WESTON, Fla. – Fire rescue crews responded to reports of a carbon monoxide leak that authorities said left five people hospitalized Friday morning at Cypress Bay High School in Weston.
Sky 10 flew over the school around 10:45 a.m., where emergency crews, including several fire rescue units and ambulances, were at the scene. The school is located at 18600 Vista Park Boulevard, just north of Griffin Road.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Kane said that five people — four school staff members and one firefighter from BSFR — were transported to Cleveland Clinic Florida Express Care in Weston following the incident.
Kane confirmed the victims are expected to recover, with symptoms he described as “very minor and consistent with carbon monoxide exposure, such as weakness, dizziness and headaches.”
A Local 10 News viewer sent a photo of one of the victims on a gurney before being transported to the hospital.
Kane also reminded everyone that carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, making it difficult to detect until people start feeling sick, which he said is exactly what happened in the school’s cafeteria.
Dr. Kassandra Fried, the principal of Cypress Bay High School, told Local 10 News that the school had been evacuated and all students and staff members were dismissed at noon following the gas leak.
Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn also spoke about the situation that led to the school being evacuated.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we decided to evacuate all staff and students — started calling our transportation department to get buses to the school, letting our parents know we’re going to be dismissing at 12 p.m.,” he said.
Authorities told Local 10′s Hannah Yechivi that it was mid-morning when several people in the school’s cafeteria started feeling sick. Firefighters quickly determined there was a carbon monoxide leak inside the cafeteria. Authorities said no students were inside the cafeteria at the time of the incident.
Kane said following the shutdown of the school’s gas system, Hazmat ventilated the building and later confirmed that carbon monoxide levels had returned to normal.
A parent shared their concerns upon hearing about the leak, saying, “My brother told me there was some carbon monoxide leak, so I wanted to get my son out of school.”
Some parents said they couldn’t reach their children because of Broward County’s no cellphone policy.
“I’m calling him and he won’t answer,” said a woman. “I’m a little concerned about what’s going on and then I see the helicopter and ambulance.”
A student at Cypress Bay High School also recounted the scene when he found out about the situation.
“We were going into school, and the police didn’t let us in,” he said. “We saw ambulances and asked our friends inside, and they told us there was a gas leak.”
School officials said as a precaution, gas lines have been shut down while officials investigate the source of the leak.
Dr. Kassandra Fried, principal of Cypress Bay High School, told Local 10 News in a statement that all students and staff members were asked to evacuate the school at noon.
Read her statement below:
“Dear Parents and Guardians,
I am writing to provide you with an important update regarding the situation in the cafeteria kitchen.
Following our initial assessment and ongoing work with local authorities, we have confirmed that the leak has been contained and while there is no immediate risk to the safety of our students and staff, we will be transitioning to an early release dismissal.
This precautionary measure is being taken to ensure everyone’s safety and to allow for a thorough investigation. Transportation has been contacted and all bus routes will run to transport students. If you normally pick up your child, please make arrangements to pick up your child. We will provide a waiting location for car riders. We ask for your patience and understanding as we manage this situation.
All students will be released at 12 p.m.
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your cooperation and support during this time.”
Dr. Kassandra Fried, principal of Cypress Bay High School
No other details about the leak were immediately released.