A training exercise conducted by the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office took a negative turn after dozens of students and staff at a nearby elementary school were exposed to chemical agents. The training session involved the testing of chemical agents including CS gas and OC gas, commonly used by law enforcement agencies for subduing suspects. Despite efforts to notify the San Bruno Police and Fire Departments prior to the training, the chemical agents extended beyond designated areas and affected the San Bruno community, causing symptoms like burning sensations in the eyes, nose, and throat for students and teachers at Portola elementary school. Interim principal John Nazar described the challenge of figuring out what was causing the issues and deciding whether to keep the children inside or outside.
The San Francisco Sheriff’s Office and other Bay Area law enforcement agencies have been conducting training at the site for over 20 years, making this incident unprecedented and taken very seriously by the department. Tara Moriarty, Director of Communications for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office, issued an apology to the school community, acknowledging the fear and inconvenience this event must have caused, especially for the children. Moriarty explained that the department will pause all future chemical agent training exercises while it reviews current practices to make them safer for the neighbors and minimize impacts on the community.
Law enforcement agencies conduct these training sessions to test equipment safety and provide staff with practical experience in using chemical agents to prepare them for real-life situations. However, in this case, the gas from the training session drifted outside the training area into the nearby elementary school, affecting students and teachers. The incident led to an investigation by the sheriff’s office and a visit by the command staff to the school to explain what happened and apologize for the mishap. The use of chemical agents in law enforcement training is under review to ensure the safety and well-being of the community in future exercises.
Members of the Portola elementary school community reported experiencing symptoms like burning sensations in their eyes, nose, and throat due to exposure to tear gas and pepper spray during the training session. The interim principal walked the school perimeter to investigate the cause of these issues, not realizing until later that it was caused by the chemical agents from the training exercise. The incident was described as challenging, as school staff had to decide whether to keep the children inside or outside while dealing with the effects of the tear gas and pepper spray drifting onto school grounds.
In response to the unforeseen event that affected the school community, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Office issued a sincere apology and expressed regret for the fear and confusion it caused, especially to the children. The department’s commitment to safety led to a decision to pause all future chemical agent training exercises while conducting a thorough review of current practices to ensure the safety of neighbors and minimize any potential impacts on the community. This incident underscores the importance of proper planning and oversight in law enforcement training exercises to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future and to prioritize the well-being of the community.
