Fairfax, VA – The International Association of Fire chiefs (IAFC) has released two reports that address fire safety in healthcare facilities and emerging code issues. Both reports-the “Healthcare Fire Safety Roundtable Report” and the “Emerging Code Issues Roundtable Report”-are the result of roundtable meetings held earlier this year.
Both projects were supported by a Department of Homeland Security/Office of Domestic Preparedness grant awarded under the Assistance to Firefighters – Fire Prevention and Safety Program.
Healthcare Fire Safety Roundtable Report
卫生保健消防和生命安全Roundtab长官le brought experts from both the fire service and health care industries together to address major life safety concerns in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and retirement communities. Conference participants discussed the issues and developed recommendations to improve resident safety in U.S. facilities.
“With 3,500 to 4,000 fires annually in these facilities, this group stands out as a special concern and area of concentration for the IAFC,” said IAFC president Chief Bob DiPoli.
Twelve strategies emerged at the roundtable meeting, and the report outlines recommendations that address these strategies. Strategies include training, education and processes necessary to improve life safety and injury prevention in health care facilities; improving consistency in the application of codes, regulations and laws; and developing a plan to address evacuations and the “Defend in Place” concept for health care/long term care facilities.
The full report is located athttp://www.iafc.org/grants/documents/healthcare.pdf. The report will be forwarded to the Department of Homeland Security for review.
Emerging Fire Code Issues Roundtable Report
Over the years, numerous public assembly occupancies have been the scene of catastrophic fires involving large loss of life. Earlier in 2004, the IAFC convened two Emerging Codes Issues Roundtables to develop strategies for enacting building code changes with an emphasis on life safety and fire threat reduction in nightclubs and other places of public assembly.
Fifty diverse fire service representatives were assembled to develop strategies toward the creation of a model uniform fire and life safety code to prevent further tragedies like the nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI and the panic exit from the Chicago, IL dance club, both of which occurred in 2003. These strategies may be used to launch a nationwide campaign to enact sweeping fire and life safety code changes targeting occupancies that have recently captured the nation’s attention.
To read the in-depth report, visithttp://www.iafc.org/grants/documents/codes.pdf. The report will be forwarded to the Department of Homeland Security for review.
