Children evacuated when alert day care workers smell gas

Published: Updated:

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.- Alert day care workers are credited with leading dozens of children to safety when a leaking propane tank caused an evacuation on Monday.

“It was very pungent and before that we were starting to choke a little,” said Francia Smith, a teacher at Rainbows End Pre-School.

Teachers smelled the gas coming from a parking lot just feet away from the children’s playground.

“We’re out there and we were playing, the kids were playing, we noticed there was a weird smell, so I was like ‘I think that’s propane,'” said Angela Gardien.

Smith added, “right away we grabbed the children.”

The day care’s program director, Joanne Gendreau, immediately alerted the Charlotte County Fire Department.

“He no sooner got not even that close and told us evacuate the children and that’s what we did,” Gendreau explained.

Emergency crews later found the propane tank leaking underground and contained it.

Parents say they are thankful for the alert teachers who saved their kids.

“I thought they were very much on the alert and they care about our children that come here,” said Martha Town, grandparent of one of the children that attends the day care.

“Our job is to keep them safe and that’s all we were doing,” Gardien said.

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