BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – The Broward County School Board is taking urgent steps to install carbon monoxide detectors in more than 230 schools following two recent leaks that sent several individuals to the hospital.
A carbon monoxide leak at Cypress Bay High School in Weston hospitalized four staff members and a first responder, leading to an early dismissal of students and staff on Aug. 23.
A few days later, a propane leak at Oriole Elementary School in Lauderdale Lakes sent another person to the hospital and prompted a school-wide evacuation.
The incidents raised concerns among parents and staff about the absence of carbon monoxide detectors in Broward County schools.
It was revealed that none of the schools in the county are equipped with these detectors, a fact that surprised many, including Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn.
Hepburn acknowledged the lack of detectors but noted that there are no codes or laws requiring them in schools.
“I’m somewhat surprised, but I know when we build schools, we build them according to code,” Hepburn said.
Despite the absence of legal requirements, the Broward School Board held a special meeting Tuesday to address the issue, during which they unanimously passed a measure to procure carbon monoxide detectors for all district schools.
“For us, we’re going to go above and beyond state requirements and state codes when it comes to buildings and make sure we’re well equipped to address any safety issues, especially undetectable gases like carbon monoxide, that can be a silent killer,” Hepburn said.
The superintendent estimated that the district would spend about $55,000 to install the detectors.
Cypress Bay High School, where the first incident occurred, already has detectors in place, and final approval for the district-wide installation could come later this month.
The School Board’s actions reflect a growing concern for student and staff safety, especially in the wake of these potentially deadly incidents.