hazardous materials incident (Fr. Judge HS)

**emoney** · 12-05-2011, 11:10 AM

Light Fixture Behind Father Judge High School HazMat

PHILADELPHIA - Father Judge High School is off-limits and two local emergency rooms are temporarily quarantined, according to fire department sources, after a hazardous materials incident was traced back to the school.

At least five to 10 victims, several of them cheerleaders, have been complaining of eye irritation and visited two or three emergency rooms, FOX 29's Sean Tobin reported.

We're told parents are also among the patients who are being treated with the cheerleaders, who visited the all-boy school to participate in a competition being held there.

For some of the patients it was so bad that they were taken to the hospital to have their eyes flushed, Tobin reported.

Victims went to as many as three hospitals in Northeast Philadelphia, and officials soon figured out that the common bond was they had all been at Father Judge.

Hazardous materials crews responded to the school, located on Solly Road in Northeast Philadelphia, before dawn to investigate.

Shortly after 7 a.m., fire officials said says a sodium light fixture broke in the auditorium, releasing a gas that caused the irritation.

The cases led to the quarantining of those two hospital emergency rooms, and the Department of Homeland Security was even notified, Tobin reported.

Father Judge students were not scheduled to attend classes Monday due to a faculty in-service day. But fire officials were continuing to block all access to the school well into the morning.

**phoenix** · 12-05-2011, 11:39 AM

Eek. I hope everyone is ok. I was curious as to what gases or coupounds would cause the problems. I saw this:
http://assets.sylvania.com/assets/do...8e927a9827.pdf
-but I don't know if the lights were low pressure sodium or high pressure?
( or does it matter?)
I suppose the ER's in question had to be quarantined b/c of the vapor residue on the people involved? Hum. I bet that was a PITA

**emoney** · 12-05-2011, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by phoenix

I suppose the ER's in question had to be quarantined b/c of the vapor residue on the people involved? Hum. I bet that was a PITA

The skin color of my wife and daughter is bright red (looks like too much sun). Aria has a decontamination tent set up for everyone to shower before being seen...looks like a long day.

**phoenix** · 12-05-2011, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by emoney

The skin color of my wife and daughter is bright red (looks like too much sun). Aria has a decontamination tent set up for everyone to shower before being seen...looks like a long day.

Oh, wow, I am sorry. Are they ok otherwise?

**emoney** · 12-05-2011, 01:08 PM

Thank you for your concern...as of right now, they seem to be fine.

The one issue I have with the news reports are the misclassification on the number of people affected. Fox states "at least five to 10 victims, several of them cheerleaders" but the actual number should be in the hundreds considering the number of members of each cheer team/parents/volunteers/others who showed up to be decontaminated last night and this morning.

**Captain Awesome** · 12-05-2011, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by emoney

The skin color of my wife and daughter is bright red (looks like too much sun). Aria has a decontamination tent set up for everyone to shower before being seen...looks like a long day.

Damn. Sorry to hear that. Keep us posted.

**phoenix** · 12-05-2011, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by emoney

Thank you for your concern...as of right now, they seem to be fine.

The one issue I have with the news reports are the misclassification on the number of people affected. Fox states "at least five to 10 victims, several of them cheerleaders" but the actual number should be in the hundreds considering the number of members of each cheer team/parents/volunteers/others who showed up to be decontaminated last night and this morning.

Wow. Curious. What did the doctors say the problem was? What was the toxin that caused your wife and daughter and others to have to be decontaminated?
Did anyone have respiratory issues that you were aware of?
......please please say no:c.......

**Worm** · 12-05-2011, 04:05 PM

interesting story on this issue.

http://uvlightburns.com/page3.html

**phoenix** · 12-05-2011, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Worm

interesting story on this issue.

http://uvlightburns.com/page3.html

Oh, eek. That sounds terrible...
Now-forgive my stupid question, but if it were UV damage, why were they decontaminated?

**mixiboi** · 12-05-2011, 04:44 PM

Originally Posted by emoney

Thank you for your concern...as of right now, they seem to be fine.

The one issue I have with the news reports are the misclassification on the number of people affected. Fox states "at least five to 10 victims, several of them cheerleaders" but the actual number should be in the hundreds considering the number of members of each cheer team/parents/volunteers/others who showed up to be decontaminated last night and this morning.

5-10 went to the three ER that put this case together. That number wasn't the total affected by it.

**emoney** · 12-05-2011, 07:13 PM

Father Judge H.S. closed Tuesday as medical mystery probed | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/05/2011

As of 5:30 p.m., 155 people had reported symptoms at emergency rooms in Aria Health-Torresdale, Aria Health-Frankford, Nazareth, and Jeanes hospitals. Of those, nine patients were still in Aria-Torresdale's emergency room

**phoenix** · 12-05-2011, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by emoney

Father Judge H.S. closed Tuesday as medical mystery probed | Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/05/2011

As of 5:30 p.m., 155 people had reported symptoms at emergency rooms in Aria Health-Torresdale, Aria Health-Frankford, Nazareth, and Jeanes hospitals. Of those, nine patients were still in Aria-Torresdale's emergency room

Oh, I see. They DK what is causing it. I hope they find out, and that it's not serious:/

**xanthus** · 12-06-2011, 04:07 PM

What causes skin to get bright red? Pepper spray? tear gas? chlorine? Any ideas?

**mixiboi** · 12-06-2011, 05:33 PM

Any irritant can make skin bright red...

**emoney** · 12-21-2011, 05:17 PM

http://www.adamlang.com/items/PDPHPh...tter122111.PDF

**PoopyHead** · 12-27-2011, 03:49 PM

Turns out it was something having to do with an unprotected light bulb. I was half paying attention, but it was due to the UV rays that people had a reaction. I'll try looking for a link.

**PoopyHead** · 12-27-2011, 03:50 PM

Father Judge High School Hazmat Mystery Solved

**raider.adam** · 12-27-2011, 03:57 PM

Originally Posted by PoopyHead

Father Judge High School Hazmat Mystery Solved

The link above your post has the letter from the city.

**PoopyHead** · 12-27-2011, 04:39 PM

Well don't I feel like a horses ass!!!

**mixiboi** · 01-01-2012, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by PoopyHead

Well don't I feel like a horses ass!!!

Don't feel too bad, it was a PDF, and they still drain way too many resources(Not as bad as flash tho!).

But Im glad they figure this out, we have enough issues not knowing what kills us. UV is evil...