SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — A fire alarm at The Banquet last week caused a watery mess in the soup kitchen’s main food freezer.
A sprinkler head popped off in the freezer, triggering the alarm last Thursday. And the water that sprayed out got on food, which, under state health laws, then had to be tossed out.
It all made for a big mess.
According to The Banquet, several inches of water covered the freezer, kitchen floor, and food service manager’s office.
Volunteers from First Baptist Church in Emery, S.D. stepped up quickly and cleaned all the water before serving the evening meal.
“It was a blessing that this event was isolated to one sprinkler head, minimizing the water output. However, all of the food in the freezer must be disposed of. We are re-working menus to continue serving our guests who rely on our meals to feed themselves and their families,” said Banquet Executive Director, Tamera Jerke-Liesinger.
The freezer is in perfect working order, but the food was not disposed of immediately because of the health department’s rules on disposal of contaminated, frozen food.
Volunteers and staff cleaned out the freezer this afternoon.
