The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) leader has called for all nursing homes in the U.S. to be equipped with fire sprinklers. NFPA President James M. Shannon made the call Oct. 16 in the wake of two recent nursing home fires that left 24 people dead.
“NFPA, as a century-old fire safety advocate, has an obligation to be an advocate and lead on issues crucial to safety,” Shannon says. “In this case, the need is for greater safety for nursing home residents.” On Sept. 26, a fire at a four-story nursing home in Nashville, Tenn., killed eight residents and injured at least 28. In February, a fire tore through the Greenwood Health Center nursing home in Hartford, Conn., killing 16.
“These tragedies have taught us that we must do more to keep our elderly and disabled safe from fire,” Shannon says. “We know that fire sprinklers can control fires where they start and alleviate the burdens placed on staff to deal with the fire while relocating or evacuating patients.” According to NFPA research, when sprinklers are present in a building, the chances of dying in a fire are cut by one-half to two-thirds, compared to fires where sprinklers are not present.
