Major Gas Leak Results in Evacuation Kan. Clinic

April 23--Hutchinson first responders spent much of Monday afternoon and evening fixing a gas leak near the Hutchinson Clinic at 20th Avenue and Waldron Street.

The Hutchinson Fire Department was dispatched to the scene around 4:30 p.m., and while some firefighters helped secure the leak, others helped evacuate about 200 patients and staff members from the main clinic to the 2101 building. Gas company workers clamped the line and cleared the scene with firefighters shortly after 7 p.m.

While some patients where transported by wheelchair to the nearby building, others went by EMS vehicles. Vickie Rucker and Maureen Denison, technicians at the main building, were some of the staff evacuated. The evacuation, announced over a loudspeaker, happened around 4:45 p.m., with about 15 minutes left in their shifts. Rucker didn't go straight home, though. Instead, she helped give rides to co-workers who couldn't access their cars because the parking lot was blocked off. Rucker, who has worked at the clinic for 18 years, said she's been a part of drills before, but this was the first time it's been the "real thing."

The evacuation, she said, went as smoothly as it could.

"It's safety first for our patients and employees," she said.

Forbes said that although gas leaks are common, the location and size of it was out of the ordinary. The leak, larger than what would be expected for the type of neighborhood, was above a power transformer that served the area and hospital campus, making crews take extra precaution not to damage that. Although it was located near the leak, DaVita Dialysis Center couldn't be evacuated because patients were receiving treatments.

"They're on life support, basically," Forbes said. "You can't just walk in and shut it off."

The weather, with the possibility of a storm, was another consideration, Forbes said.

"Obviously... we don't want to take a direct hit from lightening."

Forbes said they had a system in place for evacuating the clinic, as they've had to do so for floors and wings in events like small fires. Five fire units and six chief officers, along with the Hutchinson Police Department, worked the scene.

"Everyone was cooperative," Forbes said.

"You want to err on the safe side and not be sorry later on."