WHEREAS, On the afternoon of Wednesday, January 13, 2016, while classes were in session at Franklin S. Edmonds School, an explosion occurred in the boiler room, critically injuring maintenance worker Chris Trakimas; and
WHEREAS, The building engineer, who wishes to remain anonymous, acted swiftly and heroically to extinguish the flames that burned Mr. Trakimas, limiting the extent of his injury and potential harm to others; and
WHEREAS,
The explosion led first to the evacuation of students, visitors, and personnel, then to the closure of the school for two days because the building's heating system was disabled
; and
WHEREAS,
The cause of the explosion has yet to be officially determined, while both the School District and the Philadelphia Fire Department continue their respective investigations
; and
WHEREAS, Subsequently Alain Locke Elementary School closed midway through the Tuesday, January 19th school day due to a problem with its heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit; and
WHEREAS,
The School District of Philadelphia, Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, and represented maintenance employees, have since made an agreement providing for the reinspection of every boiler in every District school building
; and
WHEREAS,
Every student deserves and requires for their educational attainment the physical safety and the psychological assurance of well-maintained premises
; and
WHEREAS,
No maintenance, instructional, or other type of School District employee should be working in buildings suffering from unsafe conditions
; and
WHEREAS,
Parents across Philadelphia should feel just as comfortable sending their children into school buildings as they do visiting themselves
; and
WHEREAS,
Ongoing state underfunding of district needs, particularly those of Philadelphia, strain capital investments in our schools
; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA,
That Council does hereby authorize the joint Committees on Education and Public Safety conduct public hearings to examine the physical safety of Philadelphia schools
.
End