8:30 a.m. Thursday update: Columbus firefighters have determined that a Freon leak in the Hamilton Community Center and Ice Arena’s basement utility room led to white smoke filling the basement.
Firefighters were called to 2501 Lincoln Park Drive at 1:01 p.m. Wednesday after Columbus Parks Department employees discovered smoke in the facility’s basement.
Upon discovering the smoke, Hamilton Center employees enacted their emergency fire safety procedure which included the activation of a fire alarm pull station, full evacuation of the facility, and disconnection of electric utility to the facility.
Firefighters entered the basement and reported hearing a hissing sound which resembled a sprinkler activation. However, the basement was not sprinkler equipped. Using a thermal imaging camera, the entry team scanned the basement area looking for a source of the smoke. With no active fire threat in the facility firefighters turned their attention to the mechanical equipment located within the basement. According to Columbus Parks and Recreation Athletic Facilities Supervisor, Travis Tindell, the mechanical room contains six large compressors that support the ice arena facility. Tindell advised firefighters that each compressor contains 70 pounds of Freon, as well as, hydraulic oil. While firefighters surveyed the basement area, no obvious leaks were discovered. As crews continued to search for a cause of the smoke, Tindell contacted Hamilton Center’s mechanical contractor who services the compressors. Using a combination of Fire Department’s and contractor’s gas metering equipment, it was determined that a Freon leak had occurred in the basement. Firefighters set up ventilation fans to aid in removing smoke and gas from the basement. Firefighters were on the scene for approximately four hours. After ensuring that the facility was safe to occupy, firefighters turned the scene over to Columbus Parks and Recreation staff and contractors. At this time, the cause of the incident is undetermined. No injuries were reported.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Columbus Fire Department Battalion Chief, Dan Cleland, commended the Parks and Recreation staff, for their quick actions to ensure the safety of patrons. ” When we arrived on the scene, we learned that a complete evacuation and an accountability of both citizens and staff had been completed by Hamilton Center personnel. With limited resources within the first few minutes of any incident, a confirmed evacuation allows us to focus more of our resources directly on mitigating the emergency,” said Cleland. ” They had a plan is place and executed it flawlessly,” added Cleland.
Original story:
Columbus firefighters are investigating what caused smoke to fill the Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena basement utility area, resulting in an evacuation.
Firefighters were sent to the center at 1:01 p.m. Wednesday after Columbus Parks and Recreation Department employees reported hearing a loud noise, and then discovered smoke coming from the basement area.
Four parks department employees were in the building and about 10 skaters were on the ice rink when the city-owned building at 2501 Lincoln Park Drive was evacuated, said Capt. Mike Wilson, Columbus Fire Department spokesman. The center is located across from FairOaks Mall, next to Lincoln Park.
Employees called 911 and pulled the building’s fire alarm to quickly evacuate anyone inside, which is part of the protocol for building safety for the structure, Wilson said. No injuries were reported.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryThe employees also immediately shut off electrical service to the building, since the fire could have been electrical, he said.
The first firefighter on the scene was Columbus Township Fire Chief Dave Thompson, who was driving by the area and confirmed smoke was coming from the building, Wilson said.
When city of Columbus firefighters arrived, they found the smoke and an unidentified liquid in the basement, he said.
For safety reasons, the liquid had to be identified before firefighters could continue their investigation, Wilson said. Parks employees provided firefighters with a notebook detailing all the chemicals within the building.
The utilities for the building’s electrical system and compressors, used to keep the ice in the rink frozen, are located in the basement, said parks department director Mark Jones, who had been heading to his office at Donner Park when he was notified about the Hamilton Center problem and went to the scene.
In addition to Columbus Fire Chief Mike Compton, top city officials who arrived at the scene were Mayor Jim Lienhoop, Mary K. Ferdon, executive director of administration and community development, and Jamie Brinegar, finance director.
Nancy Wagner, Lienhoop’s executive assistant, delivered a cooler filled with water for firefighters and staff members who had evacuated the building.
As firefighters, wearing oxygen masks, began to vent the smoke from the basement, everyone else was moved back from the facility to near the entry drive to avoid any exposure to the smoke.
With the electrical power off, Jones said the ice could stay frozen for 65 to 70 hours, but it was unknown whether the ice could be saved due to the uncertainty of what equipment damage had occurred and how long it would take to repair it.
The basement utility area contains six compressors, with five of them either rebuilt or replaced over the past several years, Jones said. No mechanical issues have been reported at the center recently, he said.
All activities at the center and ice arena were canceled for Wednesday night as the investigation continued. That order affected the Indiana University hockey team, which had scheduled a practice there, and a Zumba class and a birthday party, which had to be canceled.
Lienhoop said he went to the scene because the Hamilton Center facility is such an important part of the city.
“We are one of the few (ice) rinks in Indiana who keep ice up all year round,” Jones said.
The center and ice arena received a $3 million renovation that was completed in 2015, an effort to restore the facility to original architect Harry Weese’s vision for the building.
Re-introduced as a community center, Jones explained at the rededication that the community center was for Columbus residents, and, by the way, there’s an ice arena next door.
Funding for the renovation came from $1.6 million in public money from the city’s general fund and bond proceeds left over from an abandoned attempt to build an outdoor sports complex, and $1.4 million from a private fund-raising campaign.
The renovation brought roof replacement, new refrigeration equipment, upgraded and handicapped-accessible restrooms, electrical upgrades and exterior repairs. Conference and meeting space was added to attract community events and meetings, with moveable partitions that can be adjusted for large or small gatherings.
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What: Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena, 2501 Lincoln Park Drive, Columbus
Size: 40,000 square feet
Built: 1958, initially called Lincoln Center, designed by renowned architect Harry Weese to replicate a Swiss chalet. In 1995, the center was renamed to honor the B.F. Hamilton family, which donated $650,000 four decades earlier to build the original facility. The family owned the former Hamilton Cosco Inc., later purchased by Dorel Juvenile Group. The skating areas were enclosed in the mid-1970s with a design by architect William T. Koster, who used historical documents to match Weese’s design.
Features: In 2015, more than $1.6 million in city funding was used to replace the roof, add new refrigeration equipment, expand restrooms, upgrade the electrical system and repair exterior granite. Another $1.4 million in private donations converted the building back into a community center and meeting area, with a community room and patio, installing lighting that matches the original design, refurbishing the ice rink, upgrading the locker facilities and restoring woodwork.
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The Columbus Parks Department is notifying community residents who have reserved the facility about the status of their events at Hamilton Community Center & Ice Arena. For updates on when the center will reopen, or cancellations, check https://columbusparksandrec.com/.
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