Hazmat Team Returns To O’Keeffe Middle School, Identifies Source of Airborne Irritant

The Madison Fire Department, its Hazardous Incident Team, and officials at O’Keeffe Middle School (510 Thornton Ave.) have confirmed that the airborne irritant causing students and teachers to suffer throat irritation and coughing is pepper spray.
 
The Madison Fire Department was called back to the school at approximately 9:25 Tuesday morning. Both O’Keeffe Middle School and Marquette Elementary School were evacuated. Children were escorted to Bethany Church and Trinity Church, respectively.
 
The MFD Hazardous Incident Team (HIT) arrived at 10:30 a.m. to collect air samples as a means of identifying what might be in the air. Whereas windows were left open yesterday, crews chose to close up the school in order to contain the air and increase the probability that the irritant could be identified.
 
As air samples were being collected, school officials were able to positively identify the source—pepper spray that had been deployed by a student. The pepper spray has been confiscated.
 
Medic 1 treated two students today, and both were released to the care of their parents. No other injuries were reported.
 
The MFD ventilated the school to clear the air and deemed the building safe to occupy at about 11:30 a.m.