A gas leak occurred on Feb. 25 around 5:00 p.m. inside of NCC’s Schneller residence hall. Students acted quickly, sending their concerns of an odd odor coming from the building. First responders and campus safety arrived on the scene promptly and evaluated the situation.
Response and communication timeline
Jeremy Borling, NCC senior director of communication, provided an events timeline in an email interview. Campus safety got the first call about the matter from students at 5:04 p.m. They then contacted the Naperville Fire Department “as a part of the College’s safety protocols.” Soon after, Naperville firefighters reached Schneller at 5:15 p.m. and evaluated the situation with their equipment.
Students received an email regarding the subject at 6:48 p.m. from Area Hall Director Pedja Trifunovic.
“We want to inform you that we are aware of the current gas concern in the building and are actively working to resolve the issue,” Trifunovic’s email said. “At this time, there is no estimated timeline for when residents will be able to return to the building. Your safety is our top priority, and we appreciate your patience as we work with the appropriate teams to address the situation. We will share more information as soon as it becomes available.”
Nearly an hour later, at 7:55 p.m., students received a second email from Trifunovic with updates. They were told Schneller was safe to return to at 8:30 p.m., but there would be no heating or hot water. Additionally, no one in the building required medical attention.
“If you need a space heater for additional comfort, please reach out to us,” Trifunovic’s email said. “If, for any reason, you do not feel comfortable returning to your rooms tonight, or if you need assistance with temporary housing, please do not hesitate to contact us.”
Borling addressed the gas leak’s cause and reassured the issue has been resolved.
“Upon inspection of the mechanical system, it was determined that a failed damper resulted in the alarm notification. The gas service lines have been inspected, and the malfunctioning equipment that resulted in the issue have all been replaced, inspected, and tested,” Borling said.
The building’s gas service and mechanical systems became fully operational on Feb. 26 at 3 p.m.
Residents’ reaction
Student resident Kylie Janouskovec, ‘26, made the first call to campus safety. When she heard a faint noise while in her dorm, she went to check it out.
“I heard chirping which I assumed was coming from an alarm,” Janouskovec, ‘26, said. “As I walked towards that sound, I noticed a distinct odor that wafted from the hall into my suite’s common area. This was unusual, so my suite mate and I went outside where I proceeded to contact campus safety.”
Other student residents expressed their concerns about a “burning smell” in a Schneller group chat through GroupMe, a messaging service app. Students like Trinity Murray, ‘26, received various messages around 5:00 p.m. while in the common area of her dorm.
“I was waiting to see what other people were saying,” Murray, ‘26, said. “It started to get worse when other people said it smelled like smoke on the second and third floor.”
She notified her roommate who doesn’t have GroupMe about needing to evacuate.
“I pounded on her door and said, ‘We have to get out, there’s a gas leak,’” Murray, ‘26, said. “I probably wouldn’t have put two and two together of what was happening had it not been for the GroupMe.”
The GroupMe also alerted Erica Johnson, ‘25, about the gas leak.
“When I saw the commotion of a weird smell in the Schneller GroupMe, I went into the hallway and it smelled strongly of gas with a smoky smell,” Johnson, ‘25, said.
Some students went to different locations for the night while others returned to their dorms.
Campus Safety resources
A previous off-campus but nearby public safety incident happened during the fall semester in Sept. 2024. Campus safety alerted community members through Rave. Campus safety encourages students to opt into the messaging system for quick emergency notices in events like this.
Additionally, Campus Safety is available through their 24/7 emergency phone number at 630-637-5911. Students can find more available resources on the website as well.
