This morning at approximately 9:30 a.m., fire alarms blared within Joliet West High School causing a complete evacuation. Several fire trucks quickly responded to the campus, immediately alerting all that this was not a drill. Staff and students in the yellow and red evacuation areas were told to back away from the building. Also, something not typically experienced in a fire drill.
“I immediately knew something was going on, that this was not a fire drill”, said senior Alyssa VanMeter.
JTHS confirms that there was an issue in the E-Building basement caused by a motor emitting smoke and fumes. After forty-five minutes, the Joliet Fire Department determined it was safe to re-enter the building.
According to junior Brandon Knapp, “I honestly felt indiferrent at first due to how many false alarms and drills we have had in the past.” He continued, “It became very real when I saw smoke in the hallway.”
First floor E-Building classrooms have been relocated to the auditorium, with second floor E-Building classrooms relocated to the South Gym. It is not yet knows if this relocation will continue into tomorrow.
Danielle Corcoran, an English teacher on the second-floor of the E-Building said, “We started to smell something, then saw smoke in the classroom. Within seconds the fire alarms went off.”
Rumors of a projector exploding and students being taken to the hospital were false. Joliet Fire Department Chief Jeff Carey confirmed there were no injuries and that the issue was due to a refrigeration leak.
With smoke still lingering within the E-building, fire alarms are periodically going off; however, staff and students are told to ignore them. Classes for the day have resumed. Accordig to the JTHS District 204 press release, “Students in the E-Building will be permitted to retreive their belongings later today.”
As of 11:20 a.m., a fire truck remains on campus. Currently, the Joliet Fire Department are addressing the issue. Fire alarms will continue to be triggered as they work to vent the building.
There is no plan for an early release. A normal bell schedule will be followed until further notice. As of 1:30 p.m., the Joliet Fire Department has cleared the E-Building and it is now safe to return to that portion of the campus. Per communication from administrators with students and staff, students and teachers will be allowed to retried their belongings during an altered 7B period, with returning to a normal schedule 8th period.
School pictures, previously scheduled to take place in the auditorium today, have been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 2.
School will resume as normal on Tuesday, September 26th.