Massachusetts is taking new inventory of the emergency response plans for every assisted living home in the state, as well as requiring that those homes share that information with residents and their families, in the wake of the Fall River fire this week that killed nine seniors and injured 30 others.
All 273 assisted living homes in Massachusetts must respond to a fire safety assessment survey within 30 days, documenting information about their sprinkler systems, fire drill procedures, evacuation protocols, and maintenance of fire doors and walls. The survey conducted by the Executive Office of Aging and Independence, or AGE, will collect information about the age and key systems in each building in the state used as an assisted living residence, according to a statement Governor Maura Healey released Friday.
“What happened in Fall River is a horrible tragedy,” Healey said. “This is a moment to make sure that every assisted living residence is prepared to respond to emergencies and to protect the safety of their residents.”
The homes must also send letters to residents and their families within the next five days that explain fire safety protocols, evacuation procedures, and key points of contact for questions or concerns and post evacuation information in all units and common areas.
“We’re pleased that she is stepping up and calling for what we consider to be basic safety measures,” said Paul Lanzikos, a former Massachusetts elder affairs secretary who helped write the state’s first assisted living law in the early 1990s.
He is a leader of the state senior advocacy group, the Disability Alliance, and noted that the governor’s actions Friday were a good first step. Her request would for the most part update records the state should already have. What’s needed, he said, is not just self-reporting from the assisted living industry, but an independent review of the fire safety systems at facilities, as well as an evaluation of all residents’ ability to evacuate without assistance. He also recommended more drills, inspections, and better trained staff.
“What she is calling for right now should be considered basic and fundamental,” Lanzikos said.
State Senator Mark Montigny, a New Bedford Democrat, has been vocal about the need for additional state oversight in the assisted living industry since the fire.
“This emergency initiative is a step in the right direction, but asking facilities to self-report compliance with fire safety requirements only reaffirms the urgency of further strengthening our regulations,” he said in a statement Friday.
The cause of the fire at the Fall River home, Gabriel House, is still under investigation. About 70 people lived in the home, which served a lower income population. More than 75 percent of the residents there were enrolled in MassHealth. Families of residents described the home as poorly maintained and unclean.
Ernest Coupe, 70, was among the people who survived the blaze. He has numbness on his left side after two strokes and struggles to walk. The night of the fire, he recalled, staff told residents “lock yourself in your room,” and then abandoned them.
“They wanted us to stay in the rooms, and nine people died,” Coupe said in a recent interview.
Dennis Etzkorn, the owner of Gabriel House, didn’t respond to a request for comment.
More than 17,000 people in Massachusetts live in assisted living facilities, which provide some personal care support but not the complex medical care available at nursing homes. They are prized for the freedom and choice they offer, but increasingly care for people with significant mobility or cognitive limitations. They are far less regulated by the state than nursing facilities. AGE, which oversees these residences, re-certifies assisted living homes every two years. The Department of Public Health, by contrast, inspects nursing homes every nine to 15 months.
Staff requirements for assisted living homes are generally minimal, a marked contrast to the strict staffing ratios required at nursing homes. State regulation only requires managers to be 21 years old and have some experience with similar work. A bachelor’s degree isn’t required.
It remains unclear why the fire proved so deadly at Gabriel House. State officials do require assisted living residences to file emergency plans and require every shift conduct an emergency preparedness drill annually. AGE requests documentation of when drills occurred and who participated. Assisted living homes are also subject to municipal code enforcement. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said his department’s inspections do require buildings to have an evacuation plan and fire drills. Workers at the home have said, though, that they didn’t experience fire drills or evacuation training.
Jason Laughlin can be reached at jason.laughlin@globe.com. Follow him @jasmlaughlin. Kay Lazar can be reached at kay.lazar@globe.com Follow her @GlobeKayLazar.