FORT HOOD (March 11, 2010)—Fort Hood’s Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center’s Bennett Health Clinic reopened Thursday after it was evacuated and closed Wednesday because of higher-than-normal levels of carbon monoxide.

Maintenance workers detected the carbon monoxide after the clinic lost power when a car hit a utility pole at around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

As a precaution, the clinic was closed, appointments were canceled and patients were directed to the Thomas Moore and West Fort Hood Health Clinics, both of which offer walk-in care.

Four of the Bennett Clinic’s nurses used their personal cell phones to inform patients of the canceled appointments, Fort Hood said Thursday.

On Tuesday, the Fort Hood Fire Department, Department of Public Works and medical center facilities personnel responded to a report of a gas leak at the Bennett Health Clinic that sent four employees to the emergency room for evaluation.

Three were later released, but one was transferred to a civilian hospital, Fort Hood said.

Elevated levels of carbon monoxide were detected in the clinic Tuesday, but the levels were within regulatory standards, Fort Hood said.

"After a thorough inspection of the facility and subsequent shutdown of remaining mechanical systems, there was no evidence of a gas leak or boiler malfunction," said Brian Prediger, chief of facilities at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.

“We are evaluating the effectiveness of installing carbon monoxide detectors in outlying facilities equipped with natural gas boilers,” he said.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the clinic’s air-handling unit was down for routine maintenance and once it was put back online, carbon monoxide levels dropped to zero throughout the clinic, Fort Hood said, and carbon monoxide has not been detected sense.

The museum next to the health clinic also reported a natural gas odor and the main distribution center for the natural gas system for the east side of the post is about 750 feet from both buildings, Fort Hood said, and may have been a source of the elevated carbon monoxide levels.

"There was no gas leak at the clinic or around the immediate area of the clinic," Prediger said.

"This was a result of air handler shutdown for servicing, the unexpected power outage, and the strong winds on Tuesday and Wednesday. This allowed the exhaust to enter the building while the air handling system was offline," Prediger said.