By: Sami Grace Donnelly, The Auburn Plainsman Editor-in-Chief
AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - During 1:00–2:00 class period, an odor of natural gas began to permeate the Haley Center. Suddenly the resounding alert of the fire alarm interrupted class and informed people to evacuate the building.
“I was [just] inside studying, doing whatever, just writing up some stuff for my senior design, and then the fire alarm went off,” said Pierce Rossman, senior in industrial systems engineering.
Rossman recalls a woman in the hallway suggesting that the alarm could have been indicative of a gas leak, and he said he smelled the odor once he got outside.
Within minutes, the building was evacuated, and the Auburn Fire Department (AFD) was on the scene. Hundreds of students and staff gathered outside all four exits of the building and were not permitted to return inside.
(Photo: Sami Grace Donnelly, The Auburn Plainsman Editor-in-Chief)
“Somebody pulled the fire alarm because of a natural gas odor, so we’re here to check it out,” said Landon Groom, an employee of the Auburn Fire Department.
People began re-entering the Haley Center around 1:53 p.m. Groom confirmed that the building was safe to re-enter and hold classes, as no specific issue had been found.
Battalion Chief Jeff Nolin confirmed that his team responded to a gaseous odor and that the building was safe to re-enter.
“We checked the first floor and the basement, and we haven’t found any problems. Right now, we’re walking around the exterior of the building trying to [figure] out any issue,” Nolin said.
At first, people didn’t know if the alarm was pulled for a fire, for a gas leak or for some other reason. Most people exited the building as soon as possible. Students arriving for their 2:00 p.m. classes also remained outside.
The Haley Center, which towers ten stories above the ground, is the tallest building in Lee County. It is home to the College of Education, as well as the Auburn University Bookstore, the Learning Resources Center and the Departments of Communication Disorders, English, World Languages and Literatures, Geosciences, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work. The building also has professor offices and a multitude of classes.
Construction of this building was completed in 1969, and it has received several updates and modifications since then.
