Cheektowaga, N.Y. (WBEN) - Holiday Twin Rinks in Cheektowaga was temporarily closed last weekend due to an another issue related to an equipment malfunction that resulted in another carbon monoxide scare.
Carbon monoxide detectors sounded on Saturday morning inside the facility, which, in turn, caused skaters to evacuate the building.
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This time, the rink says there was a faulty detector on their Olympia ice resurfacer. That equipment has since been properly fixed, but still highlights a problem that can't be glossed over, as far as safety is concerned.
Jason Guenther, an ice hockey coach at Nichols School, says these incidents shed light on a serious lack of adequate regulations, protocol and equipment that have remained a prevalent issue inside older rinks with limited staff.
"I think it's been a known issue throughout not just Holiday Rinks, but other rinks in the area," said Guenther in an interview with WBEN. "They have been grandfathered in from the regulations and they don't really have the normal maintenance crew that most facilities would have as far as like a warehouse or hospitals would, so I think it's got to come from the county or the state level to get some better regulations in there, and more checks and tests so that way we can prevent the scares before they happen."
For some local rinks, emissions coming from machines operating on the ice are not an issue as they have electric equipment.
"Years ago, when the emissions issues first started, and there was headlines on Good Morning America and ESPN, I brought new technology to the ice facility here at the NorthTown Center, and we've gone completely emissions free," noted Eric Guzdek, general manager of Northtown Center in Amherst.
"We're zero emissions in the building, we use electric ice resurfacers, battery-operated ice resurfacers and also battery-operated edgers in the facility. We also have modules and controls on our dehumidification systems that if they were to send high levels of carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide, then they would bring in 100% outside make up air to clear the facility and then we also have manual processes in place where we can turn fans on to clear the arena in a hurry."
Safety assurance remains a high priority for many local rinks like Cornerstone Arena, who also use electric equipment.
"Nothing in our building runs on natural gas except for the grills that are in the concession stand and in the restaurant located upstairs," said Shelley Unocic, the arena's executive director.
As far as taking action in government goes, several new state bills are being proposed as a response to the first incident at the Holiday Twin Rinks in December with faulty heating equipment which resulted in 100 people having to be treated for symptoms of exposure.
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According to a release from New York State Assemblywoman Monica Wallace (D-Lancaster), one bill (A8886) would enact regulations to prevent carbon monoxide exposure in indoor ice rinks, including by requiring rink operators to maintain indoor air quality monitoring devices, to record air quality results, and to have facilities inspected by a public health official. The legislation also provides for actions that rink operators must take if unsafe levels of carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide are detected, ranging from improving ventilation at lower levels to evacuating the facility at higher levels.
“Every year, dozens of people become sick from toxic fumes in indoor ice rinks. It’s so common that the US Ice Rink Association recommends that certain steps be taken routinely to ensure safe air quality at indoor ice rinks. Six other states have already adopted those guidelines. As we learned from the incident at Holiday Twin Rinks this past December where over 100 people went to the hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning, it’s time for New York to join them,” said Assemblymember Wallace. “From the kids who skate at these rinks to the parents and grandparents who come watch them, New York must make sure we are doing everything we can to protect folks from this preventable danger."
In addition to legislation, Unocic, Guzdek and Guenther believe that making the switch to electric is the future, at least for our local ice rinks and Holiday Twin Rinks did mention that they have purchase two new electric ice resurfacers. They are, however, working on a date for delivery of the machines.
"I definitely think it's a call for all arena operators to take a look at their procedures and what they're currently doing," Guzdek said. "I know that Harborcenter, for example, they've got the same ice surfaces that we do. They're electric inside the building as well, with them being a newer state-of-the-art facility. So I think battery operated and electric technology is the future. It's kind of here, and I think we need to take a look at more arena operators as they're changing their machines over going to sort of new technology and planning for capital purchase purchasing in the future."