Power Outage at Conference Involving Kids with Special Needs, Triggers Mass Casualty Response at Lower Bucks Hotel

A power outage at a Lower Bucks County hotel setoff a mass casualty response Thursday evening.

Emergency services were dispatched to the Sheraton Hotel Bucks County on Oxford Valley Road around 6:20 p.m. for reports of dozens of children on ventilators needing medical attention, due to a loss of power, according to, officials.

The hotel is hosting a conference for the International Foundation for CDKL5 Research.

Power, was reportedly lost at the hotel, after 1 pm, according to emergency personnel, and the batteries powering the ventilators were nearing loss of energy.

Bucks County, according to dispatch traffic, declared a mass casualty event shortly after 7 p.m. which was deemed cleared about one- hour later.

First responders from the Fairless Hills, Falls Township, Levittown No. 1, and Morrisville fire companies along with the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad and Penndel-Middletown Emergency Squad were on scene.

CDKL5 is a rare genetic disorder.  It can manifest in a broad range of  symptoms and severity. The hallmarks are early-onset, intractable epilepsy and neurodevelopmental delay impacting cognitive, motor, speech, and visual function. Some with the disorder are ventilator dependent to sustain quality of life.