Tehachapi Hospital temporarily closed Thursday following Hazmat call out

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Around 12:45 p.m. Thursday the Kern County Fire Department responded for a possible hazardous material exposure at the Tehachapi Hospital. 

Officials arrived on scene and were told a single patient had been working in a greenhouse this morning whens he felt ill and went to the hospital. While being treated at the hospital, hospital staff started to experience the same symptoms as the patient. 

That's when the hospital called KCFD and isolated the exposed people and began a decontamination process. 

Fire crews backed out and called the Haz-Mat unit and environmental health to help identify the material. 

An additional fire engine was sent to the greenhouse that the initial patient had been working in the 26000 block of Pellisier near Highline Road in Stallion Springs to investigate.

Three more people were sent to the hospital after complaining of feeling ill.

Officials determined the type of product used in the greenhouse as an applicant soap that had been applied the night before.

The hospital was partially closed for about two hours while patients could be decontaminated and the exposures contained.

In total four civilians and five hospital personnel were exposed.

There were no exposures to fire personnel.