Kadena High School is operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. (Brian McElhiney/Stars and Stripes)
KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — Authorities evacuated a high school at the home of the 18th Wing on Tuesday morning following a report of a roofing sealant leak that turned out to be a false alarm.
Students and staff at Kadena High School were evacuated around 9:40 a.m. “out of an abundance of caution,” Department of Defense Education Activity-Pacific spokeswoman Miranda Ferguson said in an email to Stars and Stripes that morning.
All students were “safe and accounted for” and relocated at 9:57 a.m. to a parking lot for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, she said.
“Emergency services responded to the school immediately and are actively working to ensure the facility is safe for students and staff,” she said.
The high school is undergoing roof repairs, Ferguson added.
After further inspection, the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron determined there was no leak, Tech. Sgt. Dominic Chargualaf, the squadron’s chief of operations, said at the scene. He declined to provide further details.
At 12:20 p.m., vehicles and personnel from the civil engineer squadron and base fire and emergency services remained stationed outside the school.
Students and staff were later relocated to the Keystone Theater and given a bagged lunch, Ferguson wrote in a follow-up email. They were released at 1 p.m., she said.
Parents were able to pick up students from the theater; bus riders were picked up from the Schilling Community Center.
Students who drove to school were escorted back to collect their vehicles but were not able to retrieve their keys if they were inside the building, Ferguson said.
“We appreciate our students and staff for conducting a safe and orderly evacuation, as well as our parents for your understanding and cooperation,” she said. “We also want to express our sincere thanks to our installation partners for their timely response and support.”
Families will be notified by phone and email if school hours are affected Wednesday, Ferguson said.
