'Fire Alarm System Not Functioning Properly' At LI Nursing Home Where All Residents Were Evacuated: PD

NORTH FORK, NY — A smoke condition at a North Fork nursing home ultimately led to the complete evacuation Monday night of the entire facility, police said.

According to Southold Town Police Chief Steve Gratten, approximately 110 residents were relocated from San Simeon by the Sound Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation on County Route 48 in Greenport to various facilities across Long Island.

The news of the relocation came after smoke had been detected at San Simeon during the nor'easter early Monday — leaving questions swirling about why all the residents later needed to be evacuated.

"We know that the fire alarm system was not functioning properly at the time of the smoke condition," Grattan said. "I do not have any confirmed information regarding code or health violations."

The New York State Department of Health sent a statement to Patch: "Following reports of smoke at the facility and an investigation by local fire authorities, the Department directed the temporary evacuation of all residents to alternate care facilities to ensure their safety and the continuity of care. The Department can confirm that the families of all residents have been notified as required. The Department will continue to closely monitor the situation and prioritize the health and safety of all residents."

After the initial evacuation due to the smoke condition, a separate evacuation of the entire nursing home took place Monday, the DOH said.

The statement continued: "Because this remains the subject of an ongoing investigation, the Department cannot comment further at this time, including on specific timelines for residents’ return."

Chaim Kushner, administrator for San Simeon, could not immediately be reached for comment. Calls to San Simeon were not immediately returned.

The New York State Department of Health ordered the relocation of the patients, Southold Town police said.

Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, along with the Southold Police Department, were on the scene Monday night assisting the Department of Health in facilitating the safe and orderly transfer of patients.

According to Grattan, the fire broke out at about 4:30 a.m. at San Simeon.

An employee at San Simeon contacted police about smoke conditions in the west wing; officers responded and observed smoke in a hallway that is believed to have originated in a resident's bathroom, Grattan said.

The Greenport Fire Department and other fire departments responded; fire officials were trying to discover the source of the smoke, Grattan said. It's believed that an air handler in the HVAC system may have ignited but was soon extinguished, police said.

Meanwhile, 16 residents from the west wing were evacuated at 4:30 a.m. during the nor'easter, Grattan said; those residents were "a little shaken up," but no injuries were reported, he said.

However, a few ambulatory residents who were on oxygen were transported to local hospitals; four were taken to Eastern Long Island Hospital, and three, to Peconic Bay Medical Center, he said.

An additional nine residents were taken to Peconic Landing for precautionary measures; arrangements were being made Monday morning to bring all the residents back to San Simeon, Grattan said, with additional rooms being allocated to those whose rooms may have sustained damage.

During the investigation, some sheet rock was torn down but no damage was fire-related, Grattan said.

The effort to respond to the smoke Monday morning was a coordinated effort involving the Southold Town police, numerous local fire departments, and resources from Suffolk County and community partners that included Peconic Landing, Suffolk County Transit and Suffolk County Fire, Rescue & Emergency Services, police said.

Responding Agencies included the Greenport, East Marion, Southold, Cutchogue, and Mattituck, Fire Departments, the Shelter Island Ambulance Foundation, the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps, and Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance Corps. Also responding were the NYSD EMS, Suffolk County fire marshals, and Suffolk County Transit/Sunrise Bus.

Any inquiries in regards to the status of a family member or resident should be directed to San Simeon at 631-477-2110.