Safety officials learn from mall evacuation

The mall walkers were at the doors at 7 a.m. Monday, as usual, and NorthTown mall stores reopened at 10 a.m. a day after a mall-wide evacuation caused by the release of mysterious noxious fumes.

Mall security, firefighters and police also returned to routine, but they were more prepared for future large-scale operations, officials said Monday.

“We had planned a drill next month with NorthTown security on almost the exact same scenario,” said Spokane police Cpl. Tom Lee.

That scenario may now evolve into a critique of how things went Sunday afternoon.

The Fire Department responded to a call about the fumes about 3 p.m. Sunday and began coordinating with police and NorthTown security to evacuate the mall.

Evacuation went fairly smoothly, except for traffic jams in the parking garage.

“We learned if it was a major emergency we wouldn’t even mess with the parking lot,” Lee said. “We’d tell them to go on foot and get away from the area.”

Customers and employees were informed of the evacuation through public address announcements and security visits to stores.

More than 40 people were treated after inhaling the fumes, said Lee. No one was critically injured by the unknown substance.

Police suspect someone released something into the mall, but security video did not reveal the source, Lee said.

Malls across the country are better prepared to handle emergencies than they were prior to the 2001 terrorist attacks, said Malachy Kavanagh, a spokesman for the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Coordination between public safety departments has improved in recent years, too, said Spokane Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer.

“They’re all talking the same talk. There isn’t a power struggle,” Schaeffer said.

The response Sunday was a good predictor of how Spokane will react if something more serious comes along, he added.

“You really can’t over-respond to something like that,” he said.

NorthTown Mall Marketing Manager Leslea Warnick didn’t know how much it cost retailers to shut three hours early.

“Our main concern is the safety and security of our customers and our employees at the mall,” she said.