We all know that fires threaten elderly residents because of their age. Fire safety starts with the basics. Most assisted living centers have fire sprinklers, but what happens if they don’t? An assisted living community must go beyond firefighting on the ground floor by providing fire prevention for every resident, including those who live in independent living apartments or house-like settings.
In this article, we’ll go over some of the most critical things Assisted Living Communities can do to help keep your loved ones safe from fires in their home and prevent unnecessary injuries or deaths from occurring.
Doors And Windows
Doors and windows should be closed and locked when not in use, and heat sensors should be installed on all doors and windows. If a resident can unlock the door or window, it’s important to remind them that this can lead to serious injury or even death.
The added security of a fire alarm system will help ensure that residents are alerted if there is an emergency situation. This can prevent fires from spreading before they are noticed by team members or other residents in the building who may have mobility issues.
It also helps if there have an emergency lighting system in place so that everyone knows where they need to go in case of an emergency—and what they need to do when they get there!
Fire Drills
Fire drills are an important part of fire safety in an assisted living community. They help review the proper procedures for responding to a fire, and they can be used as a learning opportunity for residents who might not know what to do in an emergency.
As with any other aspect of a fire safety checklist, your local fire department should determine the frequency and types of drills. If you aren’t sure how often to hold them, ask what’s recommended in your area or consult this guide from FEMA on how often fire drills should occur—it breaks down these recommendations by building type (residential vs commercial), occupancy level (low density vs. high density) and whether the space is occupied full-time or part-time (for example, schools).
Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are designed to detect smoke and sound an alarm in case of fire. They work by sensing smoke and heat, which causes a plunger on the device to be released from a spring-loaded chamber. This breaks a glass capsule containing an electrode, causing it to produce an electric current that sounds an alert inside the community. In addition to sounding an alert, smoke alarms also provide a visual indication of when they’ve been activated (usually in the form of flashing red lights).
Training And Evacuation Plans
Training is essential to keeping residents safe, but it’s not enough to simply show them where the fire extinguishers are and hope for the best. Assisted living communities should also provide regular training on how to evacuate in an emergency and what actions staff should take.
Doing so ensures that all parties — residents, team members, and visitors — clearly understand their responsibilities in an emergency situation. In addition to formal training sessions, residents can be made aware of evacuation plans through written materials or other means (like videos). This helps ensure that everyone is on board with the program at all times.
Sprinklers, Smoke Detectors And Fire Extinguisher Inspections
The inspection of fire safety systems is done regularly, and the results are documented. The inspections are done at least once a year and reviewed by management. Residents are also allowed to review the results of these inspections as well as provide feedback on any concerns they may have with fire safety in their community.
