A frozen fire suppression sprinkler pipe lead to a power outage and a lack of heat on Sunday at a Brockton Housing Authority building, according to the leader of the agency.
BROCKTON - The deep freeze that has set in throughout the Brockton region left public housing residents without heat and power on Sunday.
The Campello B building was without heat and power for at least 14 hours on Sunday, as local officials, the fire department, electricians and others sprung into action to resolve the situation, according to Brockton Housing Authority Executive Director Thomas Thibeault.
The root of the problem was a fire suppression sprinkler that became frozen, which set it off at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Thibeault said.
"There was a major issue at Campello B," said Thibeault, who is on medical leave recovering from surgery, but was briefed on the situation. "The electrical system had to be shut down. It was an all day scramble to get it repaired."
It wasn't until 4 p.m. until the power was restored and the electric heating was turned back on. The power outage and lack of heat affected 198 apartment units, through 10 floors, at the location, Thibeault said.
During the time that the heat and power was down, others from the community organized on social media to provide donations to the tenants there, Thibeault said. The Brockton Emergency Management Agency, the Brockton Fire Department, Mayor Bill Carpenter and others all worked to help resolve the issue, he said.
"It was a godsend," Thibeault said about the response. "We were working with all the residents, talking to each and every floor. That was resolved with the help of a number of people."
The electrical issues caused by the sprinkler going off could only be resolved by heating up the first floor utility room up to 85 degrees to dehumidify the equipment, Thibeault said.
The Brockton Housing Authority director thanked volunteers for stepping out to help the residents at the low-rent public housing apartments.
"There were calls for blankets, water and hot chocolate," Thibeault said. "We appreciate everyone for working with the housing authority."