The Importance of Fire Safety at Nursing Homes

(ARA) - When you start the search for a nursing home or residential care facility for a loved one, what do you look for? A clean environment and a caring staff? A track record for high-quality care? A cheery setting with all the amenities to make them feel like they’re at home?

Perhaps a more effective search might begin by looking up -- not to see how clean the ceiling is, but to determine whether or not the facility has a fire sprinkler system.

That’s because fire statistics for nursing home facilities are astounding. The sites average 2,300 fires across the country each year -- that’s one for every seven nursing homes, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a fire-prevention research group. Most of these fires are successfully extinguished with the help of fire sprinklers before any major damage occurs or lives are lost. Unfortunately, the reality is that a number of nursing homes have no protection at all (other than perhaps smoke detectors which only alert people of the danger but do nothing to diminish it).

According to an investigative article in USA Today, depending on what state you live in your risks could be greater than you think. Only a few states have requirements in place for all nursing homes to have fire sprinklers, regardless of age. Even in these states, the requirements are not always enforced. In many more states, however, updated, stricter codes are only in place for new construction of facilities that are undergoing a major renovation. Many facilities are grandfathered so that they can continue to operate without automatic fire sprinklers. The NFPA estimates that 20 to 30 percent of the more than 16,000 nursing homes nationwide lack automatic sprinkler protection. That leaves a lot of patients unprotected.

Nursing homes aren’t the only care facilities at such high risk. According to a November 2006 NFPA report, residential board and care facilities that house people with mental illness, substance abuse or related disorders, average nearly 2,100 fires resulting in more than 60 civilian injuries each year.

Worse is the fact that these are the same populations that are most vulnerable in case of a fire. The mentally and physically challenged, as well as the elderly, may not be able to react quickly and escape in a timely manner, making them considerably more vulnerable than the average population.

The good news is that building owners, facility managers and design engineers today have much better and, often times, more economical options. That’s because fire sprinkler technology has evolved to create products that are more effective, quicker to respond, easier to install and maintain, and cost-efficient -- a major selling point for owners and managers who have postponed installation due to cost concerns.

BlazeMaster CPVC fire sprinkler systems, for example, are now installed more often than any other non-metallic fire sprinkler system in the world for a wide variety of residential and commercial applications. CPVC systems are not only faster and easier to install, but they are also safer since they are joined using solvent cement instead of a soldering torch. Most important to cost-conscious building owners is that they are considerably less expensive and more reliable than traditional metallic systems, a key reason why they have become the product of choice for healthcare facilities that are required by law to have fire sprinklers and even those that simply choose to be proactive in the safeguards they provide.

There is no question that fire sprinkler systems work. As stricter codes have been implemented and more care facilities have installed sprinkler systems, the number of fire-related fatalities has continued to drop. The numbers speak for themselves. Fire sprinkler systems effectively minimize property damage and, more importantly, provide the best chance for survival. Until fire codes are extended, and enforced, for all care facilities, regardless of age, size or design, it is up to individuals to become educated and remain vigilant when choosing a care facility.

It’s hard enough to put a loved one in a nursing home or residential facility. But it’s easier knowing that you’ve done the homework and chosen a reputable, high-quality and safe facility.

For more information on the benefits of fire sprinkler systems, visit www.blazemaster.com, www.nfpa.org, or www.homefiresprinkler.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent