Tear gas incident at San Bruno school raises concerns about safety protocol | Local news

According to the sheriff’s office, similar training has been held at this location for more than 20 years, and this was the first time such an incident has occurred.

In a community report sent to the school 10 days after the incident, the sheriff’s office said windy conditions and clear skies were identified as possible causes of the chemical getting onto the elementary school grounds.

“Normally, it is less windy and foggy, so the water droplets from the fog weigh down the CS gas. This may explain why this exposure is an unprecedented event,” the report said.

The update summarized parent concerns raised at a community meeting on May 28. Community recommendations included holding training on days when children are not in school and using the notification system to inform residents of training times.

Many parents also reported that their children experienced symptoms consistent with those the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health consider to be due to exposure to CS gas.

According to the CDC, possible symptoms include burning in the eyes, nose and throat, tightness in the chest, nausea and skin rashes.

Matthew Duffy, superintendent of the San Bruno Park School District, said he will put together a survey and send it to parents to collect information on symptoms and timelines to better understand where the drug was used and what aftereffects it had.

The tear gas canisters used in an exercise on the grounds of a San Bruno prison that sickened nearby children on May 21 were “old,” according to the report.

“We are reviewing the submitted training plan and will receive a completed training activity report from the training participants next week,” it said.

The Sheriff’s Office has suspended all chemical handling drills while it reviews best practices.

“We want to assure the residents of San Bruno that we will carefully review our training protocols to prevent future incidents that could jeopardize the well-being of members of our community, especially our children,” the report said.

The San Mateo County Health Department and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District are investigating the incident.

“While there is no evidence of ongoing environmental hazards at the site or in the surrounding area, the investigation will determine whether all reporting obligations to appropriate authorities were met following the incident and whether appropriate emergency plans were in place to prevent a release,” County Health spokesman Preston Merchant said in a statement.

According to the report, Duffy said he would pressure the sheriff’s office to permanently stop the training sessions on the San Bruno prison grounds.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who has shown symptoms of exposure in the community surrounding the elementary school to contact [email protected] to get a full picture of the impact.