14 Hospitalized, 2 'Serious' After High CO Levels In Yale Property: FD

NEW HAVEN, CT — A major hazmat incident at a Yale-owned property sent 14 people to the hospital, with at least two of them called "serious," officials confirmed for Patch.

One person was found unconscious and is undergoing hyperbaric treatment, with a possible 11 others overcome with elevated CO levels, New Haven emergency management director Rick Fontana told Patch. A city official said a person in serious condition was sent to a Bronx, NY hospital for hyperbaric chamber treatment.

The fire department, police department and city emergency management officials were on the scene at 73 Howe St., Fontana said. He confirmed that high levels of CO were detected. Of the 14 people being treated or seen in hospitals, all save one were conscious, Fontana said.

Fontana said the building was "undergoing renovations." He said the incident may have affected "next door occupants as well." The area is between Edgewood Avenue and Chapel Street. The Yale Security Department is located at 79 Howe St.

New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and Fontana said that five people from the Yale Security building and nine construction workers hospitalized. Two are in serious condition and 12 are in stable condition, the officials said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer, as it has no color and no odor.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used for, among other treatments, to "speed up healing of carbon monoxide poisoning," according to Johns Hopkins. The procedure has the person put into a "special chamber to breathe in pure oxygen in air pressure levels 1.5 to 3 times higher than average."

"The goal is to fill the blood with enough oxygen to repair tissues and restore normal body function," according to Johns Hopkins.

Original story:

Police and emergency personnel are responding to an incident in the area of 73 Howe St., Yale police announced in an alert to the Yale University community just before 11 a.m. Wednesday.

"Emergency personnel are actively working the scene of a medical incident," the alert notes. "Please avoid the area while the police investigate."

According to New Haven police spokesperson Sgt. Cherelle Carr, cops are helping the New Haven Fire Department to "deter traffic from that location."

Patch has reached out to Richard Fontana, New Haven's Emergency Management director, for more information.

This post will be updated if any new information is received.