Alabama Administrative Code › Title 420 - ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF HEALTH › Chapter 420-5-4 - ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES › Section 420-5-4-.11 - Fire And Safety

Current through Register Vol. 42, No. 9, June 28, 2024
(1)
General.
(a) Fire Safety and
			 Emergency Plan. All 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 of Group and
			 Congregate facilities. 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 currently adopted
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 12,
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.