2008 Woodie Awards
Hope Commons briefly evacuated
Christopher Barrett
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
10/18/07 - Police briefly evacuated Hope Commons around 1 a.m. this morning after staff reported what they thought was a gas leak. Officials later determined the smell was actually coming from a dead animal.
Campus Police and Kingston Fire Department personnel responded to Hope Commons on Butterfield Road after a Dining Services staffer reported the smell of gas in a linen closet attached to the break room on the second floor.
Firefighters detected a reading of gas and officials called National Grid, which came from Providence to investigate. The investigator determined that the smell was coming from a dead animal either trapped in the drop ceiling or on the roof. He told Dining Services staffers that when animals decompose they release a small amount of gas, which could have spurred the reading from the KFD.
Police allowed Dining staff to return to the building just before 2 a.m., closing time.
As of press time, officials were unable to identify or locate the animal.
Campus Police and Kingston Fire Department personnel responded to Hope Commons on Butterfield Road after a Dining Services staffer reported the smell of gas in a linen closet attached to the break room on the second floor.
Firefighters detected a reading of gas and officials called National Grid, which came from Providence to investigate. The investigator determined that the smell was coming from a dead animal either trapped in the drop ceiling or on the roof. He told Dining Services staffers that when animals decompose they release a small amount of gas, which could have spurred the reading from the KFD.
Police allowed Dining staff to return to the building just before 2 a.m., closing time.
As of press time, officials were unable to identify or locate the animal.