The participants in the games of WU Fest Friday night got distracted when several emergency vehicles pulled up near Bennett Computer Center.

At 7:47 p.m., an alarm was tripped that indicated the release of Halon. Halon is a gas used to put out fires near computers and other areas where it would be unsafe to use regular means of fire extinguishing. The gas stops fires by chemically disrupting combustion. Bennett has several lines running in and out of it, including some T1 lines, which are responsible for connecting campus to the Internet.

Chris Dibbern of the Washburn University Police Department said that when emergency responders got into the building, the Halon had either dissipated or had not been released. Dibbern also said the system was malfunctioning, which led Facilities Services to work on the issue on Saturday.

The Topeka Fire Department dispatched the standard response to an alarm in a structure, which includes two engine companies, two truck companies and one running chief.