Emergency crews responded to Invermere’s Eddie Mountain Memorial Arena Friday evening in response to an ammonia alarm inside the refrigeration 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,” explained Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) Environmental Services Manager Kevin Paterson.

There was one minute to play in a Columbia Valley Rockies game against the Kamloops Storm when the alarm went off and the building was evacuated.

“We have an emergency response plan that lays out our response any time we have an alarm. 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,” added Paterson.

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 is on site today to undertake the repair,” said Paterson.

The arena will be closed for a short period of time this afternoon while the contractor completes their work; however, is expected to reopen later today.

The Columbia Valley Rockies have rescheduled the final minute of their game for Sunday afternoon.

e-KNOW file photo

RDEK

Article Share