Bates County Sheriff News Release

On 1/21/14 the Bates County Sheriff’s Office requested Butler Fire and Butler Police to assist at the Law Enforcement Center.  The request was made because of smoke located in one of the inmate pods.  The inmates in that pod were evacuated to another part of the Law Enforcement Center.  The Butler Police Officers were requested to assist in preparations in evacuating all the inmates from the building should the need have been determined appropriate.

With assistance of the Butler Fire Department it was determined the source of the smoke was from a motor that had become faulty in the furnace that supplied heat to that inmate pod.  There was no actual fire found inside the jail.  The faulty motor will be replaced later today.  The inmates have been returned to their cells and the Law Enforcement Center is back to running as normal.

Sheriff Anderson would like to thank the Members of the Butler Fire Department and the Butler Police Department for their quick response and willingness to help.