The New York City Fire Department responded to a gas leak in Warren Weaver Hall yesterday. Officials said the leak was caused by construction on the cogeneration plant's electrical breaker.
A faculty member smelled gas and pulled the fire alarm on the second floor at around 1:10 p.m. Public Safety evacuated the building.
The FDNY met with the building manager and members of the facilities and construction management team and determined that an electrician working at the plant accidentally opened an electrical breaker, which controlled the gas line. The escaped gas triggered a sensor, which shut off all energy to the plant, including the gas.
Plant workers also smelled the gas and shut down the gas system at about the same time that the detectors sensed the gas.
Students and faculty reentered the building at 1:40 p.m., after the FDNY determined it was safe. There were no injuries.
The electrician who opened the breaker will not return to the project.
University spokesman John Beckman said the plant personnel plans to focus on preventing further incidences from occurring.
He attributed the fast response time to the safety systems, like the gas sensors, that the university installed in the plant.
Assistant vice president for Public Safety and investigations Jerry Matthews was pleased with Public Safety's response time. Warren Weaver Hall is a block from their central command station.
"Our response is always immediate," he said. "We absolutely insist on that for fire alarm activations. Timing is everything."
The cogeneration plant is located directly across the street from Warren Weaver Hall at 251 Mercer St. In September, the plant had another safety incident when a large amount of smoke billowed out from smoldering debris.
The plant will provide high temperature water and energy to neighboring buildings while reducing the university's greenhouse gas emissions when it begins operations this fall.
