On Oct. 26, seven people at Polk State College were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to The Lake Wales News, officials said the incident – a result of improper ventilation for a construction saw that was generating dust and fumes – began at 9:44 a.m., after a fire alarm was set off in the Curtis Peters Academic Center by construction workers.
The Polk County Fire Rescue team reset the alarms and deployed ventilation fans to move the contaminated air out from the first floor; however, around 11 a.m., right before firefighters were about to clear the scene after reopening the building, complaints of sickness began to circulate.
Many complained of nausea and being lightheaded, which led the fire rescue team to discover that the levels of carbon monoxide had been elevated.
The first floor of the building was evacuated as first responders attended to patients. One person, whose condition is unknown, was taken to a local hospital for treatment. That person’s name has not been released.
Fire officials believe the concrete-cutting machine was placed too close to the first-floor ventilation system.
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