The Chatham-Kent Fire Department is adhering to new provincial regulations to help ensure the safety of vulnerable occupants in the community.
The Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management created a task force to examine the vulnerable occupancies situation and make recommendations to the province regarding the creation of a new regulation for facilities housing vulnerable people.
“The new regulation affects retirement homes regulated by the Retirement Homes Act, care occupancies, and all care and treatment facilities, except hospitals” said Scott Sproule, fire prevention officer in Chatham-Kent, in a report. “It may also include rest homes, nursing homes, group homes and any other occupancy where, in the event of a fire, persons who require special care because of cognitive or physical limitations reside, and who, as a result of those limitations, would be incapable of evacuating from the occupancy without the assistance of another person.”
Sproule made a brief presentation to Chatham-Kent council at their Nov. 4 meeting to discuss the new regulations, which became law at the start of the year.
“By the end of October this year Chatham-Kent Fire and Emergency Services (CKFES) expects to have inspected all 56 care occupancies in Chatham-Kent,” Sproule said in his report. “All retirement and nursing homes have scheduled the fire drills required to demonstrate their ability to evacuate residents in the event of fire before October 31.”
Sproule added: “All group homes have scheduled the necessary fire drills before the end of November. All staff working in vulnerable occupancies, are required to complete a training course provided by the OFMEM by January 1, 2017. The majority of Chatham-Kent care occupancies have already completed the required training, as well as several CKFES staff.”
Sproule said by January 1, 2019 all care occupancies must have automatic sprinklers installed.
“The majority of care facilities in Chatham-Kent are expected to have sprinklers installed by December 31, 2014, well ahead of the compliance requirements,” he said.
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