Leak evacuates Schmitz Hall
October 28, 2005
A refrigerant leak brought 12 Seattle Fire Department (SFD) units to Schmitz Hall and caused an evacuation of the building yesterday afternoon.
Firefighters responded to an initial call about a woman experiencing respiratory problems at 3:45 p.m. A woman was later taken from the scene on a stretcher.
"She must have been close to the vicinity [of the leak]," said SFD Batallion Chief Mike Teffre.
Paramedics examined the woman and were satisfied with her condition, said Teffre.
Seattle Fire Department vehicles lined the street, closing off the block of Northeast 41st Street between Northeast 15th Avenue and University Way. They pumped the refrigerant out of the building using Schmitz Hall's ventilation system.
Freon, when breathed in large amounts, can have adverse effects on the nervous system, including dizziness and irregular heartbeat.
UW staff and students were evacuated from the building. Emily Leggio, assistant admissions director for the University, left in the middle of a meeting.
"We figured that's a pretty serious thing, so we just got out," she said.
Teffre said he did not anticipate any problems in clearing the building of the gas, and Schmitz Hall should reopen by this morning.
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