Camera catches squirrel pulling school's fire alarm

ELLENTON - The story of the vandal squirrel lives on in the Manatee County School District.

Long after the rascally rodent pulled his stunt — setting off a fire alarm that led to the evacuation of an elementary school last year and an investigation into who pulled the false alarm — the squirrel's actions came up at a School Board budget meeting this week.

In defense of why the district maintenance department needs a contingency fund, an official pointed out that almost anything can happen at any time in a school district with 44,000 students and 60 schools and other buildings.

Such as a lightning strike, the official suggested, or a hurricane, or — believe it or not — the squirrel who pulled the fire alarm, and had its act caught on a security camera.

Students were evacuated and fire trucks rushed to Blackburn Elementary School in Ellenton in August 2010 when a fire alarm inside the school kitchen went off.

Firefighters searched the school and found no fire. Baffled officials questioned kitchen staff who all said no one was in the kitchen when the alarm was triggered.

The mystery was finally solved when maintenance staff reviewed security camera footage. The culprit was a squirrel who had taken up residence in the school kitchen.

Video footage showed a move that would not look out of place in a "Mission Impossible" movie. The critter climbs vertically up 5 feet of plastic moulding that covered the wires of the alarm, known as a pull station. Then it hung onto the lever, setting off the alarm; it immediately flees the scene.

"We've had kids pull fire pull-stations; we've never had an animal do it," said Todd Henson, director of maintenance and operations.

The footage was played to bemused North River Fire Department officials to convince them the false alarm was not the district's fault.

As for the squirrel? A pest control unit was dispatched to the school kitchen to trap it.

"He was released but he was given a stern talking to not to do it again," Henson joked.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Squirrel
• Camera
• Fire
• School
• Alvin
• fire alarm

[CheetohMaster22]

@FrE3k1991G It's a security camera those things don't have very good quality

[Iloverootbeer101]

It looks hard to believe because I saw the white bar go down and the squirrel run but the fire alarm light didn't flash even with that kind of camera u could of saw something

[FrE3k1991G]

what kind of potato was this filmed with?

[manakau21]

what a naughty bastard !!!

[00v00ver]

This fire alarm for child?

Why is camera in here?

[halopro98]

Thats nuts

[endless313]

did the squirrel get arrested?

[Voyage400]

That is one smart squirrel, who now has a federal offense on his record. Must have drove authorities "nuts".

[KemicalPain]

hmmmmm...this whole thing seems a bit...squirly.

[wileyk209zback]

@jameygamer LOL! Judging by the alarm and the pull station, it probably set off a Slow Whoop sound and a voice saying "Attention! Attention! Attention! An emergency has been reported! All occupants walk to the nearest stairway exit and walk down to your assigned reentry floor or main lobby. Do not use the elevator. Walk to the nearest stairway. Do not use the elevator. Walk to the nearest stairway." The middle school near my house used to have that same kind of system.