Most York Region seniors homes have sprinklers

YorkRegion.com

Even before last weeks tragic fire at a senior citizens residence in LIsle-Verte, Que., the province was already moving toward improving safety for Ontarios care homes.

Since the fire at Rsidence du Havre, it has emerged the section of the retirement home razed by Thursday mornings blaze lacked a sprinkler system and wasnt required to have one under Quebec law. That provinces government has already pledged to review all of its regulations with respect to sprinkler systems in old age homes.

Investigators are now reportedly looking at if smoking may have been the cause, though similar to Ontario, smoking inside the facility would have been illegal in Quebec.

Ontario Fire Marshal Ted Wieclawek declined to compare fire safety policies between the two provinces, but noted amendments to the fire and building codes were introduced here in May.

I can tell you Ontario is the first jurisdiction in Canada to institute mandatory sprinkler systems for vulnerable residences, he said, adding the new rules also include self-closing doors, enhanced inspections and staff training and a requirement to have safety plans validated by local fire services.

Under the legislation, which came into effect Jan. 1, all licensed retirement homes and most private care facilities will have five years to install sprinklers, although some care and treatment facilities, including public long-term care homes, will have up to an 11-year phase-in period, Mr. Wieclawek said, explaining the longer timeline for some sites will allow them to incorporate sprinkler installation into redevelopments that may already be planned.

Those deadlines were drawn up through consultation with various stakeholders, including the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Ontario Retirement Communities Association, he said.

Even so, Health and Long-Term Care Minister Deb Matthews announced Friday she may fast-track the legislations requirement to have sprinklers installed.

Since 1998, most of the retirement homes built in Ontario have been required to have sprinklers and the Retirement Homes Act mandates all information about if a given facility has a sprinkler system be made publicly accessible. Of the 700 retirement homes in Ontario, which altogether house more than 50,000 residents, about 60 per cent already have a sprinkler system installed, Mr. Wieclawek said.

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Most York Region seniors homes have sprinklers