Student Suffers Burn Injury In Incident At Minooka High School: 'Standard Emergency Protocols Were Followed'

MINOOKA, IL — A spokeswoman for the Minooka High School District 201 campus confirmed that an emergency medical response happened on Friday that involved the Minooka Police Department and Minooka Fire Protection District.

Minooka Fire Protection's deputy chief Chris Salazar told Joliet Patch that the emergency call happened around 8:30 a.m., prompting one burn patient to be taken to Morris Community Hospital. Salazar said that the victim's injuries are not considered to be life-threatening.

Earlier in the day, one of the Facebook public safety scanner pages for Illinois posted that Channahon and Minooka fire departments had both responded to the Minooka High School campus at 301 S. Wabena Ave. for a burn victim incident.

According to the Facebook post, a Minooka Fire ambulance was en route to the Morris Hospital with the burn victim and that no medical helicopter was necessary.

A source later told Joliet Patch's editor that it was their understanding the emergency involved a student being struck with flying sparks during a welding class incident.

The Minooka High School district's spokesperson responded to Joliet Patch's inquiry by refusing to divulge what actually happened.

"We are writing to inform you that emergency responders were on site today at Central Campus to assist with a medical situation involving a member of our campus community," wrote Aubrey Knight, director of community relations with Minooka Community High School District 111.

"To respect individual privacy and comply with privacy protocols, we are unable to share specific medical details or personal information regarding the incident. Please rest assured that the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our highest priority, and standard emergency protocols were followed immediately.

"We are deeply grateful to the Minooka Fire Protection District and Minooka Police Department for their prompt response, care, and assistance today."

These days, the Minooka High School District 111 is led by Robert Schiffbauer, who joined the Minooka Community High School staff as superintendent in 2022.