By LCN Staff
A broken sprinkler head at Chase Point Tuesday night flooded several rooms at the assisted living facility on the LincolnHealth – Miles Campus in Damariscotta. |
Five rooms were damaged due to a malfunctioning sprinkler system at Chase Point Assisted Living Facility in Damariscotta late Tuesday night. Due to extensive water damage, four residents had to be relocated to different rooms within the facility, according to Scott Shott, LincolnHealth vice president of development and community relations.
The Damariscotta Fire Department responded to the call from Chase Point at 11:45 p.m. Dec. 9. According to Fire Chief John Roberts, a sprinkler head broke in the attic. When asked how much water flooded into the facility, Roberts responded, “a lot, enough to flood several rooms. It was a mess. The ceiling was down and insulation was all over the place.”
“They were here in no time,” Wanda Wilcox, Chase Point’s executive director said about the fire department and ambulance service. “They helped talk to residents and kept everyone calm. They were fantastic.”
According to Wilcox, Chase Point had just updated their fire drill policy. The Tuesday night alarm was the second time Chase Point residents had gone through the drill and, Wilcox said, “they responded perfectly.”
Shott said that the sprinkler company, Sprinkler Systems Inc., had been on site Tuesday doing basic maintenance. Shott could not confirm the source of the malfunction that flooded four rooms. He did say that upon closer examination, a leaking sprinkler system in a fifth room was discovered.
Sprinkler Systems Inc. was back on the scene Wednesday, Dec. 10 making repairs to the system Shott said. According to his information, the four displaced residents were asleep in their new rooms as of 2 a.m.
Wilcox said Chase Point is in the process of developing a contingency plan if it is determined that the four residents are unable to return to their rooms. She said insurance for personal property at Chase Point is the responsibility of the residents.
However, she said staff were able to remove much of the furniture in the affected rooms and expects the majority of the damage to be structural. “This building responded incredibly,” Wilcox said. “I’m so proud.”
