At 4:45am Friday morning, Nanuet FD was alerted to respond to an automatic fire alarm activation at A&H Mall on Rt 59. Automatic alarms, common in all commercial buildings, automatically alert Rockland's fire dispatch center (44-Control) to dispatch the local fire department as soon as a smoke detector, heat detector or sprinkler is activated in a commercial building. Prone to false activation, automatic alarms are a common occurrence.

Upon signing in service, Asst Chief Todd M Giraudin (8-2) was notified by 44-Control that the alarm was triggered due to a reported "water flow alarm" or sprinkler activation.

Arriving on scene minutes later, Asst Chief Giraudin confirmed that a sprinkler was in fact activated. Gaining access to the business, crews from 8-EQ discovered the building filled with smoke, and an active fire burning.

The fire, which had been held back, but not extinguished, by the sprinklers had grown large and hot enough to burn through some of the ceiling tiles in the building.

Firefighters made quick work of the blaze, which if left unchecked, could have compromised the entire strip mall style building containing multiple businesses.

"That's why we're here" said Asst Engineer Pat Tobin (8-11), who was just waking up for his regular job when the alarm was sounded. "Volunteers keep watch while the rest of the community is sleeping."