Foul odor sickens 12 people at college
Eleven were taken to the hospital and classes at the Everett school were canceled; the source of the smell is a mystery.
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Michael O'Leary The Herald
Emergency responders prepare a patient for transport to a hospital at Everest College in Everett on Wednesday.
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
Rural Metro personnel load a patient for transport to a hospital at Everest College. The private college off Everett Mall Way was evacuated Wednesday morning and 11 people were taken to the hospital after reporting dizziness, nausea and a foul odor, officials reported.
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
An Everett firefighter checks a patient's blood pressure after a foul odor caused problems at Everest College in Everett.
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Michael O'Leary / The Herald
A private college off Everett Mall Way was evacuated Wednesday morning and 11 people were taken to the hospital after reporting dizziness, nausea and a foul odor, officials reported.
Everest College, located in the 900 block of SE Everett Mall Way, is a private institution that shares a six-story building with several businesses, officials said.
The students' dizzy spells were not considered life-threatening.
The Everett campus, formerly known as Bryman College, is housed in a sprawling building with large glass windows. It announced on a website that classes were canceled through 10 a.m. Thursday. Students were advised to check back for an update.
Up to 200 people were in the building Wednesday morning. Students quickly left after being told classes were canceled.
Everett Fire Department inspector Eric Hicks said the people taken to the Providence Regional Medical Center Everett mainly complained of headaches and feeling light-headed and faint.
Medics evaluated 12 people. There were 35 medics and firefighters on the scene.
People in the building reported a mysterious odor, but fire officials couldn't pinpoint a cause, Hicks said.
Hazardous materials teams from the fire department conducted sweeps through the building without identifying a cause.
The building manager was told to have an industrial hygienist examine the structure, Hicks said.
Industrial hygiene is the science of evaluating workplace conditions that might cause injury or illness to figure out ways of managing potential health hazards.
The initial 911 call was made shortly before 10 a.m.
The Everett Police Department also was called to the scene.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
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