A move to make automatic sprinkler systems mandatory in all nursing homes in Ontario is raising questions over whether other provinces should follow suit.
Ontario’s Community Safety Minister Madeleine Meilleur announced Thursday changes to the province’s Fire Code and Building Code that will require all residences for the elderly, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations to be retrofitted with sprinkler systems.
“The new measures will improve fire safety for all people in Ontario living in these homes and it will give peace of mind for their loved ones,” Meilleur said.
The fire systems have been mandatory in newly built seniors’ homes in Ontario since 1998, but older facilities have been left vulnerable.
Since 1980, 48 Ontario seniors have died in long-term care facilities without sprinkler systems -- the worst record of any province or state in North America.
The changes are welcome -- and long overdue, say fire safety advocates.
A year ago, CTV News reported on the inquest prompted by a 2009 retirement home fire in Orillia, Ont., that killed four people.
During the inquest, the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs noted that it was the fourth coroner's jury to call for the installation of automatic sprinklers in nursing and retirement homes.
Peter Crenshaw's mother lived in the Muskoka Heights Retirement Residence at the time of the fire and he says it's a miracle she survived.
"You put them into what you think is a safe facility -- somebody is going to look after them, take care of them...and they're not," Crenshaw told CTV News at the time.
As Ontario moves to close the loophole, other provinces say they should also get on board.
Last month, a man died when a fire broke out at a seniors’ residence in British Columbia. The residence was not equipped with sprinklers.
The changes in Ontario were based on advice from an advisory committee comprised of local fire organizations and seniors committees.
More than 40,000 seniors live in approximately 700 retirement homes in Ontario. The advisory committee also looked at 400 long-term care facilities and 3,000 other homes for vulnerable residents.
Other recommendations to be implemented in Ontario include:
- Enhancing training for operators and fire services
- Annual fire drills and validation of fire safety plans at the facilities
- Municipalities must develop a registry that lists the occupancies of all care and treatment facilities.
London, Ont. Deputy Fire Chief Jim Jessop, who has been calling for government action for years, said the impact will “absolutely” affect homes in London and municipalities like it by providing protection from fire.
“Our advice would be if you’re moving a loved one into a home, make sure it’s sprinklered,” Jessop said.
The new requirements will undergo a phase-in period and come into effect Jan. 1, 2014. In most cases, facilities have up to five years to comply.
With a report from CTV’s Omar Sachedina and CTV London’s Nick Paparella
