I was at the Bus Garage, monitoring radio traffic as I usually do in the morning, when I got a phone call from Tony Strangeway. There was a fire at Sugar Creek Elementary, Tony's school.
I dropped everything and headed over to the school.
I arrived to the expected scene. There was a couple of fire trucks, command vehicles, and hundreds of children and teachers. I checked in with Chief Randy Brandlein of the Sugar Creek Township Fire Department, and he told me what he knew in between radio calls from the firefighters inside.
A fire had been set in a boys restroom. Some toilet paper had been wadded up on the floor and set on fire, and the flames ignited the toilet paper dispenser right above it. The plastic dispenser had melted, creating toxic fumes, and the flames had almost overcome the flame-retardant ceiling tiles directly above it.
As he related the details to me, he got word that all of the kids were accounted for. This was a difficult proposition as the fire had occurred right after bus drop off and right at the end of breakfast, so many teachers only had partial classes. Chief Brandlein then got a call that a school employee had suffered from smoke inhalation.
Head custodian Kim Tarplee had grabbed a fire extinguisher and had attempted to put out the fire. While she couldn't do that, she did slow the fire down enough to allow the fire department to come in and put it out, and spared the school from worse damage. In the process, she inhaled some smoke and fire extinguisher powder, and had to be checked out by paramedics. She was a true Sheepdog that morning,
In the meantime, Tony was demonstrating why he had been previously selected as the Indiana Principal of the Year. He provided great leadership for kids and teachers alike, even as he was furious that someone had set fire to his school. Jim Voelz, principal of the nearby Doe Creek Middle School, came over to assist, and I began the investigation.
After about an hour, the fire department cleared the building, and the students were allowed to return and resume classes. I had received some names of possible student suspects, and began contacting parents, as the Hancock County Sheriff's Department had sent over a couple of detectives to begin the criminal investigation.
For the next four hours, Tony and I interviewed students, spoke with parents, and coordinated with the detectives, to no avail. We could not identify who had set the fire, so we had to console ourselves with the knowledge that kids would talk, and we might yet find out who had done it.
The very next day, we did find out. Some kids did talk, and when confronted the perpetrator admitted his guilt. The young man faces expulsion, and criminal charges. I happen to know a bit of background on the youngster, and this was the latest problem to beset his family. He did not intend to harm anyone, but just wanted to get rid of the school. Kids frequently laughed at him, and school had become such an unhappy place that he wanted it out of his life.
All in all, it was a sad day for one young boy and his family, but it was also a chance for the staff of Sugar Creek Elementary to shine, and shine they did. It always makes me proud when I see fellow educators rise up and excel in the protection of their charges.
Well done, Sugar Creek Sheepdogs!
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