Campus Alert Archive
FSU

A Slowly Leaking Ethylene Cylinder Clears a Research Building

FLgas leakemergency notificationmedium confidence
Confirmed Threat

A research building on Florida State University's campus was evacuated on the afternoon of March 28, 2016, after a 200-pound cylinder of ethylene gas was found slowly leaking at the Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy (AME) Building. The Tallahassee Fire Department hazmat team responded and occupants were let back in just after 3:15 p.m.

Alerts
2
Response
—
Killed
—
Injured
—
Institution
Florida State University
Public R1 · FL
~42,000 studentsFSU ALERT
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

2 messages in sequence

Some alert texts below are approximate reconstructions from news coverage, not confirmed verbatim transcripts. Reconstructed texts are shown in italic with a dashed border. Verified verbatim texts have a solid border and are marked accordingly.

INITIAL ALERTTwitter/X
Approximate reconstruction117 chars
FSU ALERT: The AME building has been evacuated due to a gas leak. Avoid the area while Tallahassee Fire investigates.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed paraphrase: WTXL reported FSU officials shared updates on Twitter and that hazmat teams responded around 1 p.m. EDT to the AME building, but did not quote the verbatim FSU ALERT text.
The hazard was a 200-pound cylinder of ethylene gas found slowly leaking, a research-gas incident rather than a building utility line.
ALL CLEARTwitter/X
Approximate reconstruction95 chars
FSU ALERT: All clear. The leak at the AME building has been addressed and occupants may return.

This text has been reconstructed from news coverage and may not reflect the exact original wording.

Reconstructed: WTXL reported occupants were let back into the building just after 3:15 p.m. EDT, but the verbatim FSU ALERT all-clear text was not published.
Because the message returns occupants to the building, it is correctly typed all-clear.
Context

Background

The Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy (AME) Building is a research facility shared by the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and stores compressed research gases. On the afternoon of March 28, 2016, WTXL reported that the Tallahassee Fire Department responded around 1 p.m. EDT after a 200-pound cylinder of ethylene gas was found slowly leaking. Hazmat crews secured the cylinder, occupants were temporarily evacuated, and they were let back in just after 3:15 p.m. EDT, with FSU posting updates on Twitter. FSU's emergency-management guidance directs occupants to evacuate and not investigate suspected gas leaks, the posture reflected here. The case adds a confirmed research-gas leak to the archive, distinct from the reported-odor evacuations that often turn up nothing.
Analysis

Key Findings

The leak was a confirmed 200-pound ethylene cylinder slowly venting in the AME research building, not a false alarm
Tallahassee Fire Department hazmat crews secured the cylinder and occupants were back in just after 3:15 p.m. EDT
FSU communicated via Twitter, but the verbatim FSU ALERT text was not published, so both alerts are isVerbatimConfirmed:false
Outcome
The leaking ethylene cylinder was secured by the Tallahassee Fire Department hazmat team. Occupants were temporarily evacuated and allowed back into the building just after 3:15 p.m. No injuries were reported.
Provenance

Sources

  1. News
    Tallahassee Fire Department Responds to Gas Leak at FSU - WTXL
    wtxl.com
Tags
gas-leakhazmatfloridatallahasseeresearch-buildingethylene
Added May 2026Updated May 2026Via ingestion