UPDATE – (11 p.m. on Tuesday, September 20)
- The fire department responded to reports of a strong chemical smell at Chiefess Kapiolani Elementary School in Hilo on Tuesday, just after 11 a.m. HST.
- The HAZMAT team identified the smell as coming from an acid based sanitizer/disinfectant within a damaged container.
- Fire officials say that at no time were any students at the school in danger.
From the fire department information dispatch:
Company 1, Maz-Mat Company 4 and the Battalion Chief responded to a report of a strong chemical smell coming from the storage room in the library. Product was identified as acid based sanitizer/disinfectant. A perimeter was created around the library and at no times were any students at the school in danger. Hazardous Materials Specialists utilizing personal protective equipment were able to remove the hazardous chemical, clean the area and ventilate the room. Consultation with the State Department of Health was done in order to properly dispose of the material.
