The hustle and bustle of student traffic took a twist Wednesday, as fire alarms sounded across KHS. All students were evacuated as confusion spread like wildfire. Tension buzzed, and two fire trucks roared into the Essex lot, sirens blaring. While the event conveniently occurred during dismissal, it still left many wondering… what happened?

Parents received an email from Dr. Michael Havener, principal, regarding the incident Jan. 19 around 4:30 p.m.. Havener reported an unknown odor in a hallway that aroused suspicion. After student evacuation and help from security footage, it was revealed that a student was using a vape pen in the boys’ restroom located by the commons.

“I was overall happy with how the situation was handled,” Havener said. “We learned some things. Cars and busses were blocking certain areas, and the role of everybody evacuating the building was evaluated.”

The building was evacuated fairly quickly after alarms sounded, but it was difficult to manage due to students being out of the classroom. Havener said, while school is in session, it is easy to maintain order. However, when students are wandering the campus during dismissal the situation gets much trickier.

“When the alarms are set off, the fire department comes for an initial investigation,” Havener said. “In this case, they were quick to determine that the cause of said ‘fire’ was from an e-cigarette. We will be following the discipline guidelines that go along with this type of offense, and the student will be handled according to rules and regulations.”