When the new state Uniform Construction Code known as the UCC was put in place one thing happened and it was very quietly done . In the state of Pa. State inspectors no longer perform life safety checks at Assisted Living , Daycare,Group Homes , Some Rehab Centers and Private Schools this has been delegated to each and every community and mostly falls on the Fire Depts. them selves to do it.
Just in my community there are over 50 licensed facility's how in the hell was the local fire marshal suppose to inspect all these facility plus do all his other duty's? That's right he could not local depts . needed to help him with some .What about community's with out a Fire Marshal thats also right its up to local fire dept to do it.
But where back to the same old issue who in the fire dept is going to do it? Does the fire dept even have some one qualified to properly do it and is there qualifications enough to meet state standards? In the case of volunteer depts this means finding some one to do it who is not working during the day a very big problem to get people to take off from work and do this. What liability is a fire dept facing should one of its members doing an inspection face should he or she do it wrong or just blow it off and there's a fire and serious damage or loss of life?
Yes there are plenty of questions that need answered before we have a major crisis in this state because some one not properly trained or trained but fails to do proper inspection causes a problem.
We also have the problem of
It being all too easy for a assisted living facility to just sign off on paper work and inspectors who come in and check the paper work have no ideal if fire dept signed off on it or not .
State inspectors may or may not ,make a phone call to local dept. and when no ones there to answer will follow up calls etc be completed to make sure who actually did the inspection?
Before the UCC state inspectors did check exit signs , emergency lights , make sure exits are clear extinguishers serviced, range hoods are cleaned and serviced Fire alarms working etc. etc. but they no longer do it. all they do now is sit there and check paper work. They have put the burden on fire depts some of whom are not up to the task.
It is going to be another case of duck and cover your ass after a serious incident happens in this state after depts and there officers get sued and is the state going to exempt you? good question Because you could see firefighters brought up on criminal charges for signing off on inspections they did not do.
Just walk into any of the licensed facility in Allegheny County see how ell there maintained and then walk into one in Washington County which is more rural and you will see major horrifying problems allowed to go along because the small depts down there do not have a vigorous program in place to check all places properly. it is just a matter of time till that ticking time bomb goes off and we have another horrifying fire with deaths like we did in Erie and as usual it will be queitly overlooked and
things normal as usual. how many deaths will it take this time till we do something in this state 12- 22 maybe 3 or 4 of these tragedy's before something happens.
Just look at the Horse shit thats happened in Pa. because we do not regulate Radiation technologists and one is accused of a major hepatitis out break.
Before any one signs off from your dept on any of these forms for any of these licensed facility check and make sure there training is adequate your dept. has adequate insurance and if not then make sure it does.
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