Dust Particles Triggered Smoke Alarm at County Courthouse

Published: Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at 10:39 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at 11:18 a.m.

BARTOW | The Polk County Courthouse was evacuated for about 20 minutes this morning after dust particles triggered a smoke alarm.

Loud emergency sirens inside the courthouse directed everyone to exit, and hundreds of people lined the streets as a fire engine drove by with lights and sirens blaring.

A maintenance worker inadvertently triggered a smoke alarm while working on the sprinkler system in the sixth-floor maintenance closet, Court Administrator Nick Sudzina said.

Dust particles were agitated and blown into the sprinkler system, setting off the alarm, he said.

To prevent this from occurring again, the sprinkler bypass system will be engaged during any maintenance work, Sudzina said.

"The good thing about this incident is the evacuation system worked as it is supposed to and everyone left the building timely and reported to the proper assembly area," he said in an email.

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Dust Particles Triggered Smoke Alarm at County Courthouse