Smell of Money Clears Out Bank

It was a typical Monday morning at the downtown San Diego branch of Dai-ichi Kangyo Bank of California until the red fog with the skunk-like odor invaded the lobby.

A few employees were preparing to handle the day’s pressing financial matters. But when the pungent odor changed the aroma of the bank, “it didn’t take long to know what was going on,” said Tom Schueler, vice president and manager of the Los Angeles-based bank’s branch at 301 A St.

The red fog was coming from the bank’s alarm system.

Schueler said three auditors from the Los Angeles office were working in the bank about 9:30 a.m. when one of them set off the bank’s dye-pack alarm system, a combination of red dye and a gas similar to tear gas.

The system emits a red fog that colors the money and clothes of a thief, presumably making it easy to recover the loot and its purloiner, Schueler said. It also spews a gas that irritates the eyes, making them water and burn.

What happened Monday is similar to what occurs when a teller accidentally triggers an ordinary bank alarm, Schueler said, “only this one reacts back and you see some smoke coming out of it.”

Only nine employees were in the bank when the burning mist filled the lobby, Schueler said. The San Diego Fire Department responded to the bank’s call for help and, using large fans, cleared the air in about 25 minutes. No one was injured, the bank was not damaged, and business returned to normal at about 10 a.m.

Schueler said the fog smells “worse than a skunk, but it does clear your sinuses.”

This is the first time that someone has accidentally triggered the alarm, he said.

--MICHAEL FAIRLEY