MINQUADALE, DELAWARE (10/10/2015) An odor forced evacuation of the Sweeney Public Safety Building this morning but operations returned to normal later in the day, authorities said. The building is headquarters for New Castle County police and the county 911 center.
According to reports from the scene at 10:30 a.m., the odor was caused by overcharged backup batteries in the basement emitting hydrogen gas.
A police spokesman, Officer First Class Tom Jackson, said, “The cause was found to be related to some back-up batteries being stored in the basement of the building which have since been removed. No one was injured and all calls for service were answered as normal.”
The 911 center was relocated to a vehicle in the building’s parking lot during the evacuation.
Minquadale firefighters and at least one other fire company responded to the scene at 3601 N. DuPont Highway (U.S. 13).