The Fire Next Time?

The inferno pictured here didn't happen in the United States - it took place last February in Podyelsk, Russia, when a nursing home went up in flames and killed 23 residents.

Thank goodness things like that can't happen here, right?

Sadly, that's not right. It can happen here -- right here in Montgomery County, PA -- especially when you have accidents waiting to happen like the high-rise Shannondell monstrosity in Audubon, Lower Providence Twp.

Shannondell features buildings as tall as seven stories, filled with aging retirees in various stages of ability and mobility. Some with canes, some with walkers, some with wheelchairs, all of whom would need to get out in a hurry in case a fire breaks out.

Of course, in the event of an emergency, the first thing that happens is that the elevators automatically shut down. Now picture these senior residents trying to make their way down seven flights of stairs in a dark, smoky building. It's not a pretty picture, and it suggests that what happened in Russia earlier this year could pale in comparison to what might take place in a worst-case scenario at Shannondell.

But that could never happen, I've heard Shannondell supporters argue. Those buildings have sprinklers and are fire-resistant, they say.

And in answer, I refer you to last fall's report from Medicare, which inspected Shannondell's nursing home component for, among other things, its fire safety level.

They found the facility had three times the fire-safety deficiences of the average US nursing home. Triple the average number of potential fire hazards. That's just plain scary.

Among the serious problems they uncovered were improperly maintained smoke detectors, sprinklers that were not in working order, obstructed exits and no record of fire drills being conducted.

It's a disgrace, and a horrific disaster waiting to happen. The county should have shut the place down based on that report alone.

The sad truth is that these high-rise mistakes should never have been built. But now that they are there, there has to be a minimum level of preparedness, starting with monthly inspections to make sure that all systems and equipment are in proper working order.

There should also be a complete disaster plan in place that includes fire evacuation drills under "like-real" (e.g.,no elevators) conditions, a floor-by-floor plan for getting every resident safely out of the building via the stairway, and reassigning living space for anyone who cannot be evacuated from an upper floor without an elevator.

That is the bare minimum that's needed, and I have my doubts whether anything close to that has happened thus far.

Sprinklers and elevators are great for advertising brochures. But if disaster ever strikes -- which, according to federal inspectors is three times more likely at Shannondell than at your average facility -- it won't mean much to the elderly residents admiring the smoky view from their toasty seventh-floor firetrap.