Gas Leak At Ernest Ward Middle During School Dance

September 20, 2014

A natural gas leak Friday night at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill posed no threat students and parents as a school dance was coming to a close, officials said.

The smell of  gas was reported  by a school resource office outside the gym about 7:45 p.m., just as the campus was filling with parents arriving to pick up their children as a dance was ending at 8 p.m. inside the gym.

The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue responded and determined the source of the smell was a  leak on the Pensacola Energy side of a gas meter along Highway 99A  near the gym. The gas service was secured by firefighters, stopping the leak.

The gas meter was recently installed to serve the newly constructed building on the campus.

Pictured top: A gas leak was reported outside the Ernest Ward Middle School gym Friday night as a dance was underway inside. Pictured inset: The source of the leak was traced to this Pensacola Energy gas meter not far from the gym. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

6 Responses to “Gas Leak At Ernest Ward Middle During School Dance”

  1. Bob C on September 21st, 2014 8:58 pm

    @ JSCS — You are absolutely correct the New School is AWESOME and then some.
    Was built with the School Board portion of the Local Option Sales Tax.

    State has either severely cut funding for new construction / maintenance or has totally dropped Capital Outlay funds and provides nothing to districts for new buildings. This is an example of the good things that come from a small tax spread out among many people.

  2. William on September 20th, 2014 11:07 pm

    >>.I think this happened Last Year To did it not?

    Not a gas leak last year. But oddly enough the fire dept did respond as a dance was ending last year after a motor starting burning up in an A/C unit.

  3. JSCS on September 20th, 2014 4:22 pm

    No excuse that Pensacola Energy would have this hazzard at the school.

    Our children are too precious to be exposed to this hazzard.

    New school looks awesome.

    .

  4. Student From Last Year on September 20th, 2014 1:08 pm

    I think this happened Last Year To did it not? I wonder How this Gas leak happened?

  5. Wow on September 20th, 2014 12:55 pm

    Glad the smell wasn’t ignored.

    Perhaps after the jail disaster no one will ever ignore the problem again.

    Speaking of problems. Wow is all I can say to the block and jack set up. Looks like Jack and Leg Gas Co.

    Hard to believe anyone would have left a gas valve like that.

  6. Bob C on September 20th, 2014 8:53 am

    Ya know….looking at the photo here with a concrete block and a rusty metal jack rigged up device of some sort holding up the natural gas line just calls for Jeff Foxworthy to crack a joke.

    Folks is this for real.?
    Is this what Pensacola Energy calls “Up to CODE”..?

    And at the NEW school on top of it all…..

    Glad nobody got hurt but this is just kind of an ignorant looking piece of work.
    Just sayin’