Around 12:45 p.m., the Eller Oceanography and Meteorology Building emergency alarm sounded and the building was evacuated. College Station firefighter John Kimbrough said that the incident was a false alarm to what was thought to be a gas leak.
“Somebody thought they smelled gas, pulled the alarm, and that was not the case,” Kimbrough said. “It was not a gas leak, it was a false alarm.”
Sean Stroyick, O&M building proctor and facilities coordinator, said he pulled the alarm for safety precautions.
“There was a report of a strong gas smell, and I went up there to verify and smelled it,” Stroyick said. “I wasn’t sure what it was but I knew we didn’t have anything that should be smelling like that. Better safe than sorry, so I pulled the alarm to get everyone out and get it checked out.”
Stroyick said the smell was coming from the 12th floor of the building, predominantly in the halls and stairwell.
“The smell is still there, but it’s been checked out and it’s nothing dangerous,” Stroyick said. “It kind of smells like paint, but it’s been confirmed that it’s nothing dangerous.”