The fire alarm was pulled by an adult due to the presence of smoke in the middle school building on October 23 at 7:35 a.m.. All students and staff had to evacuate both buildings. An overheated motor inside a heating unit was the cause of the alarm and evacuation.
“Our students and staff handled the situation extremely well, especially during a chaotic time with buses and parents dropping students off,” Superintendent Dr. Emmett Durtschi said.
The Berlin Fire Department responded quickly
(Emileena Neconish)
to the situation and confirmed that there was no actual fire. The chatter of students and staff might have left some people worried and frustrated, but for sophomore Josslyn Mecikalski, it was the weather that made the groggy morning even more dreadful.
“It was really cold, and it kind of scared me because I was really tired,” Mecikalski said.
The wait was miserable for many students; a full 20 minutes in the cold made them consider going home.
“I was wondering if it was a drill or not, and I almost called my dad and asked to go home,” senior Trent Tetting said.
