When hazardous material (hazmat) incidents occur on campus, the response from authorities can at times seem overwhelming, and notification about the incidents has recently increased.

“We have come to the conclusion that the public likes to have some sort of information, no matter the severity of the incident,” said Ray Wittmier, UW Police Department assistant chief.

The UW community received notification of a hazmat situation in the T-wing of the Magnuson Health Sciences building last Wednesday when a gas leak in the area was reported. Wittmier said the incident took roughly 25 minutes to resolve, at which time notification giving the all-clear was sent.

“We evacuated the area, and then the fire department went in with their monitors,” Wittmier said. “By the time the fire department had made entry with their monitoring devices, they found the gas level was of a safe level in the facility, so they were able to let occupants re-enter the building.”

The incident marks the second time in the past few months that a notification of a hazmat situation has been sent via UW Alert, an emergency communication system that sends text messages, e-mails and automated phone calls to people who subscribe to the service. The notification briefly explains situations the UW community may observe on and around campus.

“As we evolve with the UW Alert system, one of the things we have had discussions about is the amount of concern generated when the public sees numerous emergency vehicles,” Wittmier said.

A UW Alert was sent regarding a hazmat situation at Hall Health in mid-May, when employees on the ground floor experienced a burning sensation in their eyes and throats. While 29 emergency vehicles were sent to respond to the incident, no hazardous materials were found upon inspection of the building.

“Our dispatchers make a decision on what kind of response to send based on whatever information they get over the phone,” said Dana Vander Houwen, Seattle Fire Department (SFD) public information officer. “In some cases, after firefighters arrive, they may be able to determine there is not an immediate life-safety issue and return some of those units.”

This large response was part of SFD’s protocol for hazmat incidents. If multiple individuals appear to have sustained injuries, the situation is classified as a multiple casualty incident, and an extensive response network is deployed.

While use of the UW Alert system develops, increased notification and the large safety official response to hazmat incidents do not always represent the severity of the incident at hand, instead reflecting a trend of increased crisis communication on campus.

Reach reporter Lexie Krell at news@dailyuw.com.