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Girard schools evacuated again
By jeanne starmack
girard
For the second consecutive day Thursday, Girard high school and junior high school students were evacuated from their building because of a strange smell.
On Wednesday, the smell was of natural gas. But Thursday, the smell was of sulphur, said schools Superintendent David Cappuzzello.
The fire department, Dominion East Ohio gas and the Trumbull County hazardous materials team came to the campus on Shannon Road about 8:30 a.m. Thursday while students were taken to the Prospect Elementary-Girard Intermediate building.
Their investigation inside and outside turned up no explanation for the smell, which also was the case Wednesday, Cappuzzello said.
Students returned to their schools Thursday after about an hour, he said.
Students had been evacuated Wednesday to a nearby church about 9:30 a.m. and sent home at 11 a.m. The fire department and gas company said the building was safe at 1:45 p.m.
Though there is no explanation for the strange smells, Cappuzzello said, investigators know that they weren’t caused by natural gas, carbon monoxide or methane.
On Wednesday, the school shut off its air handlers, which pull in outside air and circulate it through the building. After that, the smell of gas wasn’t as strong, he said.