The Jefferson County Career and Technical Education building in Hillsboro was evacuated about 10:45 a.m. today (Sept. 20) after three high school students who were touring the facility reported feeling lightheaded.
The CTE building was closed for about three hours while authorities inspected for a gas leak or other problems, said Roger Barrentine, the college’s director of public relations and marketing.
“We were just given the all-clear,” he said about 1:40 p.m. “We had the Hillsboro Fire Protection District and the Jefferson County Hazmat (Hazardous Materials) Team here. The Hazmat team did not find anything.”
Barrentine said he did not know how many people were in the building when it was evacuated.
Emergency medical technicians determined the students did not need to be taken to the hospital, Barrentine said.
“We followed all safety protocols to ensure the students were safe and the building was contained,” he said. “(The students) were cleared to their parents.”
Classes resumed at 2 p.m., Barrentine said.
“We’re grateful the issue was not as serious as it could have been,” he said.
Hillsboro Fire Chief Dave Scott said Valle Ambulance personnel evaluated the three female students who reported feeling lightheaded. He said a number of factors could have caused the lightheadedness.
The three female students were from different high schools and were touring the facility to get information about the college’s nursing program, Scott said.
He said the building was thoroughly searched.
“We checked the building with our monitors, and the Jefferson County Hazmat Team also checked it with different types of air monitors,” Scott said.
He said the investigation is considered closed.