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The Carriage House preschool evacuated

CADDIE NATH
SUMMIT DAILY NEWS

The Carriage House preschool in Breckenridge was evacuated Thursday morning after three staff members began feeling sick. It remained closed Friday.

The Red, White and Blue Fire District was called in to investigate when the staff members reported experiencing nausea, dizziness and headaches.

No children complained of symptoms.



Children and staff were sent to Timberline Learning Center across the street as a precaution and parents were contacted.

The three employees who experienced symptoms were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, and their blood work came back normal.



Though the staff’s symptoms are common indicators of carbon monoxide exposure, tests for CO and other harmful gases in the school came back negative. The cause of the symptoms has not been determined.

“I don’t think they’re ruling anything out right now,” said Kim Scott, a spokeswoman for the Red, White and Blue Fire District.

The Carriage House board president Jenny Haser said the building should reopen by Tuesday. She said the school did not yet have a definite location for operations on Monday.

The investigation has now been handed over to the Summit County Department of Environmental Health.

“We’re really trying to (make) sure that all systems are working properly in order to make an evaluation on whether or not we can say that this building is OK to reoccupy,” said Dan Hendershott, environmental health manager for Summit County.

The environmental health department is looking at a variety of possible causes of the staff’s symptoms, including problems with the heating system, car exhaust in the building, mold and cleaners that might have been used.


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