Investigation Continues After Hazmat Incident at Gwinnett 911 Center

Gwinnett Police said the all of the communications officers injured in Monday’s hazardous material incident at the county 911 Center have been released from the hospital.

But the reason why the facility’s fire suppression system malfunctioned and exposed the employees to a fire-extinguishing agent was still under investigation, according to a Tuesday media alert.

Five people who suffered respiratory problems were taken to the hospital after the mid-morning incident at the 911 Center on Hi Hope Road that closed the center for much of the day. The center was re-opened by the evening.

Police said the fire system exposed employees to FM-200 heptaflorapropane, a fire-extinguishing agent (gas) that is an irritant with short-lasting effects.

Operations had to be moved to Gwinnett Police Headquarters and the department’s Mobile Operations Center as the cleanup ensued.

Police said in a Monday email employees heard a “boom” before the facility’s fire suppression system apparently malfunctioned and led to the hazmat incident. Police also said a supervisor smelled an odor of smoke shortly before 10 a.m., though there was no fire or smoke seen. A ceiling tile fell onto an employee, also possibly caused by the activation of the system, but the injury was not serious.

There was only a “minor” disruption to police and fire services during the incident, police said.

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Gwinnett Police released two photos from Monday’s incident. The first photo shows operations inside the Mobile Operations Center (MOC). The employees inside MOC were responsible for Police Dispatch, while Call-Taking and Fire Dispatch were handled inside GCPD Headquarters. The second photo shows the interior of the 911 Center following the deployment of the Fire Suppression System.