Wednesday, February 11, 2015

BOILER ROOM EXPLOSION AT THE WHALEY CHILDREN'S CENTER BUILDINGS IN FLINT, MI. SMALL FIRE AND DAMAGE IS REPORTED. NO INJURIES.





 

BOILER ROOM EXPLOSION AT THE WHALEY CHILDREN'S CENTER BUILDINGS IN FLINT, MI.  SMALL FIRE AND DAMAGE IS REPORTED.  NO INJURIES.

February 11, 2015

FLINT, MI -- 

Children and staff are back inside Whaley Children's Center's administration and residential buildings after a boiler room explosion in a school building early Wednesday morning, Feb. 11.

There were no injuries in the explosion, which happened at about 7:34 a.m. in the school building's boiler room on the main campus of the facility, which provides care for children who've been abused or neglected and is located at 1201 N. Grand Traverse Street in Flint.

No children were in the school at the time of the explosion, and staff promptly evacuated the building. Children and staff in the residential and administration buildings on the campus were also evacuated as a precaution, and were cleared to go back inside at about 8:30 a.m., according to a news release from the center.

The school building remains closed as crews continue to inspect the system and assess damages to the building, according to the release.

Kevin Roach, president and CEO of Whaley Children's Center, said the center strictly follows fire and safety regulations, and that staff acted promptly and appropriately in evacuating the buildings.

"We're confident that all fire and safety regulations have been followed with approval from regulating agencies," he said in a written statement. "I applaud my staff members in their preparedness to implement all emergency evacuation protocols. Staff followed all procedures and their emergency response was excellent."

Certified boiler inspections of the center are completed twice per year, the last completed Nov. 14, 2014. Additionally, a fire and safety inspection was completed Jan. 26, 2015, according to the news release.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Whaley Children's Center is a nonprofit that provides residential child care services, including counseling and group homes, to children age 5-17 who have suffered abuse and neglect.

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FLINT, MI -- All Whaley Children's Center buildings on the main campus in Flint were evacuated early Wednesday morning, Feb. 11, after an explosion in the school's boiler room.

There were no injuries.

The explosion happened at 7:34 a.m. in the boiler room, which is located in the southwest corner of the school building on the main campus at 1201 North Grand Traverse Street in Flint, said Flint Fire District Commander Mark Kovach.
The explosion blew out an exterior window and caused some damage to the boiler room, said Flint Fire Department Chief David Cox, Jr. When crews arrived, there was a small fire that snuffed itself out, Cox said.

No children were in that building at the time of the explosion, and staff was quickly evacuated, said Kevin Roach, president and CEO of Whaley Children's Center.

Everyone, including children, were evacuated from all other buildings on the campus as a precaution.

Administrators were not immediately sure what time children will be allowed back in the buildings, Roach said, but the school will likely be evacuated all day while Consumer's Energy and the school's maintenance crews investigate.
If the explosion would have happened with children in the building, Cox said the well-built boiler room would have kept them safe.

"It was a well-built, well-secured door. It did what it was supposed to do. Everything was contained to the boiler room," Cox said.
No further information was immediately available.