Students at Carter Middle School suffered "heat-related illnesses" following a bomb threat evacuation.
STRAWBERRY PLAINS, Tenn. — Twenty-one students were hospitalized and transported to Dolly Parton Children's Hospital following an evacuation Friday morning. Three were in critical condition upon leaving the school, according to a spokesperson from Rural Metro Fire.
Staff was alerted of a bomb threat written on a bathroom wall, prompting students to be evacuated from the building.
According to the Knox County Sheriff's Office, evacuation began at approximately 10:25 a.m., and students were able to re-enter the building at approximately 11:27 a.m.
Several students then received medical attention for heat-related illnesses, according to Rural Metro Fire.
KCS Superintendent Jon Rysewyk says students were given water during evacuation. He also says they had access to shaded and air-controlled areas, and a nurse was on-site.
“I think the Carter Middle staff did well in this situation to provide the water, the shade, even an air-conditioned spot if students needed that,” Rysewyk said.
Rysewyk says staff correctly followed protocol during the evacuation. He also says they attentively monitored students.
“Pretty much any student that was showing signs, the call was made to make sure that, whether they were showing those symptoms fully or not, we want to make sure that they're going to be OK.”
He said the district’s preliminary assessment is that the protocols were followed as outlined.
Parents, however, are frustrated at how the evacuation was handled. Daniel Byerly is the father of a sixth grader who was part of the evacuation.
"Now we have a situation where there's a possible threat to the school. But then you turn around, we have children who are being transported to the hospital. That is something you can control," Byerly said. "You can't control a threat that's been made, but you can control how policies and processes are put in place for situations like this."
Anthony Crowe has a seventh grader who had heat stroke and ended up with a concussion. He says the situation is unacceptable.
"I want something done about the situation," Crowe said. "You know, this was a very bad call."
He says he plans to take action with other parents.
"I personally will be going to the school board and, in that process, I will be getting with as many of the parents as I possibly can," Crowe said. "Whoever is capable of doing so, we're gonna go to the school board, and we're gonna make a change. We're gonna make something happen."
Rysewyk says the district will review what happened as part of an after-action process.
“We always take everything as a learning opportunity to look back on it,” he said.