Emergency Crews Respond to Snow College

Kyler Olson

Staff

Ephraim City Fire Department responded to a gas leak at the Snow College Science Center on

the morning of September 1st. Classes in the building were cancelled for the morning.

Photo by Kyler Olson

That Tuesday morning a student in the anatomy lab reported a strong smell of natural gas. He

stepped outside and called 911 shortly before 7:15 AM. Faculty members who began to arrive in

their offices could also smell the gas and reported it to campus services at this same time.

Students and faculty had begun meeting for early morning biology and chemistry labs, and were

evacuated by Campus Safety and the Fire Department.

According to math professor Lorie Hughes, an estimated 80 students and 10 faculty members

were in the building that morning. There were no injuries reported. Gas to the building was shut

off, the gas company Enbridge Gas arrived, and the building was ventilated.

Emergency alerts were broadcast via SMS, Email, and Phone to students, faculty, and staff

registered in the Snow College Emergency Alert Notification system.

After monitoring the situation through the morning, the Fire Department, Enbridge Gas, and

Campus Safety jointly agreed that the building was safe for faculty and students to return for

classes starting at 10:00 AM.

After the incident, Lorie Hughes stated “I really appreciate how it was handled by all the parties.

The fire department was very professional. The gas company got here quickly. There were

people on the president's cabinet that were here. The president even came by to check on

things. Of course, we were all frustrated because we wanted to be teaching, but everyone was

patient.”

In the following days, investigators narrowed the leak to the third floor chemistry labs, and gas

was turned back on for the first two levels on Thursday. Over the Labor Day weekend, repairs

were made to the chemistry labs’ gas lines. Classes have since resumed normally and gas has

been turned back on for the building.