by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
People stepping into the Duval County Courthouse Thursday morning had already finished breakfast, but they were greeted with the smell of burnt toast.
Courthouse security reported a generator burning to the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department at about 6 a.m. The generator was a part of the air conditioning system and the mechanical problem caused the first two floors of the courthouse to fill with smoke.
“We had security guards open and stand by all first floor doors to let the smoke out,” said Lt. Steve Weintraub, chief of courthouse security. “We also checked the holding cells at the back of the building to make sure prisoners were not in any danger.”
Building engineer Mike Tatum had a member of his staff shut down the defective chiller shortly after the smoke was discovered.
“Luckily, we had someone working on another project this morning and he was able to shut down the chiller immediately,” said Tatum. “We have four chillers, so the system was fine.”
The problem chiller will be inspected today and needed repairs will be determined.
A chiller is a part of an air conditioning system that reduces the temperature of water so it can be used to cool and dehumidify the air stream traveling through the system.
The smoke lifted to other floors in the building, but it was clear by 8 a.m., said Weintraub.