The six people woke up this morning, all sick after spending the night in the house owned by the college on Old Bradenton Road. Last night was the first time they had fired up the gas heater, said Sarasota County Fire Rescue Capt. Susan Pearson.
"They all were feeling ill," she said, "all nauseated."
Around 10 a.m. today, they called the school, which instructed them to call 911, Pearson said. Firefighters arrived and determined the home's air was not fit to breathe.
"The initial reading was 200 parts per million," Pearson said. "To give you an idea, 35 parts per million is considered dangerous."
The house had recently been renovated and the students had just moved in, she said. College officials said this is the only student housing with gas heat and appliances.
Ringling spokeswoman Christine Lange said the school is thankful the students took quick action. She said the college already has started pulling all the gas appliances out of the house with plans to replace them with electric.
The gas heater was tested by the school, Pearson said, and tests showed it was working properly, but not last night.
"They went to bed late and turned the heat on for first time," Pearson said. They woke up at 10 a.m. all feeling ill. There were no carbon monoxide detectors in the house, but they are not required because of the number of people who live there, she said.
"If they had turned it on earlier and gone to bed earlier," she said, "the outcome would have been a lot worse."
All five were taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital where their conditions have stabilized, Pearson said.
"They're going to be fine," she said.
Responding firefighters also were subjected to the high levels of carbon monoxide, she said. All have been evaluated and are OK.
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