At least 21 students were hospitalized with heat illness after Carter Middle School evacuated Friday for a bomb threat. Rural Metro Fire said at least 3 of those students were transported in critical condition after some began showing signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke outside.
Jeff Bagwell said, "This morning at about 11, I think the initial call was a bomb threat here at Carter Middle School." He also said, "The school reacted as they should." Rural Metro said the students' current conditions had not been confirmed.
Bagwell said the school sent the student body to Carter High School’s football field because the two schools share a campus. Some students were moved inside a field house in the stadium after they started feeling sick. KCSO later cleared the school, and the students were outside for about an hour.
Jon Rysewyk on Friday
Jon Rysewyk said students were given water and shade while they were outside, and school nurses were on the field helping evaluate and treat students who became sick. He said, "I think the Carter Middle staff did that well in this case."
Rysewyk also said, "In any of those situations where we have an outdoor evacuation, we ask staff to think about [monitoring weather] on the front side." He said, "We always look back at those things, and we’ll look back on this and review it," and said the school system would review Friday's response and possibly make updates to how evacuations happen in the heat.
KCSO and The Knox County Schools
Jon Rysewyk said parents got a notice when the building evacuated and again when the school was cleared. The Knox County Sheriff’s Office said it is still investigating the threat, and authorities said a middle school student reported a written threat.
Bagwell said, "The system has worked flawlessly, so the public should know the system works." He also said, "The students are safe and at no time were they in any harm or jeopardy." Whether anyone will be charged for the written threat remains unanswered.
