Sacramento - On a bipartisan vote, the Senate Human Services Committee today approved Assembly Bill 759, a measure authored by Assemblymember Betty Karnette (D – Long Beach) that requires annual fire inspections in senior care homes.  Over 10 seniors have died in state care home fires since 1991, including three deaths at a Citrus Heights facility in 2006 and three deaths at a Torrance facility in 2002. 

“Senior citizens who live in care homes don’t have the physical ability to jump up and run out the door to escape a burning building,” said Karnette.  “Annual fire inspections will help make sure that senior care homes are as fire-safe as possible until we can convince senior home operators to do the right thing and install fire sprinklers.” 

AB 759 originally required Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFEs) to install fire sprinklers.  However, the state Department of Social Services opposed the fire sprinkler mandate due to concerns that sprinkler costs could lead to a reduction in the quality or availability of senior residential care services as a whole. 

Karnette questions the inflated cost estimates and cost effects of fire sprinkler installation touted by opponents of the sprinkler mandate, but agreed to replace the sprinkler requirement with a requirement for annual inspections in order to provide fire safety improvement quickly.  Supporters of AB 759 had estimated that installation of fire sprinklers would have cost approximately $2.50 per square foot, which equates to $5,000 for a 2,000 sq. ft. facility.  Sprinkler opponents believe that the cost is closer to $20,000.

“Inspections are important, but they will be useless unless the Department of Social Services is willing to act quickly and decisively on behalf of fire safety when fire code violations are found,” said Karnette.  “When you consider that three seniors were killed by fire at a Citrus Heights care home that reportedly had numerous fire code violations before the fatal fire occurred, you begin to see how inspections can’t improve fire safety by themselves.  Inspections must be accompanied by swift and meaningful enforcement.”

AB 759 now proceeds to the Senate Appropriations Committee.