Wiscasset Middle High School students and employees were back far enough from the building following an Oct. 10 propane incident, Town Manager Dennis Simmons said Nov. 19. The statement came the day after he met with fire officials and a week after Devin Grover, a lieutenant with the fire department, spoke publicly about his observations and concerns from last month's incident.

In that Nov. 12 school committee meeting, Grover did not state he was speaking on the department's behalf; he began by noting he is a lieutenant with the department and was on scene Oct. 10. Superintendent of Schools Kim Andersson has said a human error incident occurred that morning: a burner being left on in a chemistry classroom. Grover said, because propane was involved, the evacuees should have been off the school property.

Simmons wrote in a statement emailed Nov. 19, "Lt. Grover’s remarks during the November 12 school committee meeting appear to have led to a misconception that the fire department delayed a month in bringing the issues identified to the school committee. I want to assure you that this is not the case. Following the incident, Superintendent Kim Andersson and the fire department, represented by Deputy Fire Chief John Merry—who also serves as the school's facilities manager and was on scene during the incident—immediately discussed the matter. Deputy Chief Merry emphasized that the incident should not be dismissed as merely a 'happening.' He believed it was a serious situation that warranted further discussion, and Superintendent Andersson agreed," Simmons wrote.

"I have been asked a few times why the fire department did not recommend the removal of children and staff from school property if there was a concern that they remained too close to the building. Upon arriving at the scene, Deputy Chief Merry quickly determined that the actions taken by school staff—shutting off the propane and ventilating the building by opening doors and windows—had sufficiently reduced the threat level, making further evacuation unnecessary."

Simmons was one of the officials Jodi Hardwick reached out to via email with questions after the school committee meeting. Hardwick is on the school committee; she told Wiscasset Newspaper, her reach-out was not as a school committee member, but as a concerned parent and taxpayer.

Andersson, in her response to Hardwick, further detailed the Oct. 10 incident and its handling. These new details included interactions between Merry and the fire department. Andersson said Merry was acting as a school employee.

Andersson wrote, "there was an emergency call made via a pulled fire alarm at WMHS. Students and staff evacuated the building according to approved procedures. The building was evacuated by 9:42. John Merry, Wiscasset School Department Facilities and Maintenance Director, arrived at 9:43. John, acting as a school employee, met the Fire Department at their truck when it arrived at 9:47 a.m. Staff and students were cleared to re-enter the building at 10:10 a.m. At 10:23 a.m., I arrived and entered the building. I observed staff and students waiting to be cleared to go back to classes in the gym. I talked to the administration and then went upstairs to the science wing where I thanked the Fire Department as they were on their way out at 10:26. I met John Merry there and together we reviewed what had happened that morning, what we knew, what we did not know, and what should happen next. We instructed all staff and students they could return to regularly scheduled classes at 10:30 a.m.. Throughout this chain of events, parents were communicated with three times. The press was issued a statement. An internal investigation of what happened began immediately. 

"Since then, electric burners have been put into use in the chem lab; MW Sewall conducted a safety review of our gas lines into the lab; administration debriefed the incident with staff; Sgt. (Perry) Hatch, our SRO (school resource officer) has been instructed to review the evacuation procedures in our Emergency Response Plan with town safety personnel and administration. The town's safety personnel and the school's safety team work well together and communicate and coordinate on an as needed basis. There is no part of the Emergency Response Plan that the Fire, Police, and Ambulance department head's have not been included in. I would describe the school and town departments' working relationship as professional, cordial, and even friendly," Andersson wrote. 

Simmons said in his statement, the schools' governance is independent from the town's, the town administration and selectboard respect those boundaries and town leadership shares in concern for student and staff safety. "The school administration is responsible for developing its health, safety, and emergency plans. Town leadership has always been and continues to be willing to collaborate in their development to the extent requested by the school administration.

"Our public safety agencies are trained and prepared to handle emergencies in this town. Appropriate protocols and mutual aid agreements are in place to ensure that competent first responders will be there when you dial 911," Simmons added.

He and Andersson told Wiscasset Newspaper last week that the school safety committee will be meeting with the town's public safety team to review Oct. 10 and other aspects of the school safety plan. Andersson added in a phone interview, the school department's and town's safety personnel work together "on a pretty regular basis," including last August's walk though of both schools before the start of the school year.

Andersson wrote in her email reply to Hardwick, "Wiscasset School Department has an emergency response plan that is updated annually after review by the Wiscasset Ambulance Director, the Fire Chief, the Police Chief, the School Resource Officer, and our building and district level Administrators including the Facilities and Maintenance Director, who also happens to be the Deputy Fire Chief. This team met and walked through both of our buildings and reviewed our Emergency Response Plan" Aug. 26.