An electrical short in connection with a construction project at Station Medical Center on Monday triggered an “active shooter” alarm, accompanied by a brief lockdown.
The electrical short was “interpreted as an activation,” said UPMC spokesman Ed DeWitt.
The early afternoon incident was “cleared” in about five minutes, DeWitt said.
About five Altoona police units responded to the scene, according to an observer who spoke to the Mirror.
The short occurred when metal clad cable being fed by electricians working on creation of a pacemaker suite simultaneously touched the two contacts of an alarm button relay inside a wall, according to Facilities Manager Dave Mentzer.
It was the equivalent of pressing the button, Mentzer said.
It led to an announcement throughout the building and from speakers on the roof, “Code bronze, take cover, active shooter,” over and over, Mentzer said.
It also automatically locked doors inside and alerted security personnel to lock the exterior doors, he said.
And it led to “the police (coming) in force to clear the building and take all precautions,” he said.
Russell Stone was a patient in the Occupational Health Department when the alarm went off.
A nurse pulled him into an exam room and ordered him to stay there until “we come get you,” he said afterward outside the facility.
“What in the Sam Hill was that all about?” he said to himself at the time.
The incident was “exciting,” but “mellowed out” quickly, Stone said.
Facility management afterward disabled the button in the room being renovated, Mentzer said.
In response to the 911 transmission about the alarm, the Altoona Area School District locked down its high school, its junior high school, Penn Lincoln Elementary School and the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center “as a precautionary measure,” according to an email sent to parents.
The school lockdowns lasted about five minutes, according to the email.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.
Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
TYRONE — Borough Council on Monday approved an increase of $900 a month in its operational stipend for each of ...
ROARING SPRING — The Spring Cove School District is planning to purchase a police car from Martinsburg Borough ...
Federal aid caused child poverty nationwide to drop significantly in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, but ...
Unlike nearly all of its Big Ten counterparts, Penn State does not have to publicly disclose the salaries of its ...
OMAHA, Neb. — The U.S.’s third largest railroad union rejected a deal with employers Monday, renewing the ...
Today's breaking news and more in your inbox
Copyright © Altoona Mirror | https://www.altoonamirror.com | 301 Cayuga Ave., Altoona, PA 16602 | 814-946-7411