Texas explosion: questions over safety record of West Fertilizer Co Marty Crawford, one of the local school superintendents, told parents that when a colleague spoke with the 911 dispatcher it emerged that neither had the emergency services been forewarned. "The District and WIS [West Intermediate School] were not notified ahead of time that the fertiliser plant was carrying out a controlled burn of pallets and brush," Mr Crawford wrote in a memo published on the school district website, adding that he hoped parents understood "our urgency in evacuating West Intermediate School." Parents were told that the school district had asked for advance notification of any future "burns." At a press conference in West, Mr Crawford pointed out that the children had been evacuated to the local middle school which was also seriously damaged in Wednesday's blast, raising questions over whether the school had been fully appraised of the potential dangers associated with the plant. The 2012 fine levied by the US Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration cited the company for "failing to develop and adhere to a security plan" and was negotiated down to $5,250. The fines have raised public concerns over the management of the plant, as further record searches showed it was fined $2,300 in 2006, according to ABC News, following an inspection by the Environmental Protection Agency. That report criticised the company for failing to develop a formal written maintenance programme and a risk assessment strategy that met Federal standards for the estimated 54,000lbs of anhydrous ammonia stored on site. The report, obtained by the Dallas Morning News, stated "no" under the section for fire and explosive risk, adding that the "worst case scenario" laid out by the company was a "10-minute release of ammonia gas that would kill or injure no-one." That was certainly the view of many local people who lived near the plant interviewed on Friday by The Daily Telegraph, who said they had no idea of the seriousness of the potential dangers associated with fertilizer storage and distribution. "We didn't realise it was that dangerous, nobody did," said Misty Gerik, 37, whose house - which is a mile from the plant - had three windows blown out. The factory has been there for a long time and nobody gave it much thought. As a result, no-one seems to have questioned the wisdom of building three schools, residential housing and an elderly care home immediately adjacent to the plant, according to Greg Abbott, the Texas attorney-general. "It seems like the fertiliser plant was built before the houses and the schools, so people who bought those homes did in the knowledge that the plant was there," he said, while facing a barrage questions from reporters. On Friday, Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt Jason Reyes said it was "with a heavy heart" that he confirmed 12 bodies had been pulled from the area of the plant explosion. He could not confirm how many of the dead were first responders. Officials sifting through the rubble had still not been able to confirm the whereabouts of 60 people, although many were thought to have gone to stay with friends or relatives elsewhere. The plant, which was constructed in 1962, is family-owned by Adair Grain, a group with eight employees headed by a local landowner, 83-year-old Donald Adair. He founded the company in 1958 and is described as a "fixture" in the town who contributes to community projects. Courtney Adair, 20, a great-niece of the owner of the facility said the family was in shock. "They don't know what to think or what's going to happen," she told the Washington Post, adding that her great-uncle had no enemies in the town, and believed the fire was a tragic accident.