The Kozy Kottage assisted living facility was in violation of multiple health and safety measures before two people died and four others were injured in a fire there last week, according to an Associated Press report. The four people who were injured in the March 3 fire at the facility, located in the 2800 block of Lawina Road, remain hospitalized in critical condition.
Just three months before, in January of 2017, fire inspectors learned that the usage of part of the building had changed without first notifying the appropriate safety officials, as required. A section of the living room had been converted into a bedroom. These inspectors also learned the following: emergency and disaster plans, although available, were not regularly reviewed; residents’ medical products were not stored in a safe manner; facility records inaccurately reflected the number of residents at the location; and there was no alarm system that would go off if a resident tried to leave the building without the knowledge of staff or if an unauthorized person tried to get into the building unseen.
Fire investigators are still trying to determine the source of the blaze at the two-story home, located in the Windsor Hills neighborhood. It took 40 firefighters an hour to bring the fire, which broke out around 2:00 a.m., under control.
We are unsure if any of the problems uncovered during the January inspection were resolved or if they had any association with the fire at Kozy Kottage. We do know that residents of assisted living facilities relay on those taking care of them to make sure they are safe. In addition, many of the elderly people living in these kinds of residential facilities have bad health and limited mobility. For this reason, it is imperative that owners, managers and maintenance employees take every measure to prevent fires. This includes reporting possible risks and fixing known problems as soon as possible.
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