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When Syracuse University sophomore Sam Sambucci woke to the sound of an alarm at around 2 a.m. on Wednesday, he initially thought it was someone’s phone going off. Instead, when Sambucci walked out of his room at 206 Walnut Pl, he found the noise was coming from the carbon monoxide detector on the third floor.

A hot water heater malfunctioned and triggered the carbon monoxide monitor’s alarm, a university spokesperson told The Daily Orange. After residents of the building, which SU is using as an overflow housing location this year after over-admitting students for the class of 2026, alerted the Department of Public Safety, they were evacuated to the Haven Hall lobby and eventually relocated to the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center.

Sambucci and Alex Cheung, an economics student who lives on the building’s third floor, said that one officer carrying a carbon monoxide monitor was concerned with its readings before he reached the third floor. Officers then went to rooms to wake up residents and tell them to evacuate, Sambucci said.

Cheung and Sambucci said the residents didn’t bring any belongings aside from their phones because they thought it was the fire alarm that had gone off, and were unsure if they should be concerned about the alarm.

Cheung recalled waiting outside the house for approximately one hour after authorities arrived to investigate with detection equipment, including a fan. The students then moved to Haven Hall, where they waited for another hour before moving to the Sheraton.

“The second we saw the fan, we were like, ‘we’re definitely not going back,’” Cheung said.

Scalese said some residents chose to stay with friends. Mikey Lupton, a sophomore resident of the building studying engineering and computer science, said he ended up staying with his sister.

“I didn’t go to sleep until 4 at least, Sam didn’t get to the Sheraton until 5,” Lupton said.

Lupton said he missed his morning class because he was unable to retrieve class materials from his room.

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Residents did not receive any communication from the university until Wednesday afternoon. Taylor Gale, the interim residence director of the dorm complex comprising 206 Walnut Pl, Haven, Washington Arms and Walnut Halls, said in an email that students could return to the house and that the issue had “been resolved.”

“The University has since replaced the hot water heater and confirmed the quality of the air and the efficacy of the carbon monoxide monitors,” Scalese said.

Gale also advised students in the email to reach out to the Barnes Center at The Arch if they were experiencing any symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Sambucci and Lupton both said they felt “terrible” and “lightheaded” when they woke up on Wednesday, but said the symptoms could’ve been from lack of sleep.

“If you are still experiencing symptoms (headache, nausea, etc.) please reach out to the Barnes Center,” Gale said in the email. “They are aware of the situation and have been asked (to) make appointment availability for you.”

Residents have since been directed to seek medical attention at nearby emergency rooms at either Crouse or Upstate University hospitals, Sambucci said. He said university communications didn’t give any information on how medical bills would be covered.

Sambucci said he feels “nervous” about sleeping in the house again on Wednesday night and potential future issues with the house’s alarms.

“Did they rush the electrical work in the house and cut corners in order to make sure the house was good?” he said. “That’s kind of my main concern.”

Published on October 13, 2022 at 9:01 am

Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu