Gov. Blunt calls for sprinkler mandate after group home fire

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt on Friday proposed a sprinkler system mandate for Missouri's long-term care facilities in response to a fire that killed 11 people at a group home for the mentally ill.

The Anderson Guest House was not equipped with sprinklers when a Nov. 27 fire started in the attic and swept through the one-story building. After the fire, Blunt ordered a review of Missouri's fire safety regulations for such facilities.

Besides recommending new automatic sprinkler requirements, the joint report from the departments of health and mental health also suggests improved fire alarm requirements and more stringent standards for electrical wiring inspections.

Although it has not pinpointed an exact reason for the fatal southwest Missouri fire, the state fire marshal's office found improper wiring in part of the attic still standing and cited an electrical short or overload in the attic as a possible cause.

The report also seeks new department powers to impose fines for fire safety violations, instead of having to pursue such fines through court, and to also impose fines for facilities with repeat state inspection citations -- even if the problems were subsequently fixed.

Documents provided to The Associated Press under the state open records law have shown the Anderson facility and others also owned Robert and LaVerne DuPont or run by Joplin River of Life Ministries Inc. had a history of fire safety violations.

The governor's office released the report's 11 recommendations -- along with his statement embracing the sprinkler system mandate -- shortly after the close of business Friday, as state workers departed for a three-day holiday weekend.

Blunt said he had encouraged the agencies to include the sprinkler recommendations as part of their report. He called it "a first step to improve safety for vulnerable Missourians" while adding he also would consider other recommendations.

The report said more than half of Missouri's residential care and assisted living facilities -- 330 of a total 578 -- lack sprinkler systems. Current regulations require sprinkler systems in all facilities opened after October 2000, and in some cases before then depending on the number of stories in the building and the type of construction.

Blunt called on the departments to enhance their regulations to require sprinklers in all long-term care facilities. The report also suggested a change in state law to fortify that requirement.

Current regulations allow various types of fire alarm systems at long-term-care facilities, ranging from simple home smoke detectors to complete systems that also detect heat and automatically ring the local fire department when set off. The report recommends such complete fire alarm systems be installed in all facilities.

It also recommends a minimum of two unannounced annual fire drills that include resident evacuations -- instead of one announced evacuation -- in which staff also demonstrate their ability to evacuate bed-bound residents under the supervision of the local fire department.

Another recommendation calls for local or state fire officials to conduct the annual fire safety training for facility staff members. There currently is no requirement on the qualifications of the people who provide that training.

The report also recommends that smoking be banned in bedrooms and restricted only to designated smoking areas at long-term-care facilities.

It recommends new rules requiring long-term-care facilities to immediately report any fire -- regardless of size or whether anyone is killed or injured -- to the Department of Health and Senior Services. Although that already is the case for fires that kill or injure residents, current regulations give facilities seven days to send a written notice on other fires.