Dear Springville-Griffith Institute CSD Families:
I’d like to provide an additional update on today’s evacuation of Springville High School.
This morning, staff members working in the high school cafeteria smelled natural gas, which turned out to be a faulty burner on one of our ovens. Our Buildings and Grounds crews immediately shut off the gas and the Springville Volunteer Fire Company reported to the school to check the building. Out of an abundance of caution, students and staff were evacuated to Springville Middle School. Students and staff were incredible and cooperated fully, making the entire evacuation process flow quite smoothly.
National Fuel and the first responders then used digital gas sensors and determined there was no residual gas in any of the classroom spaces. Students were fed at SMS and then transported safely back to the high school, where they resumed their day with a normal dismissal at 2:25 p.m.
Cafeteria staff members and several students who reported that they were not feeling well were transported to Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. Of that group, most have been discharged, while the others were in the process of being discharged.
As always, the safety of our students and staff is our first priority and I cannot thank all those who supported the evacuation process enough for their diligence and efforts.
Our team did an incredible job facilitating this situation – from our transportation department who mobilized in a matter of minutes to transport students and staff; to our SGI Culinary Department feeding over 850 people in an hour and a half; our SMS staff members, who managed and supported an additional 600+ students and staff members in their building for part of the day; and our school nurses who took great care of any students or staff who were not feeling well.
I also would like to sincerely thank the first responders from Springville, West Valley, East Concord, Chaffee-Sardinia, Mercy EMS, and the staff at Bertrand-Chaffee Hospital for their assistance in keeping our students and employees safe.
Everyone pulled together to navigate this challenging situation and I could not be more proud of our SGI family.
Thank you,
James Bialasik
Superintendent of Schools
Springville-Griffith Institute Central School District