Students at West Hall Middle School had to briefly evacuate the school building around 10 a.m. Wednesday when a fire alarm sounded. Because of sub-freezing temperatures, however, they were sent to the gym at neighboring West Hall High School instead of having to wait for the 'all clear' outside.
Hall County School District spokesman Gordon Higgins said the alarm was triggered by a malfunctioning smoke detector in a storage area. He said the smoke detector was repaired and the system was tested to make sure it worked properly.
"The Hall County Fire Department gave the 'all clear' at around 11:15 a.m.," Higgins wrote in a press statement.
Wednesday was the first day back at school after the holiday break.
