
According to information found through a Google search, p-Cresol is an organic compound. A colorlesss solid, with a tar-like odor, it is used as an intermediate in the production of other chemicals.
At approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday, the Winona Lake Fire Department was dispatched to a reported hazardous materials situation at the Miller building. Lutheran Kosciusko EMS also was dispatched, according to a news release Cox provided Saturday. Winona Lake Fire units were at the scene within 4 minutes and requested a response from Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory and the Elkhart City Fire Department HAZMAT Team.
“The Elkhart city HAZMAT Team has the expertise and suits. It just takes them a while to get here,” Cox said Sunday.
The hazardous material was described as a deadly gas toxic inhalant from a chemical leak, the news release states. Due to the probable length of time to stabilize and deal with the situation and investigate it, Plain Township/Leesburg Fire Department was requested to stand by for Warsaw-Wayne Fire at Warsaw Station 1 and Pierceton Fire Department was requested to stand by for Winona Lake Fire at the Winona Lake station.
Also requested were Titus fans from Warsaw and Silver Lake. Cox said the fans did not end up being used. “They were there just in case to blow out the building, but we relied more on the cleaning system built in the building. That’s what it’s designed for,” he said.
Preliminary information was that a chemical leak had occurred in a third-floor laboratory earlier in the day and some people who had been in the lab had reported experiencing some symptoms that may have been caused by the toxic chemical. There were 18 people in the lab and they had since left to their homes or dormitories, the release states. Grace College administrative personnel contacted them to return, as well as approximately 46 other people who had been in the building at the time of the leak. Groups were separated as they arrived back at the scene according to where they had been in the building and they were checked and monitored by EMS personnel. Grace College provided buses to house the students and staff who had been in the building, while those who were in the lab were monitored in ambulances, the news release states.
Cox said they were very fortunate with the situation. Only one person was taken to the hospital and that was done more as a precautionary measure. There was no indication that there was any other problems.
“With sixty-some people in the building, that was quite a feat we didn’t have much more of a problem,” Cox said.
He said nothing like this ever gets done quickly.
“Everyone was isolated, the building was emptied. Maintenance has filters to take care of situations like that and they’re cleaning those for the next time,” Cox said.
Elkhart Fire’s HAZMAT Team checked the building and found no indication of any remaining toxic materials or inhalants. The last units cleared the scene at approximately 9:22 p.m., the release states.
According to information found through a Google search, p-Cresol is an organic compound. A colorlesss solid, with a tar-like odor, it is used as an intermediate in the production of other chemicals.
At approximately 6:54 p.m. Friday, the Winona Lake Fire Department was dispatched to a reported hazardous materials situation at the Miller building. Lutheran Kosciusko EMS also was dispatched, according to a news release Cox provided Saturday. Winona Lake Fire units were at the scene within 4 minutes and requested a response from Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory and the Elkhart City Fire Department HAZMAT Team.
“The Elkhart city HAZMAT Team has the expertise and suits. It just takes them a while to get here,” Cox said Sunday.
The hazardous material was described as a deadly gas toxic inhalant from a chemical leak, the news release states. Due to the probable length of time to stabilize and deal with the situation and investigate it, Plain Township/Leesburg Fire Department was requested to stand by for Warsaw-Wayne Fire at Warsaw Station 1 and Pierceton Fire Department was requested to stand by for Winona Lake Fire at the Winona Lake station.
Also requested were Titus fans from Warsaw and Silver Lake. Cox said the fans did not end up being used. “They were there just in case to blow out the building, but we relied more on the cleaning system built in the building. That’s what it’s designed for,” he said.
Preliminary information was that a chemical leak had occurred in a third-floor laboratory earlier in the day and some people who had been in the lab had reported experiencing some symptoms that may have been caused by the toxic chemical. There were 18 people in the lab and they had since left to their homes or dormitories, the release states. Grace College administrative personnel contacted them to return, as well as approximately 46 other people who had been in the building at the time of the leak. Groups were separated as they arrived back at the scene according to where they had been in the building and they were checked and monitored by EMS personnel. Grace College provided buses to house the students and staff who had been in the building, while those who were in the lab were monitored in ambulances, the news release states.
Cox said they were very fortunate with the situation. Only one person was taken to the hospital and that was done more as a precautionary measure. There was no indication that there was any other problems.
“With sixty-some people in the building, that was quite a feat we didn’t have much more of a problem,” Cox said.
He said nothing like this ever gets done quickly.
“Everyone was isolated, the building was emptied. Maintenance has filters to take care of situations like that and they’re cleaning those for the next time,” Cox said.
Elkhart Fire’s HAZMAT Team checked the building and found no indication of any remaining toxic materials or inhalants. The last units cleared the scene at approximately 9:22 p.m., the release states.
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