Alabama Administrative Code
Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
Chapter 420-5-20 - SPECIALTY CARE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES
Section 420-5-20-.11 - Fire And Safety
Universal Citation: AL Admin Code R 420-5-20-.11
Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 11, August 30, 2024
(1) General.
(a) Fire Safety and
Emergency Plan. All specialty care assisted living facilities shall maintain a
current written fire safety, relocation, and evacuation plan. In facilities
which do not have multiple smoke compartments, an evacuation floor plan shall
be appropriately posted in a conspicuous place.
(b) Fire Drills. Fire drills shall be
conducted at least once per month in all facilities at varying times and days
and quarterly on each shift. All fire drills shall be initiated by the fire
alarm system. The drills may be announced in advance to the residents. The
drills shall involve the actual evacuation of residents to assembly areas in
adjacent smoke compartments or to the exterior as specified in the emergency
plan to provide staff and residents with experience in exiting through all
exits required by the Life Safety Code. Written observations of the
effectiveness of the fire drill plan shall be assessed monthly, filed, and kept
for at least three years.
(c) Fire
Drills During Resident Sleeping Hours. When drills are conducted between 9 PM
and 6 AM, a coded announcement shall be permitted to be used instead of the
normal audible fire alarm signals. These drills may be conducted without
disturbing sleeping residents, by using simulated residents or empty
wheelchairs.
(d) Roller latches are
prohibited on doors separating corridors from adjacent spaces.
(e) If alcohol-based hand rub dispensers are
used in the facility, the dispensers must be installed in a manner that:
1. Minimizes leaks and spills.
2. Adequately protects against inappropriate
access.
3. Complies with the
requirements of the currently adopted Life Safety Code.
(f) Fire Alarm and Sprinkler System.
1. Fire Alarm System. Where fire alarm
systems are required, a corridor smoke detection system shall be installed on
each floor, including areas open to the exit access corridor, to comply with
NFPA 72, connected to the facility's fire alarm system. In lieu of corridor
smoke detection, smoke detectors connected to the building fire alarm system
may be installed in each resident's room, open areas, and at smoke doors
(except that corridor smoke detection shall not be deleted when its use is
dictated by other requirements).
2.
Fire alarm and sprinkler system outages of more than 4 hours require evacuation
of the facility or the establishment of a continuous fire watch. The fire watch
procedure must be coordinated with the Department and the local Fire Marshal.
Outages and fire watch documentation shall be reported to the Department within
12 hours or no later than the next duty day, and shall be corrected
expeditiously.
3. The fire alarm
system and the sprinkler system shall be inspected by licensed, trained, and
qualified personnel at least semiannually for compliance with the respective
codes. Inspection and Testing reports shall be maintained in the facility for a
period of at least 3 years.
Authors: Victor Hunt
Statutory Authority: Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-21-20, et seq.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Alabama may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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