Update: A Fawn Hollow Fifth Grader Fainted, Upsetting Classmates

Update:

1:59 p.m.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Colleen Palmer said a fifth grade

"A boy had fainted during chorus and we believe there was a strong emotional response from students," Superintendent of Schools Dr. Colleen Palmer said. "Anytime there is a school incident, we anticipate the worst case scenario."

Palmer said she gathered emergency and maintenance personnel together and asked it there was any reason to shut down Fawn Hollow and have early dismissal and that they said there was not.

"After the event I visited the cafeteria and the grade five classrooms," Palmer said. "Students and faculty were in good spirits and classes went on normally."

Children who were still upset by this morning's incident received support, according to the superintendent.

Police Lt. Brian McCauley said there is no source of CO2 in the building and firefighters did not detect gas.

"We're grateful that there isn't a systemic problem with the facility itself that causes any problems in the future," Palmer said.

The boy who fell off the stage will continue to receive support from school staff, according to Palmer.

She said, "We're looking forward to going back to school on Monday and having a good end to the school year."

Editor's Note: There was an error in an earlier version of this story. A custodian turned on the exhaust fans when children complained of feeling ill and firefighters turned the fans off to try to re-create the conditions.

Update:

12:06 p.m.

Monroe Fire Department spokesman Kevin Catalano said all vitals of children who were checked were fine.

Though some students had complained of an odor, atmospheric metering equipment did not pick up readings for gas or carbon monoxide. In these situations, Catalano said children tend to panic, adding about 30 students asked to be checked by EMS personnel at their school.

School is still in session, because nothing firefighters' inspection of the entire building uncovered nothing that would pose a health risk, according to Catalano.

However, he said school officials will be vigilant in monitoring the situation. If there were any serious health risks, Catalano said parents would have been notified.

This morning's mass casualty response — a call with a high number of patients — included close to 10 ambulances.

A Monroe Volunteer Emergency Medical Service crew responded to a head injury late this morning after a Fawn Hollow Elementary School student fell off the stage while performing. While questioning people at the scene, they learned 11 children in the auditorium were complaining of headaches, dizziness and nausea.

"They notified dispatchers of a mass casualty incident, because of the number of patients," Deputy Fire Marshal Chris Doyle said.

The auditorium was immediately evacuated and town ambulances and Nelson Ambulance raced to the call, in addition to police and firefighters who have atmospheric metering equipment, according to Doyle.

EMS personnel is treating students outside the school, but no one has been hospitalized at this time.

Doyle said no other students in the school have reported feeling sick, so classes are still in session.

When children first reported feeling sick, a custodian turned on the exhaust fans, Doyle said, adding firefighters turned the fans off to see if it was the source of whatever has made the students sick.

Doyle said the metering equipment has shown nothing yet.