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The Ely Fire Department was dispatched Wednesday to a carbon monoxide incident at the Ely Area Community Hub.
Upon arrival at around 4 p.m., firefighters found the building had been evacuated due to carbon monoxide alarms sounding.
The source of the CO was a malfunctioning gas boiler which had been shut down and isolated by Ely Area Community Foundation staff.
Firefighters personnel used gas monitors and ventilation fans to clear the approximately 16,000 square foot building of carbon monoxide. Once the building was cleared of CO, it was turned back over to the Foundation and the building tenants. The building reopened Wednesday night.
Tenants in the building include Happy Days Learning Center, Northwoods Partners, Well-Being Development and Functional Fitness..
“Happy Days Learning Center is to be commended on their emergency response planning and the competence of their staff,” said Ely fire chief Dave Marshall. “They put their emergency evacuation plan into place and evacuated all infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in their care to the fenced in play area adjacent to the building.
“Children were always closely supervised by Happy Days staff while parents were contacted through their emergency messaging system to pick up their children early.
“Happy Days staff remained calm and it was evident the safety of the children in their care was paramount. Fully operational carbon monoxide detectors in Happy Days provided ample warning to the staff that evacuation was necessary.”
No injuries or illnesses were reported during the evacuation of The Hub. The building is being heated by an alternative heat source until the malfunctioning boiler can be fully evaluated and repaired.
In addition to the Ely Fire Department, the Ely Police Department and St. Louis County Sheriff’s department responded to the incident.
