Washburn files lawsuit

Washburn University has released a statement claiming they are in pursuit of a lawsuit against Moto Construction Company for the damages done to Whiting Fieldhouse on November 16.

Curtis Conley, a crane operator for Moto Construction, had a heart attack while lifting a statue onto the rooftop of Whiting Fieldhouse causing the hoist of the crane and the statue to be fall into the northeast side of the building.

At this moment, Washburn has estimated its’ total cost for repairs to be $2.3 million.

“We are just devastated by this loss but mostly because it could have been avoided,” said Michael Wilhoite, Washburn University spokesperson.

Moto Construction released the information that Conley had experienced previous health issues that should have prevented him from operating heavy machinery.

At this time Moto Construction declined to comment on the lawsuit.

There have been six deaths total in regard to this incident.

“This should have been a pretty standard procedure,” said Wilhoite. “We had been reassured by different members of Moto Construction that this was a simple movement and would take less than 30 minutes. Now, there has been a life time’s worth of damages to those who have lost a loved one.”

Although a lawsuit seems plausible to Washburn administration, some students disagree.

“It was an accident and I think everyone involved understands that,” said Inspiron Plate, sophomore at Washburn University. “Although it is tragic and very unfortunate, no one knew the operator was going to have a heart attack. I just feel the lawsuit is a little extreme at this junction.”

Others, however, feel it is most appropriate at this time.

“We need to have a call to action,” said Kate Hampson, Director of University Relations. “We are expected to do something. We have a newly renovated building nearly destroyed due to an incident that could have easily been prevented.”

The lawsuit will seek monetary benefits for the Washburn campus and those who lost a loved one.

“We are just trying to right a wrong that was done but this is no way lessens our sympathy toward the crane operator’s family,” said Hampson. “We understand they lost a loved one too, it was all just bad timing.”

Stress caused heart attack

This was Curtis Conley’s second heart attack in two years. According to medics, Conley’s stress was what brought on this second attack, this time fatal

According to Curtis’s sister Katie Clark, he suffered from much stress after the loss of their mother one year ago this December. “Once our mother passed away, I noticed a dramatic change in how Curtis went about his everyday actions; it’s been really hard on both of us. He should have taken more time off work,” said Clark.

Stress is one of many symptoms that can bring on a heart attack. Most attacks occur as a result of coronary artery disease (CAD). This is the buildup of plaque on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. Eventually, a section of the plaque can break open causing a blood clot to form at the site. The attack itself occurs when the clot becomes so large, blood flow is restricted.

Press Release: Construction worker dies in collapse

Contact Information:
Michael Wilhoite
1801 SW Jewell Ave
Topeka, Kan. 66618
w: 785-670-0000
c: 785-555-5555
michaelw16@gmail.com

For Immediate Release:

 TOPEKA, KS- After the Whiting collapse at Washburn University a construction worker for Moto Construction was pronounced dead at 10 p.m. central standard time. 

The construction worker, James Tunnel, was found in the rubble not long after the collapse.  He was last seen on top of Whiting when Curtis Conley the crane operator lost control of the crane and it slammed into Whiting causing the collapse and injuries. 

Tunnel was found soon after the collapse and was transported to Stormont Vail immediately after and receive intensive care but was unable to hold on due to loss of blood.

"This is a tragedy and our family is taking this very hard, but we are sorry for everybody that was involved including their families," said Madison Tunnel wife of James Tunnel.  "It's hard to accept what has happened as reality but I am trying to be strong for my children."

Tunnel is survived by his three sons, James Tunnel Jr. 14, Greg Tunnel 12, and Matt Tunnel 6 and his wife Madison of Topeka, Kan. 

"Our company is devastated in the losses of Curtis Conley and James Tunnel and our hearts go out to their families," said the owner of Moto Construction Robert Lundy.  "Both of those men were great employees and great men who took care of their families."

Moto Construction is holding a candle light memorial for the two men that passed on Saturday at noon outside the main plant in Topeka, Kan. The Washburn family and Moto Construction are going to continue to work together to try and help the families of the people involved in the collapse. 

Number of patrons in Whiting released

After the collapse of the east wall of Whiting field house all but two people have been found. 

Whiting has a capacity of 2,500 but at the time of the collapse there were only 88 students, faculty, staff and visitors present at 4:45 central standard time.  On Thursday's from 4:00 to 5:15 there is a lifetime wellness class that is located upstairs and a weight lifting class downstairs in the weight room.  Each of these classes were effected by the collapse. 

In the lifetime wellness class there were 23 students and one professor present at the time.  20 students escaped from the gym safely while three bodies were found dead.  The professor was also injured in the collapse.  Each of these students families have been notifed and our deepest apologies go out to these families and we are continueing to search for anybody else that is missing.

In the class downstairs that was taking place in the weight room had 18 people present and 1 professor during the collapse.  Some of the students participating in the weight room were injured while nobody was killed.  Each of these students are being cared for at Stormont Vail.  These families have been notified. 

While both the gym and weight room were damage there were also seven offices damaged on the northeast side of the builidng but nobody was in these offices.

Press Release: Washburn suing Moto Construction

Contact Information:
Jill Lira
1801 SW Jewell Ave
Topeka, Kan. 66618
w: 785-670-0000
c: 785-555-5555jlira@wupr.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 20, 2010

TOPEKA, KS- Following the new information regarding Curtis Conley, the crane operator for Moto Construction, Washburn is taking legal action in regards the incident that occurred at Whiting Field House on campus Nov. 16, 2010.

Washburn believes this is an appropriate step to take in an effort to prevent this from reoccurring again or at other campuses.

“We feel as though this is an important step to take in hopes to prevent any event similar to this to happen again,” said President of Washburn Jerry Farley. “There were prior incidents that in the crane operator’s medical history that should have revoked his privileges to operate heavy machinery. We feel in the wrong and feel as though this could have been prevented.”

Washburn has estimated the damages to be at $2.6 million at this point in time. No other event of this magnitude has occurred at Washburn and by filing a law suit, no future events due to this cause will occur again.

Archive: Schurig to be enshrined in copper

A man’s greatest accomplishments may occur when he is immortalized in a statue, for Craig Schurig this accomplishment is becoming a reality.

On Thursday November 16, a statue of Schurig will be placed on the north east corner of Whiting Field House as a reminder for his time as head football coach at Washburn University.

“Coach Shurig has implemented a lot of traditions that will be remembered forever here at Washburn,” said Jerry Farley, President of Washburn. “Having a statue of him is very important to Washburn athletics and to our community.”

Although Schurig felt like he was making a difference, he never thought a statue would be placed on campus in his honor.

“I am completely at a loss for words,” said Schurig. “I have loved coaching at Washburn, it has been a great honor and I cannot wait to take the future head on and see what our program can do.”

Schurig has been the head football coach for eight seasons. While under Schurig, the Ichabod football program has made improvements to Yager Stadium. There is now an artificial turf and there have been several equipment upgrades in the weight room.

“There have been several changes and renovations that have occurred under my coaching term,” said Schurig. “I feel like they have really brought our team and community together.”

In the summer of 2009, the Ichabods moved into a renovated football locker room and a state-of-the-art strength and conditioning center in a renovated Whiting Fieldhouse as part of a $7 million project.

“Having proper facilities is a huge to deal to any program,” said Schurig. “We love our new home in Whiting.”

Due to the importance of Whiting Fieldhouse’s involvement in particular with the football team, members of the football booster club thought it was the most sentimental location for his statue.

“So many changes have happened on campus under Schurig,” said Yo Yo Mann, president of Washburn’s football booster club. “We just felt as though it would be a great location that would help him be remembered even more.”

Donations were given for the statue from the members of the booster club as well as previous alum. The statue cost $73,000.

“If you have ever been to a game, Coach Schurig can get pretty into it,” said Ronald McDowellize, senior linebacker. “There is a specific look he gives and he always points his finger. To have that be the pose of the statue is perfect.”

There will be an unveiling ceremony Friday morning at 9 a.m. to the public.

“To have a statue was enough but a ceremony will really get to me,” said Schurig. “I am proud to be an Ichabod.”

Whiting damage worse than expected

The structural damage that Whiting Field House obtained when it was struck by the hoist boom of a crane is worse that first anticipated.

The hoist, along with a statue of a Washburn football coach Craig Schurig, struck the east wall of Whiting yesterday. People inside the building were evacuated and search and rescue workers are still at work looking for survivors and bodies in the rubble.

At first assessment structural engineers thought the damage to Whiting was moderate and would be able to be fixed in a month. However, after extensive assessment of the building more than three quarters of the east wall has to be rebuilt due to severe cracking in the brick structure and collapse of more than half of the wall. Also, there is damage to nine offices, that was once thought to be only seven. Five of those offices will have to be completely rebuilt.

Damage to the roof of the weight room is the same as first assessed and will have to be repaired before use of the room can resume. The new Whiting Gymnasium will not be in use until the construction of the new wall is complete, which can take up to six months, depending on weather conditions.

As of now, classes will resume on Monday in Petro Allied Health Center and across the rest of campus. Classes that were to be taking place in the Whiting Gymnasium are being moved to Lee Arena, were classes will have to share the gym. All classes located in the 80-seat lecture all will be moved to Henderson 100 and a schedule will be posted no later than Saturday afternoon. Also, all professors and Washburn staff or faculty who have offices located in Whiting, damaged or not, will be moved outside to portable offices that are being brought in.

The suspected cost of the damage is $2.3 million and clean-up has started in correlation with search and rescue workers looking for missing persons. The first area expected to be done is the weight room’s roof and that will be done in two weeks, as it had the least amount of damage.

The assessment was done by constructional and structural engineers at Walker Brothers Construction. For more information, check back here for updates.

Authorites: 'Report any missing persons'

Persons who are still missing family members should report the name of the missing person to authorities. The process for doing this is by contacting (785) 673-1482 or by visiting the Red Cross Emergency Station located in the Lee Arena in Petro Allied Health Center on the campus of Washburn University.

Washburn expresses reat sumpathy to those who lost or are still missing family members. We wll continue to search until every person is located. Our thoughts are with the victims and victims families of this terrible situation.

Evacuation plans released

Washburn University has released their emergency evacuation plan that can be found on their website. This was the evacuation plan that was followed after the collapse of the east wall of Whiting Field House. Washburn Police say the plan worked well but they will try to see if anything could have been done differently to get people out faster.

Guide for Emergency Evacuation of Campus Building

This program outlines recommended procedures for emergency evacuation from residence halls and other occupied buildings on Campus. The guidelines set forth in this program are in compliance with NFPA 101 Life Safety Code.

Introduction
The protection of all students, faculty, and staff who use the buildings here on the Washburn University Campus, is high on the list of priorities considered by the administration. Regardless of building construction, sophisticated fire detection systems, and built in fire protection, a building is only as "people safe" as the owners and occupants want it to be. Because of differences in design, construction, fire resistant qualities, height, floor layout, usage, and occupancy, each building presents unique challenges during emergency evacuations. For this reason, information contained in this pamphlet should be considered a guide which outlines specific, suggested procedures to follow if and when you are required to evacuate any building on campus. This guide has been made available to the Washburn Community in an effort to ensure your safe and expedient evacuation from Campus buildings should the need arise.

Efficient Evacuation Guidelines

Washburn University Fire and Life Safety policies and procedures require that all persons in a facility evacuate that facility any time the fire alarm system is activated or other emergency that requires building evacuation. Each building and department on campus should designate supervisors who are responsible to ensure all occupants evacuate the building safely when necessary. During an evacuation, each person is responsible to adhere to the following guidelines:

• Everyone should leave the building when the fire alarm sounds.
• Emphasis should be on a safe, orderly evacuation rather than speed.
• Occupants should close doors and windows as you leave rooms. 
• Always take the stairs; never use elevators, as they may not work properly during fire emergencies.
• If a stairway contains smoke or fumes, don't panic. Use an alternate stairway exit.
• Exit stair doors should be closed after you proceed through them.
• All building occupants should report to the preplanned assembly area which should be at least 200 feet from the building. (this site should be selected by personnel in each building.)
• Designated supervisors will begin to take a "head count" to make sure everyone got out of the building.
• Any discrepancies will be reported to emergency personnel, so it is imperative to report to the preplanned assembly area.
• If you are working in a science lab and have sufficient time, ensure that your laboratory and experiment are in a safe condition before leaving the area. Report any hazardous condition to fire department personnel as they arrive on the scene.
• Re-entry into the building is contingent upon permission by the proper authority.

The following are maps of the evacuation plans for both Whiting Field House and Petro Allied Health Center. The emergency exits for the east side of Whiting were and still are unavailble due to the rubble from the east wall. People were directed around Whiting to the west exit of the building. Students in Petro Allied Health center were directed to the nearest exit according to their current location during the collapse.

Photo courtesy of http://www.washburn.edu/.



Photo courtesy of http://www.washburn.edu/.



Photo courtesy of http://www.washburn.edu/.



Photo courtesy of http://www.washburn.edu/.



Photo courtesy of http://www.washburn.edu/.

Three bodies found in rubble

Three more bodies were pulled from the rubble at Whiting Field House this morning.

The bodies of Carl Robinson, James Smith, and Sarah Halings were found in the rubble this morning, none of them survived. Each body was found in the gymnasium area of the rubble and all were pronounced dead on the scene.

Robinson, a 58-year-old professor at Washburn, suffered brain damage from the rubble falling on him. His family has been notified. This is a great loss for Washburn University and the physical education department.

“We are stunned at the news of Carl’s death. We never thought that in all this we would lose someone in our department. He is a dear, dear friend and we are hurting right now,” said Roy Wohl, Ph.D. and chair of the Kinesiology department.

Smith is a student at Washburn and was waiting for Wohl’s Lifetime Wellness class to begin. He was a freshman and was undecided on his major. Washburn University expresses its condolences to the Smith family and is very saddened to hear news of Smith’s death. Smith’s family was notified and phone calls to the family were not returned for comment.

Halings, a senior mass media student, also died in the collapse. Authorities are still unsure about the cause of death and an autopsy report will be available as soon as Monday.

“I cannot believe this happened. This is a freak accident and Sarah was there. We are still in shock and she will be missed very much. It will hurt for a very long time because she had so much to look forward in her life,” said Vince Scott, a family friend.

The search and rescue effort continues in hopes of finding more people alive. There are still missing persons and it is very possible that those persons are still alive.

Keep checking back for further updates.

Student found alive in rubble

A Washburn student trapped in the rubble of the Whiting collapse was found alive and conscious this morning.

Jeff Tippings, 20, a sophomore at Washburn, was waiting for his Walk/Jog class to begin when a crane crashed into the east wall of Whiting. Tippings was trapped for 3 hours.

Tippings is in serious but stable condition at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka. He has a broken arm, three broken ribs, suffered a concussion, and abrasions on his skin. Tippings is expected to be released from the hospital as early as tomorrow morning.

“I was really scared that no one would be able to get to be. I started screaming when I was first buried but no one answered,” said Tippings.

Rick Hansen, a volunteer for the Red Cross Kansas Captiol Chapter, heard a voice under the rubble he was closely monitoring and quickly went for help. Tippings was under portions of the collapsed wall and could not move.

“I am so thankful that I was in the right place at the right time because he needed help. It took about a half hour for three men to free him from the rubble,” said Hansen. “I just hope that we can find more people because I know people are still missing family and friends.”

Tippings family was contacted immediately and went to see him at the hospital. They are just glad to know he is safe.

“We were so worried because we knew he had class around that time. It is a blessing from God that he is safe with us today. Washburn was very well organized and contacted us immediately, we were very grateful,” said Tippings mother, Susan Tippings.

Farley releases letter of sympathy

Washburn and Topeka community,

The events that have ensued the past few hours have unveiled a great tragedy to Washburn University and the Topeka community.

On behalf of Washburn University, myself, the students, staff and faculty express the sincerest sympathy for those families directed affected by the tragedy.

At this time, workers are searching the rubble in hopes of rescuing any persons who may be trapped under debris. We are asking all to stay clear of Whiting Field House as a precaution for the building possibly being unstable The university will continue to update the community as soon as new information is availible.

After debris is cleared and all persons are accounted for, there will be an evaluation of the building’s stability as well as a damage assessment. Until we can complete these items, there will be no classes held in Whiting.

Other arrangements have been made for students and faculty with classes or offices in Whiting Field House.

Our thoughts are with the families who have lost and are missing a loved one.

Sincerely,

Jerry Farley

Timely Notification Bulletin

Timely Notification Bulletin

**Thursday, November 16th, 2010 **

In compliance with the “Timely Notice” provisions of the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Police and Campus Crime Statistics Act of 1998 the Washburn University Police Department is advising the campus community of:

** Building Collapse **

Reported:

On Thursday November 16^th, 2010 at approximately 4:45 P.M. the hoist of a crane being used to lift a statue onto Whiting Fieldhouse fell in the Northeast side of the building causing severe damage to the building.

All persons are to stay away from Whiting. The building is in the process of being evacuated.

For information on students, staff or faculty, please call (785) 673-1482.

All drives on the east side of campus are being blocked to all persons entering campus.
Submitted by: C. Enos, WUPD
Target: Students, Faculty & Staff
Date: Thursday, November 16^th 2010

No timeline for Whiting reopening

As search and rescue teams continue to sift through the rubble at Whiting Field House, plans have been put in place for students.

Whiting will be closed to all until clean-up and assessment of the stability of the building is complete.

There will be no classes in Whiting until further notification. All classes that were scheduled in Whiting will be held in the basement of Mabee library at designated times unless further specified by the instructor.

All other classes on campus will remain scheduled unless instructor decides differently.

A candlelight vigil will be at the bell tower for the people who lost their lives or who are still missing in this tragic event at 7 pm Friday November 17.

For updates, please call (785) 673-1482.

Crane operator suffered heart attack

A crane’s hoist boom used by Moto Construction to help move a statue of Craig Schurig, Washburn’s head football coach, onto the roof of Whiting fell into the northeast side of the building at 4:45 pm today.

The crane’s operator, Curtis Conley, suffered a heart attack while operating the crane.

At this point, there have been three reported fatalities including Conley.

The type of crane used was a Crawler-Mounted Latticework Boom Crane. The hoist boom, which carries whatever object is being raised, is operated manually to move up or down or to extend. The hoist boom is what fell into the building.

Conley had been a crane operator for 25 years and worked for Moto Construction for 20 years.

“Joe was a great man and it is sad that he passed that way but I know he would want our focus to be on helping other people get to safety,” said John Moto, owner of Moto Construction.

Dr. Jerry Farley, Washburn’s president, has urged all students and members of the community to stay clear of Whiting while crews search for people.

“It is a great tragedy,” said Farley. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Joe’s family but this tragedy may not be over. Our recovery crews are working diligently and hurriedly to help anyone who may have been the path of the crane.”

Jack Jackson, a Washburn sophomore, saw the crane run into Whiting. He ran to a help phone located south of Stoffer Science Hall at the west end of the parking lot to make the Washburn police aware.

“I just knew it was not good, I had no idea the crane operated had a heart attack, all I knew was that I needed to get help,” said Jackson.

At this point The Washburn Police Department has blocked all roads leading into campus. Emergency services from the area have been called in to assist with searching and transporting people to hospitals if needed.

“We sent out a timely warning in hopes of making all students aware of what has happened,” said Mike Mitchell, Washburn Law Enforcement office “We have evacuated the building and our main focus is getting anyone who may be trapped beneath the rubble out.”

“Fortunately, there are not many people in Whiting at this time of day,” said Mitchell.

Washburn University’s Whiting building located on the East side of campus was just renovated for $6.9 million. Renovations were completed in  August 2009.

Washburn’s main telephone number was set up for parents and community members to call and receive updates about the building. For information, please call (785) 673-1482.  

Search contines for collapse victims

The collapse of the east wall of the Whiting Field House affected more than just the gym.

A little over a year after the $6.9 million renovation was complete on Whiting, a crane operator suffered a heart attack and lost control of his crane as it smashed into the side of the building.

Part of the east wall was knocked down, 7 of the new 18 offices suffered damage, the ceiling of the new weight room was damaged and glass was shattered out of the trophy cases in the entrance of Whiting. The building can hold up to 2,500 people.

“There has been significant damage to Whiting and to the areas surrounding where the crane hit. As of right now the building is not safe to be in because it has not been inspected and cleared,” said Washburn Police Sergeant Alan Whitford.

Whiting is closed to anyone who is not part of the search team looking through the rubble for trapped people. The Red Cross Kansas Capitol Chapter is looking for anyone interested in volunteering and should visit their website at thinkred.org.

The University has not yet decided what the plans for more renovations to the building at this time. Washburn is extremely concerned with finding people still alive in the rubble and helping anyone injured in the accident.

“We haven’t even gave the renovation process a second thought. That is our last priority. We need to find survivors and help all those in need and reach out to their families. We are deeply sad about this event,” said Washburn President Jerry Farley.

As of now, Washburn has canceled it’s classes for the remainder of the week. School will be back in session on Monday and classes being held in Whiting will be rescheduled to another available area on campus. For more class updates visit www.washburn.edu/classupdates

Crane Operator

MicAt the time of the accident and heart attack of the crane operator, Curtis Conley lost control of his crane that caused the damage to whiting.
Curtis Conley was very capable of controlling a crane and has worked with cranes for more than 20 years of his life.  Conley 52 years of age completed his certification from Associated Training Services (ATS) school in 1986.  Since that time Conley has worked with cranes and has never had a problem. 

At ATS Conely went through a 3 step process to learn how to control a crane efficiently.  The first step included training on the basic principles of cranes, crane safety, and operating a crane.  The second step included communication which address abstractions, fear and lack of experience among other types of communication.  The second step also included preventive maintenance, wire rope, and computer aids/operator aids.  The last step that Conley experienced at ATS included information on load charts, advanced operational techniques, lift planning and EMERGENCY PROCEDURE.  The emergency procedure covered accident prevention and investigation, the hazards of power line contact, and various failures that may occur during lifting operations. 

These are some of the things that Conley was aware of but due to a second heart attack he lost control of the crane.