Simultaneous alarms send Chester firefighters in opposite directions

By Shawn Cunningham
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Two nearly simultaneous alarms sent Chester firefighters in opposite directions Tuesday night, Aug. 20.

At about 7:31 p.m. dispatchers called the Chester department to alert them that a sprinkler alarm had been activated at Stone House Antiques, 557 Rt. 103 South and, moments later, a second call sent firefighters to the Fullerton Inn on the Green with the same problem.

Fire Chief Matt Wilson said the department was training on Elm Street near Benny’s Garage, and were therefore able to respond to both alarms in a matter of minutes.

Wilson had speculated that a drop in the town’s water pressure could have triggered the alarms, but later Wilson said he spoke with Chester Water Superintendent Jeff Holden, who had checked the computer-monitored system pressure and found no variation from its usual 140 pounds per square inch.

“Since I’ve been chief,” said Wilson, “we’ve been to many sprinkler activations and all of those systems have been tagged and well maintained.”

“It’s seems to be a weird coincidence,” said Wilson as the Fullerton’s “water gong” sounded behind him.