http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1153201700233770.xml&coll=1

Greystone under fire for delay in evacuation
Codey wants probe of staff conduct in smoky ward, says pink slips may be in
order
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
BY LAWRENCE RAGONESE
Star-Ledger Staff
Some patients at Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital had to try to find
their own way out of a locked, smoke-filled ward in the early morning hours
last week as staff sat idly by and one even slept on the job, according to a
report re leased yesterday by state Sen. President Richard Codey.
The report, prepared by the state Division of Fire Safety, said a "heavy
smoke condition" occurred about 1:30 a.m. Thursday in a first- floor unit of
the Ellis complex, but hospital staff took no steps to evacuate the patients
for seven minutes after the smoke was first noticed.

A fire alarm then sounded, causing patients to scurry from their rooms and
seek a way out of the locked unit, according to the report, which detailed
the incident as follows:
"Videotape indicates that when the smoke alarm was activated patients came
out of their rooms and proceeded to the exit, but there was no staff present
when they ar rived to open the exit doors. Patients then began frantically
bang ing on the doors in an effort to get out.
"The videotape indicates that staff members were still sitting in their
chairs. Videotape (also) indi cates one staff member sleeping in a chair
during this incident ...," the report continued.



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