Those evacuations took place once on the mornings of Thursday, August 22 and Friday, August 23, when county officials stopped a kindergarten orientation with students in the building, and during a teacher orientation session, respectively, show emails obtained by Potomac Local.
“I am concerned that school staff continued to place teachers and students in harm’s way. People’s lives were being endangered by ignoring the life safety issues identified by the county building officials and county fire officials,” penned Prince William County Executive Christopher Martino in a letter to school officials. He went on to call the actions of the school division “egregious.”
County building inspector Eric Mays didn’t issue a full occupancy permit for the building until the afternoon of Friday, August 23. Mays was concerned that hangers used to fix water pipes for the fire sprinkler system could break loose under the weight of the water and pressure.
On the morning of the kindergarten orientation, county and school building officials met to discuss the fire sprinkler system.
“When it became apparent during the meeting, near 10 a.m., that the [temporary occupancy permit[ would not be issued immediately, [Prince William County Public Schools] called from the meeting and canceled the orientation…” states a letter from the school division.
A back to school event that had been scheduled later that evening was also canceled.
The school division says the incident was a misunderstanding between its facilities maintenance employees and the fire marshal’s office. It was issued a “shelf-stocking” permit on August 15 that allowed teachers to go inside the building to start setting up their classrooms.
The letter goes onto to state the fire sprinkler system had been inspected by the fire marshal and was working at that time.
“We disagree with the assertion that prior to August 22, [the school division] was informed that [a temporary occupancy permit] could not be issued for the kindergarten orientation or back to school event… the [school division] believed in good faith that a [temporary occupancy permit] could be issued before the 10 a.m. scheduled orientation…,” the letter states.
Prince William Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Steven Walts says the safety and security is the school division’s highest priority.
The county fire marshal’s office is reviewing the matter and could press charges against the school division.
