Hundreds of UW-Milwaukee students were forced to evacuate their dorm overnight.Students said a carbon monoxide alarm went off around 10:15 p.m. Monday at Cambridge Commons near West North and North Cambridge avenues.About 400 students were evacuated to the nearby RiverView Residence Hall.Others went to stay with friends in other residence halls or off campus.”We were on the fourth floor trying to get to the first, and when we actually got out, they had us all evacuate over to the bridge here,” UW-Milwaukee student Parker Owen said. “They were really yelling at us to get across to the bridge to get to RiverView because that is the actual evacuation plan.”Officials said 17 students were taken to area hospitals for evaluation or treatment for carbon monoxide exposure.”I didn’t even have time to get anything. I’m still wearing slippers,” freshman Aidan Gentile said.He was in the study lounge and said he noticed having difficulties breathing.Gentile said he saw students fainting earlier in the week.”I had a lot of pain in my chest, which is like a common symptom of like anxiety, so that’s what I assumed it was. And I also was really light-headed like earlier in the weekend,” student Alayna McKim said.University Housing staff said they became aware of the problem when students came to the front desk complaining of headaches, dizziness and other symptoms.Students were allowed to return to the building several hours later but they opened doors and windows to ventilate the building.The fire department identified a boiler in the basement on the north end of the building as the probable source of the leak.The boiler was shut down and windows were opened to provide ventilation to the building.Students were allowed to return to their rooms by 5 a.m. Tuesday.All students who have safety concerns have been given the option to move to another building, UWM said in a statement.Others will temporarily move rooms while the boiler is repaired.That work was expected to take about a month.Officials said they were not able to comment on whether there were working carbon monoxide detectors until their investigation was complete.No other details have been released.
MILWAUKEE —
Hundreds of UW-Milwaukee students were forced to evacuate their dorm overnight.
Students said a carbon monoxide alarm went off around 10:15 p.m. Monday at Cambridge Commons near West North and North Cambridge avenues.
About 400 students were evacuated to the nearby RiverView Residence Hall.
Others went to stay with friends in other residence halls or off campus.
“We were on the fourth floor trying to get to the first, and when we actually got out, they had us all evacuate over to the bridge here,” UW-Milwaukee student Parker Owen said. “They were really yelling at us to get across to the bridge to get to RiverView because that is the actual evacuation plan.”
Officials said 17 students were taken to area hospitals for evaluation or treatment for carbon monoxide exposure.
“I didn’t even have time to get anything. I’m still wearing slippers,” freshman Aidan Gentile said.
He was in the study lounge and said he noticed having difficulties breathing.
Gentile said he saw students fainting earlier in the week.
“I had a lot of pain in my chest, which is like a common symptom of like anxiety, so that’s what I assumed it was. And I also was really light-headed like earlier in the weekend,” student Alayna McKim said.
University Housing staff said they became aware of the problem when students came to the front desk complaining of headaches, dizziness and other symptoms.
Students were allowed to return to the building several hours later but they opened doors and windows to ventilate the building.
The fire department identified a boiler in the basement on the north end of the building as the probable source of the leak.
The boiler was shut down and windows were opened to provide ventilation to the building.
Students were allowed to return to their rooms by 5 a.m. Tuesday.
All students who have safety concerns have been given the option to move to another building, UWM said in a statement.
Others will temporarily move rooms while the boiler is repaired.
That work was expected to take about a month.
Officials said they were not able to comment on whether there were working carbon monoxide detectors until their investigation was complete.
No other details have been released.
