On Dec. 22, 2011, the students of Orono Middle School were evacuated to the Orono High School gymnasium when the sprinkler systems activated in the eighth grade up house and sprayed the class with dirty water. The cause is still unknown.
The incident occurred around 11:00 am, when the first lunch period had begun. Fire alarms blared, signaling an emergency. “There was a smell like an electrical fire,” reported Gary Kubat, the district communications coordinator.
Kennedy Sapletal, a sixth grade student, was in the cafeteria at the time. She said her first thought was, “Is this real or not?”
Her concerns were confirmed as the school followed normal fire procedures and evacuated the premises. The Orono Police Department and Long Lake Fire Department arrived on the scene, and there were no injuries. The students who were sprayed were found to be fine. The water was dirty and black because it had been sitting in those pipes since the school opened in 2000, but it was not at all chemical in nature.
Both departments investigated the school for evidence of the cause, but have found nothing yet. The fire marshal did take some of the sprinklers to test for malfunctions.
The district sent out Honeywell Instant Alerts to all parents to notify them of the occurrence. It said that all students were safe and there was no need for early pickups or emergency action. Only about 25 students were pulled out of school early, but most of the parents said it was not related to the incident. “We felt it was handled well and they explained everything so we did not panic,” said parent Ruth Fay.
The students stayed in the high school gymnasium until 1:15. “We just sat there, it was really boring,” said sixth grader Ella Kramer. The greatest concern was feeding nearly 500 additional students, to which the food service personnel responded with commendable speed and preparedness. After the police and fire departments cleared the school, the students were allowed to return.
Fortunately, any damage was confined to the eighth grade up and down houses, with an estimated $15,000 to $30,000 worth of damage. No computers were ruined, but many textbooks were badly damaged. Clean-up began during Winter Break and is still continuing.
In a District Cabinet meeting on Jan. 4, the superintendent praised all school staff for their performance on Dec. 22, 2011. Everything appeared to go smoothly and people were cooperative. OronoHigh school principal David Benson sent all of the students emails commending their cooperation and patience.
Middle school gym teacher Connie Priez said, “I was very proud of the middle school and high school students. Everything was calm, and students listened to directions very well.” She would also like to thank the high school principals and Bucky Mieras, activities director of the high school, for their assistance.
Maddie Mayhew is the Online Editor for The Spartan Speaks
