The Donna L. & Edward E. Martins Library and Learning Center was evacuated and emergency services were called on Sept. 17 due to an elevator malfunction, trapping three individuals inside. This is the latest in a series of similar malfunctions since the opening of Chabot’s new library just one year ago.
Chabot College President, Dr. Jamal Cooks, says that the issue was likely caused by unusual activity inside the elevator, “The elevator malfunction was reportedly caused by an individual jumping inside the elevator…the sensor stopped it because it thought there was an earthquake.”
“I saw campus security come in towards the elevator, and then they started talking to the person inside…and then after around 10-15 minutes, firefighters came to check out the problem and then the alarm went off,” said Jenny Ngyuen, a library staff member. “This is not the first time. It has happened before.”
The president’s office acknowledged that this has been a recurring issue for the new library building. “There have been a few incidents in which the elevators in Building 600 malfunctioned due to mechanical issues. This is the first occurrence linked to an individual jumping inside the elevator followed by an evacuation,” said Dr. Cooks.
“While Hayward fire was working to resolve the problem, they may have tripped an alarm, and that’s what caused the evacuation,” said Dean of Language Arts and library program director, Paul Pinza. “Our protocol is, once that alarm goes, everybody goes out.”
The evacuation took place sometime between the hours of two and three P.M. At the scene, students and staff filled the exterior benches, waiting for the all clear to go back inside. Hayward Fire Department, campus safety, and an Otis Elevator Company technician were on site attempting to resolve the issue.
“I was just working on an assignment, and flashing lights started going off. And then it was a voice saying ‘Hey, this is the library. You need to evacuate.’,” said Jayda Bardwell, a student inside the library at the time of the incident. “It was really scary at first because…the alarm wasn’t saying what was going on, it just said they got an anonymous tip…so I thought there was like a school shooting.”
Swinerton Management and Consulting (SMC) is the company that was hired to oversee construction of building 600, and is the next point of contact following emergency services when malfunctions like these happen, according to Dean Pinza. “[Swinerton] has been working with us since the building was under construction.” He goes on to say, “Even though the building is…no longer under warranty, [they’ve] stayed in touch as we’ve encountered some of these newer issues.”
“I understand the skepticism that may be emerging. But I would say that this was an issue that occurred too frequently late last fall and early last spring, and we were able to resolve it. So I expect the incident in September to be an isolated incident,” Dean Pinza offered in reassurance. “I would reemphasize to the students that we’re 100% committed to accessibility and safety.”
Building 600 was completed in fall of 2024 replacing Chabot’s old library which is located on the second floor of building 100. The old library has since been rendered vacant and unused, with no official plans to repurpose the space.
