Police: Child injured when part of HVAC machine falls through ceiling of Westfield day care

The incident happened at the day care located inside Redeemer Lutheran Church on Cowperthwaite Place.

Matt Trapani and Joti Rekhi

Aug 1, 2024, 7:06 PM

Updated 164 days ago

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A child was injured when an HVAC machine fell through the ceiling of the Westfield Day Care Center Thursday afternoon, according to police.
The incident happened at the day care located inside Redeemer Lutheran Church on Cowperthwaite Place.
Police say that a component of the machine fell through the ceiling into the second-floor classroom. One child was hurt by a falling ceiling tile. That child was treated and released.
About 50 children and staff members were evacuated from the school. No other injuries were reported.
"They’re sitting in air conditioning. They’re with our police officers, playing games, they’re having a great time. We have plans in place for addressing issues such as this and those plans have been enacted. Everything went smoothly and it was like a training exercise for us," said Westfield Police Chief Christopher Battiloro.
Officials say that there does not appear to be any structural damage to the building. The building will remain closed until it is deemed safe by the town's construction official.