A fire at a Kentucky nursing home on March 4 sent more than a dozen residents to the hospital and displaced dozens more. Crews from the Bardstown Fire Department responded to the facility just after 6:30 a.m., arriving to find flames venting from a window. By then, police and nursing home staff had already begun evacuating residents, while firefighters conducted a search of the building and worked to extinguish the flames.
When crews arrived, fire and smoke were visible from the south end of the building’s west wing, which housed 49 residents. Nursing home staff and Bardstown police officers assisted in evacuating residents, while additional firefighters ensured all residents were safely removed from the building.
The fire department reported that 15 residents and three staff members were taken to the hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. Two Bardstown police officers also suffered smoke inhalation and were hospitalized but have since been released.
Approximately 38 other residents were transported to a sister facility in Louisville by local school buses, according to the fire department.
The fire department determined that the fire was caused by an electrical failure in the HVAC unit.
Compliance Perspective
Issue
Facility staff must be well-versed in life safety and emergency preparedness requirements. Facility leaders are responsible for reviewing the Emergency Preparedness Plan and Life Safety Code specifications to ensure staff are knowledgeable and compliant. It is crucial that the facility’s Emergency Preparedness Plan is regularly reviewed and promptly implemented during any emergency. An effective plan should address fire emergencies and outline detailed procedures for total facility evacuation, equipment transport, secure handling of medications and medical records, and more. For further details, refer to the CMS State Operations Manual, Appendix Z, available here.
Discussion Points
- Review your Emergency Preparedness Plan and update as necessary. Review the most current Life Safety codes and ensure that your building meets those requirements. Make sure the Plan is available to staff so they can easily access the guidelines for the various components should an emergency occur.
- Train all staff members on the Emergency Preparedness Plan and conduct regular drills for various disaster scenarios to ensure staff competency. Ensure the facility’s maintenance director is familiar with current Life Safety codes and provide additional training as needed. Additionally, participate in annual area-wide drills with local emergency response teams to ensure coordination and readiness during an emergency. Make sure all training and drill participation is documented and accessible for surveyor review when required.
- Periodically conduct environmental audits to ensure that Life Safety codes are being followed. Evaluate staff awareness of their roles during emergencies as outlined in the Emergency Preparedness Plan.
*This news alert has been prepared by Med-Net Concepts, Inc. for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal advice.*