Fort McMurray Public School Board crews recently trekked into the fire-ravaged city to assess damage at the board’s 15 facilities, and they were pleasantly surprised with what they found.
Fred Young, director of operations and maintenance, and Jeffrey Gates, a service manager with Power Max Contracting, spent two days visiting and inspecting the schools.
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Young said the team included himself, Gates, an insurance company adjustor and an air quality specialist.
“We would check [the schools] for indoor air quality before we would enter. [The specialist] would take readings. The insurance adjustor took a million pictures and a million notes,” he said.
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Young said the crew looked at schools’ roofs, HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) systems as well as structural integrity.

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“On a visual basis, we are cautiously optimistic. There was no visible damage on the outsides of the schools,” he said. He added there was one broken window at a downtown school, but it isn’t clear whether that was a first responder trying to get in or a break in.
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Before the evacuation order, Young instructed crews to shut down the schools’ ventilation systems, air-conditioning systems and boilers.
Young said there is some minor water damage on ceiling tiles and a significant smell of smoke inside some schools.
Before children are allowed back inside, he said hard surfaces will have to be wiped down and soft surfaces will either have to be cleaned or thrown away.
The electrical and alarm systems were also inspected during the two-day visit.
“We are checking to make sure the alarm is in normal operating condition, make sure we are shutting down all the outside air intakes right now, make sure all the exhaust fans and the make-up air units and electrical systems are in good working order,” Gates said, adding most schools are in “remarkably good condition.”
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Gates said he doesn’t expect there will be a lot of system replacements.
“The fire alarm devices will probably have to be replaced due to damages, but other than that, most of the equipment will be staying in place once it’s all cleaned up,” he said.
There is currently no cost estimate for the cleanup or renovations, but crews were optimistic.
“It’s a young town. It will bounce back, and the school district will bounce back,” Young said.
More assessments are expected in the coming weeks and months.
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