TOMS RIVER: Earlier in the week OCSN posted yet another story regarding an activated fire alarm at Community Medical Center. Some readers were interested in the frequency of false alarms; others took offense as if we set out to badmouth the hospital. In an effort to defend ourselves and our publications, OCSN filed an Open Public Records Act request for CAD calls to CMS. It seems like the Community Medical Center is always is reporting false alarms, which require a response from at least Stations 25 & 26. Beyond just the fire department responding with or without apparatus, the fire inspectors and officials need to be involved. To attempt to determine if there is a pattern of faulty fire equipment at CMC, OCSN requested via OPRA a log of fire alarm responses. OCSN asked for ALL responses by Toms River Fire Department for ANY fire alarm at Community Medical Center between 01/01/2020 through 02/15/2020. We received 46 responses alone in just that time frame. OCSN is working on creating a story explaining all these false alarms as we go over the 100+ pages of report documents.
Some of the reports indicate faulty detectors, burnt cooking, and cases like this of vaping in the 1st floor Cath Lab- Men’s Locker. Stay tuned as we determine if Community Medical Center needs to invest in better fire safety equipment- or their false alarms are on average with other area hospitals.
Remember: OCSN is here to potentially save lives and tax dollars- NOT disrespect any hospital workers/heroes. With Barnabas Health having a healthy revenue off 2020- they can spend some capital improving fire and smoke alarms in the facility. No facility can be responsible for every time a doctor burns bagels in the lounge- but those faulty detectors can be repaired more frequently for sure.
That’s an average of an activated alarm every 2.93 days since 10/01/2020 at CMC!
Vaping in they locker room
Beth Lane Hate to know what other things they are doing in there. I wonder if they are wearing a mask.
Cuz everybody knows that smoking ain’t allowed in school ????????
Correction: This story is 46 false alarms since 01/01/2020. We ran the wrong data originally and have since corrected it.
-Thanks
While each false alarm is a different story in itself- you can sense the level of frustration here in this report. TRFD dispatch usually calls CMC to try to get an understanding why an alarm is sounding.
They are in trouble for more than just false fire alarms.
http://www.hospitalinspections.org/hospital/community-medical-ce-310041#
We are going back to 2016 so far…
I wonder if they’re being fined by the township like residents do for false/accidental residential burglar alarms. Such a scam!
William Benkovich
TR maintains a website to register and pay for false alarm fines.
https://www.cityalarmpermit.us/Pages/Home.html?CityId=/qdXDurgqcM=
Ocean County Scanner News I’m well aware. It’s just ridiculous! Especially when you’re a new resident of the town and are unaware of this absolutely absurd rule and get slammed with a bill. Just another way to drum up money. I’ve lived in numerous municipalities and this is the only 1 to have such an ordinance. But back to the question at hand, are they being fined for false alarms like residents are? It takes a lot more logistics to roll a volunteer Chief, Engine Co., Rescue Co., & Truck Co. only to find out it’s a false alarm. Police are already on the road so the argument in comparison is void.
William Benkovich
We can OPRA any and all fines levied by any town against a property owner.
I will say, as a member of TRFD , no call is a nuisance and if all the times we respond there, multiple times have been an emergent situation. Just because there have been multiple incidents does not mean they’re all false alarms. We’d rather receive all of these alarms than none because you just never know
Nick very well said sir. Thank you for your service to the wonderful community of Toms River. – Randy
Randy TC could’ve been you
Nick Cirz You must have the patience of a saint to deal with all those false alarms.
Nick Cirz
Thank you Nick!
Nick Cirz thank you for your service.
Nick Cirz We do appreciate you, and all the times TRFD responds because each time COULD be real! It would be nice if CMC could maintain equipment better to lessen false alarms being set off. Or at least CMC staff needs to know how to call TRFD Dispatch and put the alarm in test.
Nick Cirz God Bless you Nick and all the responders near and far. We thank you!
Nick Cirz You tell them!!
Nick Cirz well said
Nick Cirz god bless
helps pad numbers as well..
Ocean County Scanner News, Nick Cirz is an amazing person, I’m lucky enough to know him personally!! Keep on kicking ass & Thank you, to you & the entire TRFD!!!
Krystle Sonta
Yes, we always do Nick Cirz favors to benefit the Fire department. We support TRFD 100% and admire their perseverance and professionalism dealing with this place and the frequent alarms. Much sooner have 100 jerks vaping than a major fire requiring mass evacuations. In the meantime to make Nick and his crew’s job easier- get a working alarm system CMC?
Ocean County Scanner News Absolutely ????. That’s crazy, it’s taking that many false alarms & still no change in their system?! Especially for a hospital…
Side note: Thank you for all you do, Love following your page!! Nice to be informed & at times entertained lol. Have a great night!
That’s way more than expected.
Thank goodness it only fault alarm. The hospital need to do good inspection of the area that having the trouble.
I was in the hospital last year for several of them. I was glad most were false alarms..THANK YOU TO ALL FIRST RESPONDERS WHO CAME, IT WAS A COMFORT WHEN I KNEW ALL OF YOU WERE THERE! ????????????????
OCSN has requested false fire alarm data from all 4 hospitals in Ocean County to compare how CMC is doing. Please be sure to comprehend this information and article properly; OCSN is not setting out to trash all employees at this facility- NOR anyone on the Toms River Fire Department. We are viewing this as an investigation into nuisance alarm calls, which waste time and money. Plus you have fire alarms sounding inside a hospital where we have reports of NOBODY on staff knowing what is occurring- nor what to do. Community Medical Center & Barnabas Health- you NEED to do better to protect our community and your patients.
Ocean County Scanner News you say your “not” setting out to trash all the employees yet you say “NOBODY on staff” so that basically trashing ALL of the employees.
Michelangelo Rubino
Whomever is responsible for fire alarm maintenance at CMC- Claim your guilt! If you work there and have NO authority on fire alarms or patient safety- we aren’t speaking to you.
“Same issue as all week”
We have report after report of CMC staff failing to follow basic fire safety regulations and guidelines. But sure- blame your misdirected anger at OCSN! ????
Fire alarm sounding- Contractors not knowing what to do- staff not knowing why alarms are sounding? Sure- OCSN is the bad guy.
Give my company a call I can install a brand new system fully engineered drawings. Here my page. Garrett Wagner
ADT installed a bad motion sensor in my house and set off 2 false alarms and we had to pay a couple hundred each for each time they came out. Is cmc paying too?
In NYC you have to have a licensed fire safety director 24/7 they are responsible to test the fire alarms daily, log and problems etc. I still do not know why a major hospital does not have this in place. This will greatly affect their Joint commission ratings