Smoke Forces Evacuation For Palm Bay Police
By Space Coast Daily // July 10, 2012
Origin In Computer Room
BREVARD COUNTY • PALM BAY, FLORIDA – The Palm Bay Police headquarters was briefly evacuated twice on Tuesday afternoon and administrative services are temporarily inaccessible to the public because of smoke in an upstairs computer room that twice triggered an alarm.
Palm Bay Police spokeswoman Yvonne Martinez said the first alarm sounded at 12:08 pm. Tuesday.
Fire dispatchers received a call from the alarm company stating there was smoke in the building at 130 Malabar Road S.E. in Palm Bay.
“A contractor working inside an upstairs computer room also reported seeing smoke coming from a row of machines in the same area. The building was evacuated and firefighters responded,” Martinez said.
The police communications center is located adjacent to the computer room and dispatch operations were relocated to the mobile command vehicle outside in the northeast parking area of the building.
“911 calls and non-emergency calls have been temporarily diverted to Brevard County during this time,” Martinez said.
A short time later, firefighters cleared the building and another alarm sounded in the same area.
Smoke had filled the computer room and the halon suppression system deployed. Firefighters immediately began ventilating the area and the assistant fire marshal is conducting an investigation into possible causes including the air conditioning system.
Police administrative functions including access to public records are temporarily suspended until the situation is resolved, Martinez said.
