Alice Hazmat Scare
Nine First Responders Hospitalized After Mystery Chemical Exposure in Alice, Texas
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Nine police officers and EMS workers were hospitalized after breathing in a mystery chemical at a Quality Inn hotel in Alice, Texas, according to WECT and KWTX. The incident began as a routine call — responders arrived to treat an unresponsive woman and quickly became dizzy themselves.
As a precaution, the local hospital locked down its emergency room to contain any possible spread of the unknown substance. Two of the nine hospitalized first responders have since been released, 21Alive News reported.
Routine Hotel Call Turns Into Hazmat Emergency
Officers and medics arrived at the Quality Inn in Alice, Texas, to help an unresponsive woman. While treating her, they began to feel dizzy. That sudden onset of symptoms signaled something was wrong in the air or environment around them, according to KPLC TV.
The exact chemical has not been identified. Hazmat teams were called to the scene to investigate. Alice is a small city in Jim Wells County in South Texas, roughly 40 miles west of Corpus Christi.
Nine First Responders Rushed to the Hospital
All nine affected first responders — a mix of police officers and EMS workers — were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, KCBD and Cleveland 19 reported. The number of people hospitalized reflects just how fast the unknown substance hit the responding crew.
Two of the nine have already been discharged, according to Fox 5 Vegas and Alaska's News Source. The conditions of the remaining seven were not immediately released to the public.
Hospital ER Locked Down as a Safety Measure
When the first responders arrived at the hospital, staff locked down the emergency room. This kind of lockdown is a standard hazmat precaution. It keeps a possibly contaminated patient from exposing other people inside the building, WMBF News and WLFI reported.
The lockdown was a protective step for hospital staff and other patients. No reports of exposure inside the hospital were immediately confirmed.
Mystery Chemical Still Unidentified, Investigation Ongoing
As of the latest reports, investigators had not publicly named the chemical involved. It is unclear whether the substance came from the hotel room, the unresponsive woman, or somewhere else on the property, according to Live 5 News and WBNG.
The unresponsive woman who triggered the original call was also being treated. Her condition was not disclosed. The investigation remains active as hazmat teams work to identify the substance and determine how nine trained first responders were overcome so quickly.
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