Florida School Evacuated After Carbon Monoxide Alert Sends 22 Students to Hospital
A significant safety incident unfolded at a Florida charter school on Friday morning, resulting in the precautionary hospitalisation of at least twenty-two students following a carbon monoxide detector activation. The event triggered a full-scale emergency response and evacuation at Cypress Junction Montessori in Winter Haven.
Emergency Response and Student Evacuation
According to official statements from the Winter Haven Fire Department, carbon monoxide detectors within the school's middle school building activated, prompting an immediate evacuation of everyone from the premises. Emergency services, including multiple police units and fire crews, swiftly descended on the scene.
Medical personnel conducted initial assessments on-site, evaluating all students. As a precaution, twenty-two pupils were subsequently transported to hospital for further observation and treatment. The fire department clarified that eleven students were taken by ambulance, while another eleven were transported via school bus.
Officials emphasised that those moved to medical facilities either had pre-existing health conditions or were displaying symptoms they found distressing, warranting the additional checks.
Investigation Reveals External Source
Following a thorough investigation, fire department authorities confirmed there was no internal gas leak within the school building itself. Instead, the sensitive carbon monoxide detectors had picked up traces of the odourless, toxic gas originating from an external source located some distance from the middle school structure.
As a further safety measure, ventilators were deployed inside the school to ensure air quality. After monitoring, officials declared the air within the building "all good" and safe.
Community Reaction and School Communication
The incident caused understandable concern within the school community. Students from the adjacent elementary building, such as sisters Luna and Coral Brooks, reported seeing the extensive emergency presence and expressed worries about the gas potentially reaching their classrooms.
Luna described the chaotic scene, noting the coincidence of a scheduled fire drill. "Everybody was OK. But there was a gas that is bad, it was in the other building," she told local news.
Parent Phillip Brooks acknowledged the school's efforts to maintain communication during the crisis. He stated that the school's principal, Dr. Kris Newman-Lake, had been in constant contact with parents via email throughout the day, providing updates as the situation developed.
"It's never a good day when you see your kids' school on the news with fire trucks and police cars everywhere," Mr. Brooks remarked, capturing the anxiety felt by many families.
Cypress Junction Montessori is a public charter school serving students from preschool through to the eighth grade. The school has yet to issue a public statement following requests for comment.
