Sheriff's Dispatchers Relocated After Smoke Complaints

Video: HCSO 911 Dispatch Evacuation

SEBRING - Several Highlands County Sheriff's Office dispatchers were moved out of their second-story room in the Sheriff's Office building Tuesday evening after "an odor of smoke" began circulating around the room, Sebring Fire Chief Brad Batz said.

Batz said a smoke alarm went off in the Sheriff's Office radio room as a burning electric odor spread from a utility room through the air conditioning and into the dispatcher's room. Despite the severe storm and reports of six other alarms caused by the storm in Sebring, he said he could not determine what set off the alarm. No fire or burned equipment was found.

Highlands County Sheriff's Lt. John Chess said the information technology workers checked out the equipment after the firefighters cleared the area and everything was working. By 8 p.m. the dispatch office was "open for business."

During the incident, as a precaution the dispatchers were taken to the Emergency Operations Center, which serves as the backup dispatch office.

Two engines, a ladder and the Sebring Fire Department Chief's vehicle were stationed outside the Sheriff's office around 6:45 p.m., along with several firefighters entering and exiting the second story of the building.

A jail kitchen staffer who declined to be identified stated that the firefighters parked outside the kitchen and asked for the dispatcher's room. She was not aware of what was going on.

This incident came as numerous alarms were reported all over the Sebring area.

During the two waves of storms Tuesday afternoon, Batz said he responded to seven alarms, including two at the Heartland Christian School, the one at the dispatcher's office, a smoke inspection at Circle K near U.S. 27 and Lakeview Drive and a false alarm at Woodlawn Elementary School.

Just before responding to the dispatch alarm, Batz said the Sebring Fire Department handled a small fire at Arby's that was put out by the restaurant's employees. Batz said the fire was caused by a roof leakage that went over one of their fryers.

The storm also caused isolated power outages, affecting approximately 200 Progress Energy customers in the Sebring area by 5 p.m. The Highlands County Emergency Operations Center reported that the storm produced winds of up to 41 mph Tuesday afternoon.