Two days after an ammonia leak evacuated an arena in Invermere and paused a KIJHL game with 65 seconds left, both teams met on Sunday (Nov. 13) to play out the final minute.
Despite the delay, the Kamloops Storm came out on top 2-1 in the shootout against the Columbia Valley Rockies, after the final minute and overtime played out with fruitless results.
Nearing the final minute of Friday’s tilt at the Eddie Mountain Arena, the building was evacuated after the ammonia alarm went off inside the refridgeration plant.
“We have an emergency response plan that was immediately activated, the building was cleared and the fire department and chief engineer assessed the source of the alarm,” said Kevin Paterson, RDEK Environmental Services Manager.
Ammonia is used for refridgeration systems, however, it is classified as a toxic substance that can be fatal to people who come in contact with it.
“We have an emergency response plan that lays out our response any time we have an alarm,” said Paterson. “Our staff and emergency responders did an excellent job of following the plan, activating the emergency response, clearing the building, determining the cause of the alarm and working to safely remedy it.”
Upon further investigation, it was determined there was a small leak contained within the heat floor component inside the refrigeration plant.
The RDEK’s refrigeration contractor was on site Saturday to conduct repairs, however, the facility has been reopened to the public.