Pa. Firefighters, Cop Treated for Possible Chemical Exposure
June 07--A police officer, two firefighters and a homeowner were sent to a hospital Friday afternoon over concerns of a chemical leak in east Allentown.
The report turned out to be unfounded.
Around 1 p.m., city police and fire crews were called to a garage at 711 N. Godfrey St. for a hazmat incident.
Allentown fire Capt. John Christopher said the homeowner is a former Allentown animal control officer who had pest-control chemicals stored in his garage.
When the man went to his garage Friday afternoon, he smelled an odor and began coughing, Christopher said. The man was concerned the pest-control chemicals might be leaking and he called authorities.
Christopher said authorities later determined the pest-control package had not ruptured.
The police officer, firefighters and homeowner were not showing any symptoms and were later released from the hospital, Christopher said.
The homeowner called in a waste-removal crew to safely remove the pest-control product, Christopher said.
Some nearby residents were evacuated during the incident, according to police radio reports.
-- Pamela Lehman
Copyright 2014 - The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.)