HVAC Issues at Hernando County Detention Center
On 01-02-18, the Hernando County Detention Center began experiencing heating issues in several areas of the facility. It is important to note that these issues were not isolated to inmate housing areas. The HCSO Detention Center Maintenance Crew and Hernando County Facilities Maintenance began working to resolve the issue. Replacement parts were ordered and repair is scheduled as soon as the parts arrive. During this time the HCSO Detention Center staff were authorized to issue additional blankets to inmates, upon request.
On 01-04-18 at approximately 8 p.m., a gas leak was discovered in the Alpha Pod (inmate housing unit). Hernando County Fire Rescue was summoned to assess the situation. It was determined that natural gas levels were elevated in an area of the Alpha Pod. The inmates housed in this immediate area were relocated to a different housing area. Six (known) inmates claimed to be affected by this incident. All six inmates were triaged by medical staff and cleared with no medical concerns. The affected area of the Alpha Pod was ventilated for approximately seven hours. Inmates were returned to the Alpha Pod in the morning.
On 01-05-18, Hernando County Facilities Maintenance and a private HVAC vendor worked on the HVAC systems until the close of business.
On 01-08-18, repairs are still ongoing to HVAC systems. Repair crews are awaiting the arrival of parts mentioned above. Representatives from Hernando County Facilities Maintenance advised that by the end of business on 01-09-18, 85% of the HVAC systems at the Hernando County Detention Center will be functioning properly.
