Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 19, September 20, 2024
A. The Director shall ensure that the Warden develops procedures to establish a fire plan in conjunction with the Fire Marshal of the locality.
B. The Director shall ensure that the Warden appoints a fire safety officer who has completed a qualified fire safety program.
C. The Director shall ensure that the fire plan includes the following elements:
(1) Inspection by the fire safety officer of the Institution on a monthly basis with required documentation sent to the Warden;
(2) Annual review and revision as needed;
(3) Availability of the plan to staff;
(4) Posting of the fire plan in designated areas;
(5) Establishment of teams to conduct firefighting, evacuation, security, and first aid;
(6) Fire stations for individual extinguishers;
(7) Teams for each extinguishing device;
(8) Conduct of quarterly fire drills which meet the following criteria:
(a) Under varying conditions,
(b) On a staggered basis,
(c) On random days,
(d) At random times, and
(e) On all shifts;
(9) Evacuation procedures associated with the conduct of a fire drill which considers security requirements and public safety;
(10) Establishment of an ongoing relationship with the local fire department to ensure:
(a) Understanding of community emergency service capabilities by Institution administration and staff, and
(b) Ongoing communication and coordination;
(11) Provision for good housekeeping standards within the Institution;
(12) Requirement for constant vigilance by staff to detect and eliminate fire hazards;
(13) Development of a master list of each Institution fire extinguisher which includes the following provisions:
(a) Monitoring extinguisher charge levels,
(b) Recharging or filling of an extinguisher, and
(c) Replacement of an extinguisher which is being repaired with a fully charged, operational extinguisher;
(14) Testing of each alarm system by the fire safety officer on a quarterly basis with requirement for maintenance of appropriate documentation;
(15) Immediate notification of any fire of significance to the Office of the Secretary and when the fire department is summoned to the Institution, the Warden shall ensure that Office of the Secretary personnel are notified in the following manner:
(a) The Assistant Secretary during normal business hours, or
(b) The Department Public Information Officer during hours other than those set for normal business;
(16) Establishment of a contingency plan, coordinated with all participants, for transferring inmates to alternate facilities under emergency conditions;
(17) Mandatory training requirements for each employee to ensure understanding of the fire safety plan; and
(18) Establishment of a list of support agencies which will be reviewed and updated annually.
D. The Director shall ensure that each employee acknowledges awareness of the Institution fire plan for the employee's place of employment.
E. The Director shall ensure that when a fire or other emergency occurs within the Institution and the estimate of damage exceeds $1,000, the Warden submits a written report to the Office of the Secretary and the Maryland State Treasurer, Insurance Division, within 5 working days.
F. The Director shall reasonably ensure that each inmate is made aware of the Institution's fire response plan for inmates.
