OCFA firefighters were called to Santa Ana College today at 7:53 a.m. for alarms activating in a computer server room. Students and staff were evacuated.
The firefighters determined that there was no fire.
With students and staff safely evacuated, the OCFA Hazardous Materials Response Team and on-site HVAC technicians determined that the cause of the alarm was a refrigerant gas leak that was isolated to the server room and had already stopped leaking.
Refrigerant leaks can be dangerous if they end up lowering the oxygen content in a room to the point where people pass out and cannot maintain their breathing.
An anonymous tipster at Santa Ana College noted via email that “the Cesar Chavez building evacuated. No alerts from security. Another safety incident goes unmentioned by the SAC president, Chancellor or the Security Chief.”
