BY AOIFE BRANCO
NEWS EDITOR
Amidst the torrents of rain and rumbles of thunder, students and staff in the Batten Center got an unexpected interruption when a backup generator behind the building started smoking at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3.
“I was just hanging out in the Grille waiting for my food when a security guard came in screaming, telling everyone they had to get out over and over again,” said junior Robert Jordan. “The fire alarm didn’t go off until I was already out of the building.”
Campus security guards were the first to arrive and once it was determined that a fire inside the generator was possible, the fire department was called.
“We were all pretty confused,” said junior Dylan Stoskus. “The fire alarm didn’t go off until we were all outside so we weren’t sure if it was serious or not.”
“We don’t know any specifics yet,” said Jason Seward, dean of freshmen and director of the Jane P. Batten Student Activities Center. “We evacuated the building because we smelled smoke. We kept everyone’s safety our first priority.”
The Virginia Beach Fire Department sent 3 ladder trucks and an emergency response vehicle to secure and investigate the scene.
“There were no visible flames,” said Seward. “We think it might have been an electrical glitch caused by the storm. The fire company that came out and the company that services our generator will most likely be conducting an investigation.”
As more information surfaces, updates will be made available.
Amidst the torrents of rain and rumbles of thunder, students and staff in the Batten Center got an unexpected interruption when a backup generator behind the building started smoking at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 3.
“I was just hanging out in the Grille waiting for my food when a security guard came in screaming, telling everyone they had to get out over and over again,” said junior Robert Jordan. “The fire alarm didn’t go off until I was already out of the building.”
Campus security guards were the first to arrive and once it was determined that a fire inside the generator was possible, the fire department was called.
“We were all pretty confused,” said junior Dylan Stoskus. “The fire alarm didn’t go off until we were all outside so we weren’t sure if it was serious or not.”
“We don’t know any specifics yet,” said Jason Seward, dean of freshmen and director of the Jane P. Batten Student Activities Center. “We evacuated the building because we smelled smoke. We kept everyone’s safety our first priority.”
The Virginia Beach Fire Department sent 3 ladder trucks and an emergency response vehicle to secure and investigate the scene.
“There were no visible flames,” said Seward. “We think it might have been an electrical glitch caused by the storm. The fire company that came out and the company that services our generator will most likely be conducting an investigation.”
As more information surfaces, updates will be made available.
