A fire alarm went off during Tutorial on Oct. 21, 2024 after being triggered in the upstairs boys’ bathroom of the A Building. Students and staff were evacuated at 10:20 a.m. and waited at the main entrance, parking lots and lower field until 10:40 a.m., when firefighters confirmed that it was safe to return to campus. After the evacuation was lifted, students near the main office applauded the firefighters, and third period began.

According to Principal Ben Clausnitzer, MVHS administrators investigated the bathroom and found no smoke or evidence of a fire, leading them to suspect the smoke detector had a faulty sensor. However, he says the alarm could have been triggered by an aerosol spray, vaping or even condensation, since the sensor detects small, airborne particles.

MVHS’s fire reporting system automatically calls the fire department whenever an alarm goes off, according to Clausnitzer. Firefighters inspected a fire report panel in the office to determine that campus was safe to return to.Ultimately, Clausnitzer believes that safety is always the administration’s top priority in a potential emergency like a fire alarm, and he hopes that students take all evacuations seriously, whether or not there is a threat, so they are prepared in the event of a real emergency.

“I thought our students did a good job in terms of exiting campus and trying to get to a place that they felt safe off campus,” Clausnitzer said. “We appreciate their patience as we work towards getting our fire-detecting system reset.”