Gov. Maura Healey on Friday announced a series of new measures aimed at improving safety in assisted living facilities in the wake of a fire at Gabriel House in Fall River that killed at least nine people on Sunday.
Starting Monday, the Executive Office of Aging & Independence, or AGE, will launch a Fire and Life Safety Initiative to make sure all 273 assisted living facilities in the state are prepared to protect residents in emergencies.
As part of the initiative, all facilities must send a letter to residents and their families detailing fire safety protocols, evacuation procedures and points of contact for questions or concerns, Healey’s office said in a statement Friday afternoon.
The facilities must also make sure evacuation instructions and exit routes are posted inside each resident’s unit and in common areas throughout the building.
AGE, the state agency, will also send out a fire safety assessment survey that all facilities must complete and send back to the state within 30 calendar days. That survey is intended to have the facilities show compliance with fire safety requirements such as sprinklers, fire drills and evacuations protocols. Providers must also report the age of systems in the buildings.
The final regulation announced Friday requires facilities to submit site-specific Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Plans to the state within 30 calendar days.
“What happened in Fall River is a horrible tragedy. Our hearts are with the families who lost loved ones and to the first responders who saved so many others,” said Healey in the statement. “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.”
Assisted living facilities are already subject to existing safety requirements laid out by the state.
The statement notes that AGE is “in the process of finalizing proposed amendments to strengthen regulatory requirements” for assisted living facilities. Those updates predate the fire in Fall River, but will be reevaluated, according to Healey’s office.
The fire, which broke out in a second-floor residence sometime after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 13 is not believed to be suspicious, though no cause has been identified. At least nine people were killed and 30 were taken to hospitals.
Many residents had to be carried out of the building by first responders or rescued from their units by firefighters on ladders.
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