MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — More than three dozen Marshall County school band members were treated at various hospitals for health-related problems after a combined rehearsal Thursday at John Marshall High School’s football field.
The students were practicing for a scheduled Friday night halftime performance, the annual Youth Night, when the heat and humidity became too much to handle. First responders were called to the scene and 37 band members from the high school and middle schools were treated.
“Several students were on the field, just showing students how to get on and off, and how they would be sitting in the new stadium,” Marshall County Assistant School Superintendent Corey Murphy told WTOV-TV. “Several students became ill after they came off the field, heat-related issues.”
Officials believe the problems were caused by a combination of the heat, humidity and a new turf field at Monarch Stadium that may boosted the temperatures by 20 to 25 degrees.
Marshall County Schools released the following statement Thursday evening:
High humidity levels combined with very warm temperatures and new field turf led to several Marshall County students being sent to area hospitals for heat related illnesses.
The John Marshall High School, Moundsville Middle School and Sherrard Middle School bands gathered at the new Monarch Stadium in Moundsville Thursday morning to prepare for tomorrow night’s “Middle School Night” halftime show at the JM football game.
After rehearsal concluded, several students began feeling ill. First responders were called to the scene to transport students with any symptoms to WVU Reynolds Memorial Hospital, OVMC and Wheeling Hospital for precautionary measures. All other students were taken to the air conditioned JM Field House to cool off. A total of 37 students were treated by area physicians for heat exhaustion.
Parents of the students who fell ill were immediately notified and met their children at the hospital. Superintendent Dr. Jeffrey Crook and Assistant Superintendent Corey Murphy checked on the students at each medical facility and report most have been released as of press time. One student will be kept overnight.
“The safety and security of our students are our top priorities. All parties involved will meet to
review our emergency action plans and make necessary changes to make sure nothing like this
will happen in the future,” explained Crook. “We would like to thank all first reponders for their
hard work and making sure our students received the medical attention needed.”
The Marshall County Office of Emergency Management also released a statement:
Emergency crews from Marshall, Ohio & Belmont Counties responded to an emergency situation at Monarch Stadium in Moundsville and Sherrard Middle School Thursday morning and Thursday afternoon.
Marshall County 911 received a call at approximately 11:17am requesting an ambulance for a student with a heat related illness at Monarch Stadium in Moundsville.
As emergency crews arrived on scene, additional students were also complaining of heat related illness and additional emergency personnel were dispatched to the scene.
Students from John Marshall High School, Moundsville and Sherrard Middle Schools were at the field for band practice. Emergency personnel began triaging and treating students with several students transported to local hospitals. EMS personnel were also dispatched to Sherrard Middle School to triage and treat students there with several more also transported to local hospitals.
According to Marshall County Emergency Management Director Tom Hart, approximately 10 EMS agencies from Marshall, Ohio and Belmont Counties provided 16 ambulances to transport patients with several squads returning back to both locations to transport patients. Approximately 37 patients were transported to local hospitals; WVU-Reynolds Memorial Hospital, Ohio Valley Medical Center and Wheeling Hospital received patients.
Emergency squads from Marshall County EMS-Moundsville, Marshall County EMS-Cameron, Glen Dale, McMechen, Limestone, Bethlehem, Stone Church, Wheeling Fire Department, Shadyside, Spirit of 76 and Bethesda responded. Also responding were Moundsville City Fire Department, Moundsville VFD, Moundsville Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Marshall County Emergency Management and Marshall County Schools Administration. Officers from Wintersville Police Department were on their way to the Regional Jail in Moundsville and stopped to offer their assistance.