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DRAPER — The carbon monoxide leak at American Preparatory Academy's day care in Draper Wednesday afternoon made dozens sick, including several children.
"At 4 o'clock, we had a notification from our day care director," American Preparatory Academy's executive director Carolyn Sharette said. "They were evacuating the building and they had called the fire department due to a carbon monoxide scare, they thought."
Fire officials now believe a truck with an industrial-size power washer may have been the cause of a carbon monoxide leak that sickened dozens and sent several kids to the hospital.
"Carbon monoxide poisoning, it takes a long time sometimes when they're low levels, but the symptoms, dizziness, headache, are kind of hard to know in a child," Sharette said. "I think it was actually some of the workers who were feeling it; the adults were reporting it. It wasn't the children so much. It was the adults who were noticing headaches and dizziness and told her."
Draper's fire marshal Don Buckley said the truck was running for a least a portion of the day Wednesday and he believes that the exhaust may have made its way through an open door at American Preparatory's Early Learning Center.
"Every gas-powered machine puts out carbon monoxide," he warned.
The building is located at 12892 Pony Express Rd. The Early Learning Center is in the building that also houses the district offices, which are under construction.
Buckley noted that fire investigators are still looking into the details.
"Our assumption at this point in time is some exhaust from it running came into the building, worked its way throughout the building. Well, that can happen. It was (a) power washer … but that can happen very easily. If you leave your garage door open for too long and run your vehicle, you're going to have carbon monoxide in your garage."
Buckly called it an accident and "the perfect storm."
"It had nothing to do with the HVAC, the heating and air conditioning unit. It had nothing to do with that whatsoever. It was construction work being done on the side that was being rebuilt and remodeled. That caused the issue. Things like that happen," Buckley said.
More than a dozen people got sick from the odorless, colorless gas, including several children. Buckley estimates 14 people in all were sickened, with nine people going to the hospital, five adults and four children.
"We did have people that I didn't know had a headache or were dizzy, so they went and got checked out," Sharette said.
Some parents, Buckley said, decided to drive their kids to the hospital because they were already home by the time they started having symptoms.
"None of the blood levels that we got back from any of our people who were telling us about their experience at the hospital said they indicated they were in any danger of life-threatening illness or anything like that," Sharette said.
Buckley said everyone who went to the hospital has now been released.
He's also applauding the staff at American Preparatory Academy, and saying that this could have been much worse.
"This turned out very well. And I applaud the staff for that — and noticing a problem and getting the kids out," Buckley said.
Buckley said the scare is a sobering reminder for parents, families, schools and day cares alike.
"It is a silent, deadly killer," he said.
Sharette said school officials checked all of their existing detectors to make sure they're working properly.
"The fire department, they came in and found that the carbon monoxide detectors were alerting but not in an audible way," she said.
They also had new ones around the building Thursday.
Buckley recommends checking that the carbon monoxide detectors in your home are working and are on every floor of your home. Schools are required to have them. Many day cares choose to, but Buckley said they aren't required to have them.
He also recommends making sure vents are clear of snow, as well as checking fluids, and especially those heaters.
"It's a big deal this time of year get your furnaces checked," Buckley said.
