SPFD headquarters briefly evac’d for CO leak

By Brandi Makuski

Stevens Point firefighters evacuated Station 1 for a brief time on Tuesday after a carbon monoxide leak was found in the building.

Battalion Chief Jared Hopfensperger said a department member noticed a strange odor while working in the basement of the building, located at 1701 Franklin St.

“We used one of our meters, and we detected a very low amount of natural gas, so we had our friends from WPS (Wisconsin Public Service) come out and assist with it,” Hopfensperger said. “They did find a small leak, and we got our contractor working on it now to make the necessary repairs.”

Hopfensperger didn’t immediately know the cause of the leak but said the age of the building and its elements, some of which date back to the 1960s, is likely partly to blame.

WPS responded to the station within about 10 minutes, he said. The evacuation was precautionary and no one was injured, he added.