A Penhold daycare was evacuated last week following the release of high levels of carbon monoxide coming from the building's furnace.
Jim Pendergast, the town's fire chief, said shortly after 7 a.m. on Feb. 20 his department responded to a report of an odour and substance coming from the vents in a building on Aberdeen Street. The building, the town's old library, is the home of Community T.I.E.S. Daycare.
Chris Cooper, president and chair of the board for the daycare, said four children had arrived at the daycare when staff immediately noticed the odour.
ìOur staff members showed up to work and there was an odour coming from the building. When the door was opened there was an even stronger odour and the fire department was immediately called,î said Cooper. ìThey came, as well as public works people, very shortly after that.î
Cooper said the children were moved to the nearby community hall, which had been previously designated as the daycare's emergency shelter. He said there were no injuries to staff or any of the children, who were later picked up by parents.
Pendergast said fire department crews found levels of carbon monoxide in the building, specifically in the furnace. He said duct filters were clogged with ìsome substanceî, and that there were high levels of heat.
ìUsing a thermal imaging camera crews narrowed the problem to the furnace area in the basement,î said Pendergast, adding ATCO Gas was called in and later determined the furnace and water were both faulty. He said the furnace and water were then ìtagged out of service.î
Pendergast said portions of Aberdeen Street were blocked off for about 90 minutes while fire department members, town public works officials and ATCO Gas probed the scene. He said the incident was ìterminatedî at about 9 a.m.
ìNo occupants will be allowed back into the building until the furnace and water heater are replaced and the services turned back on," said Pendergast.
Cooper said after the incident the main priority was the safety of the children who won't be going back into the building until all safety issues have been addressed.
ìThe entire facility will be cleaned. Every toy has to be cleaned, disinfected,î said Cooper.
He said the town has given the daycare permission to use the community hall until all issues in the building have been fully addressed and the daycare can be re-opened, which he hoped would be the day after the incident.
