Parkhurst nightmare spurs investigation

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 24, 2004, a sprinkler on the fourth floor of Parkhurst Hall went off, causing water damage to the west wing of the fourth and first floors.

Water seeped through the ventilation system, setting off the fire alarm sending a number of residence to find alternative housing for the night.

Jen Russell, Parkhurst Hall Resident Director, described the scene she encountered upon hearing the fire alarm go off.

“I could faintly see smoke down the hallway and the sprinkler outside of room 421 was spewing water through the hall,” said Russell. “We immediately evacuated because the water was spreading down both sides of the hall.”

Russell informed the fire department of what had happened, and also made necessary phone calls to Dr. Paul Jahr and Physical Plant. Necessary actions were taken to turn off the water and secure the situation.

Russell said students of the west wing were unable to return to their rooms for the remainder of the night due to water damage. Students on the unaffected side of the building were allowed to return to their rooms around two anda halfhours later.

“At 4:30 the situation was under control and we could let students from the left side of the building into their rooms to sleep,” said Russell. “Other students were told to get what they needed for the morning and plan to check up on the situation in the hall around 12 p.m. when they would be let back into the building.”

Dr. Bruce Harshbarger, vice president and Dean of Students, said many of the students unable to return to their room slept over with friends.

“Two hundred and sixty students had to seek temporary space with friends or on the floors and in the lounges of other campus residence halls,” said Harshbarger.

Russell said that clean-up began around 4:30 a.m.

“Physical Plant began clean up around 4:30 a.m., cleaning the water out of the bedrooms, and wet vacuuming and cleaning the rugs along the hallways from the 4th floor to the 1st floor,” said Russell.

Reports indicate that shortly after the water was turned off, the fire alarm in Adams Hall went off, forcing students to evacuate that building as well.

Ken Vance, director of Public Safety, said the subsequent fire alarm was a result in a drop in the water pressure in the sprinkler system.

“The Adams situation was caused by the water pressure drop in the sprinkler lines from the Parkhurst flood,” said Vance. “The alarm in Adams was a signal that the sprinkler system pressure in Adams was abnormally low. Once this was determined, students were allowed to re-enter the residence hall.”

Harshbarger said the specific cause of the incident, which has not occurred recently, if ever, is unknown at this point.

“It’s never happened in the 9+ years that I’ve been here,” said Harshbarger. “At this point, we don’t know the cause of the incident. Public Safety has the sprinkler head in possession along with a sample of a new head and is conducting an investigation.”

Vance said it is standard policy for an investigation to be conducted in an incident such as this.

“We have to determine whether the incident was a result of a criminal act or not. If the cause of the flood was because of a malicious act, then it is our responsibility to try and apprehend the person or persons involved.”

Vance also said the evidence is mounting and that the length of the investigation is unknown.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 3 2004. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry