Ceiling Noises Lead to Evacuation of Dedham Pre-School Program
Eighty-eight students — none over the age of 5 — were evacuated Friday from a Dedham pre-school program after teachers heard cracking sounds coming from the roof.
Instructors from the Little Sprouts program heard the noises around 11 a.m., according to a statement from Dedham Public Schools Superintendent Michael Welch. The program’s director evacuated the building and called 911. Emergency crews and town officials then came to the scene.
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Parents were notified via email to pick up their children. In the meantime, the program’s students and staff kept warm in school buses.
As firefighters climbed onto the roof to investigate, a building inspector checked the interior for structural stress. None was found. A licensed structural engineer arrived to “complete a thorough inspection of the structure’’ and later deemed the building safe to re-occupy.
Welch said most of the snow on the roof had been cleared previously. As the remainder melted and refroze over the past several days, however, it formed a layer of ice two to three inches thick. He believes the cracking of this ice created the sounds teachers heard.
Crews will clear the roof of any remaining snow and ice over the weekend, Welch said.
Pre-school officials told WCVB said that a new facility was just recently completed down the street, but that they are waiting for licensing before they can move in. The Little Sprouts program is currently leasing space in the former Dexter Elementary School on High Street.
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