Broken Sprinkler Pipe Prompts County Justice Complex Closure

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A broken sprinkler pipe in the atrium of the Ocean County Justice Complex prompted an evacuation of the building Monday afternoon when it triggered a fire alarm, county officials said.

The sprinkler pipe located in the outside overhang in the building’s outside atrium area apparently froze as a result of the ongoing frigid temperatures, Ocean County spokeswoman Donna Flynn said. As it thawed it broke and began to leak a substantial amount of water. The water was immediately shutoff as the leak was being isolated.

The complex, which houses the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department and a number of courtrooms and Superior Court functions, was evacuated after the fire alarms sounded as a result of being triggered by sensors when the pipe broke.

“The building was closed while the cleanup was underway,” Ocean County Administrator Carl W. Block said.

Anyone who is scheduled for any court function in the Justice Complex at 120 Hooper Avenue should contact the Administrative Office of the Courts at 732-929-2042.

“But, we do expect the building will be reopen in the morning (Jan. 9) for regular business,” Block said.

The situation is a bit less complicated than what happened in September, when an inmate flushed a jumpsuitdown a toilet, flooding the complex with raw sewage and causing more than $100,000 in damage.

Image via Google Maps