School’s alarm sends staff, students outdoors

An alarm at Chase County Schools proved unfounded after the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department was called about 8:30 a.m. Monday. Fire Chief Doug Mitchell said the alarm indicated that water was flowing in the school’s fire sprinkler system, but after an hour of inspecting all rooms in the building by two teams of firefighters, nothing was found. Among those outdoors waiting for the all-clear signal were, from left, staff members Linda Lakey, K-6 Principal Becky Odens, Michaela Cochran and Jordyn Haake with several summer school students. Those who hadn’t evacuated when the alarm was sounded were directed outdoors, Mitchell said. (Johnson Publications photo)