Fire in the Portable

Let us review, dear reader. We have an ill person who is suspected of becoming ill from the air quality in the portable. We have OSHA who has fined the school for a filthy environment in the portable. Now, we have a fire outside the portable. Yes, a fire.

On November 18, 2005 a janitorial crew was operating a pressure washer system to clean the outside of the portable and oops, there was a malfunction and the portable caught fire. Most of the damage was to the IT area and the west side of the building.

Everyone was moved out of the portable due to the fire damage and smell. So the work began: new roof, new siding, new windows, and new carpet in our classroom and office (though no water or fire damage reached our office or classroom…hmmmmm). During the Winter Break, the maintenance department removed the north wall – the one mentioned in the May 2005 mold report and redacted – and totally re-built it. Unfortunately, it was raining when they removed and replaced the siding.

When the music teachers arrived back to work at the first of the year, the inside walls were warped due to moisture. It all had to be re-done. Also, there was a horrible smell. They installed three huge industrial sized fans with hepha filters and ran them for weeks, 24 hours a day. Funny, when they came to take air quality tests, they turned off the fans then took the air quality tests. Hmmmmm. Wonder what the tests would reveal if they were kept off for several days before the tests? Anyway, the classroom was not able to re-open until March or April of 2006.

I finally figured out how I got sick. We had moved the music department into the portable for school year 1998-1999. Why was I not ill until late 2002/early 2003? The answer is new janitors. We always left the door opened from our office into the classroom because the thermostat and cold air return were in the classroom and the actual hot air vent was in the office. When the new janitors arrive, the Head of the school said that they must close and lock all doors. At a meeting, I asked that our office door be left opened. I explained the heating situation and that when I arrived to the office at 7:00AM; it was 90 degrees in the office and freezing in the classroom. The heater would be running all night. My request was denied, as it would “confuse” the janitors.

Now I know that when I sat in that office for hours every morning, I was inhaling all the concentrated antigens that shut down my lungs.

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