Section 52.55. Fire safety.

 

(1)   Evacuation plan. A center in consultation with the local fire department shall develop a detailed flow chart type evacuation plan for each building with arrows pointing to exits. The center shall do all of the following:

(a) Post the evacuation plan for a building in a conspicuous place in the building.

(b) Be able to provide through plan procedures for both of the following:

1. Safe conveyance of all residents promptly from the center by staff in one trip.

2. Designated places away from the center to which all residents are evacuated or at which all are to meet so that it can be determined if all residents are out of danger.

(c) Make the evacuation plan familiar to all staff and residents upon their initial arrival at the center.

(2)   Evacuation drills.

(a) Each center shall conduct evacuation drills as follows:

1. An announced drill at least once every 2 months.

2. An unannounced drill at least every 6 months.

(b) A center shall maintain a log of all evacuation drills that records the date and time of each drill, the time required to evacuate the building and any problems associated with the evacuation.

(3)   Fire department inspection. A center shall arrange for the local fire department to conduct a fire inspection of the center each year. The center shall maintain on file a copy of inspection report.

(4)   Smoke detection system.

(a) Smoke detectors shall be installed and in accordance with ch. SPS 316 and chs. SPS 361 to 366 , the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code, applicable local ordinances, and this section. Individual smoke detectors shall be tested according to the manufacturer's instructions but not less than once a month. Interconnected smoke detectors shall be inspected and maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's or installer's instructions and shall be tested not less than every 3 months. The center shall keep a log of the tests with dates and times.

(b) A center built or initially licensed before 1982 shall have, at minimum, a battery operated smoke detection system meeting the requirements under pars. (a) and (c) 3. and 5.

(c) A center built in 1982 or later or a licensee moving a center to a different building after September 1, 2000 shall have an interconnected smoke detection system meeting all of the following requirements:

1. Except as provided under subd. 2. , a building housing residents shall have, at a minimum, a smoke detection system to protect the entire building. That system shall either trigger alarms throughout the building or trigger an alarm located centrally. The alarm shall be audible throughout the building when the detector activates.

2. A building that has no more than 8 beds may have a radio-transmitting smoke detection system located in a central area of the building. That system shall trigger an audible alarm heard throughout the building.

3. A smoke detection system shall be installed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

4. An interconnected smoke detection system installed on or after September 1, 2000 shall have a secondary power source.

5. A center shall have a smoke detector located in at least the following locations in each building housing residents:

a. In the basement.

b. At the head of every open stairway.

c. At the door on each floor level leading to every enclosed stairway.

d. In every corridor, spaced in accordance with the manufacturer's separation specifications.

e. In each common use room, including every living room, dining room, family room, lounge and recreation area.

f. In each sleeping area of each living unit or within 6 feet from the doorway of each sleeping area.

6. Smoke detectors shall not be installed in a kitchen.

(5)   Stairway smoke containment. A center shall provide floor-to-floor smoke cut-off through a one hour labeled fire-resistant self-closing door for open interior stairways and for all enclosed interior stairways at each floor level to provide floor to floor smoke separation.

(6)   Heat sensing devices. A center shall have heat-sensing devices in the kitchen and attic.

(7)   Sprinkler system inspection. Where a sprinkler system has been installed under s. DCF 52.51 (2) , the system shall be inspected and tested in accordance with NFPA Code 25. The center shall keep a copy of the certification of inspection on file.

(8)   Fire safety training. All center staff shall take a technical college course or receive training from someone who has taken a technical college "train the trainer" course on fire safety and evacuation developed for community-based residential facilities regulated under ch. DHS 83 . New center staff shall take the training within 6 months after beginning work at the center. All center staff shall be familiar with all of the following:

(a) Facility fire emergency plans and evacuation procedures.

(b) Fire extinguisher use.

(c) Fire prevention techniques.

(9)   Flammables.

(a) A center shall keep all flammable liquid fuels in separate buildings not attached to buildings housing residents. Flammable liquid fuels shall be inaccessible to residents. Storage and labeling of flammable liquid fuel containers shall meet requirements for portable tank storage in ch. SPS 314 . A center shall limit total storage to 10 gallons in each of the separate buildings, except for the contents of the gasoline tanks of motor vehicles.

(b) Other flammables such as paints, varnishes and turpentine shall be stored in fire-proof cabinets meeting the requirements of chs. SPS 361 to 366 . The center shall keep these flammables locked and inaccessible to residents, unless a flammable is used in an activity supervised by staff with experience in using these kinds of flammable liquids.

(10)   Fire extinguishers. A center shall meet all of the following requirements for fire extinguishers:

(a) Buildings or areas in which flammable liquids are stored, and kitchen areas, shall have a fire extinguisher with a 2A, 40 BC rating.

(b) Other buildings shall have fire extinguishers with a minimum 2A, 10 BC, rating.

(c) The number, location, mounting, placement and maintenance of fire extinguishers shall comply with chs. SPS 314 and 361 to 366 .

(d) Each floor used for resident activities shall have at least one fire extinguisher.

(11)   Prohibited heating and cooking devices.

(a) Center buildings housing residents may not use portable space heaters or any device which has an open flame.

(b) Bedrooms may not contain cooking devices.

(12)   Isolation of hazards. Centers shall comply with chs. SPS 361 to 366 , the Wisconsin Commercial Building Code and applicable local ordinances on isolation of hazards within buildings.

(13)   Use of listed equipment. Smoke and heat detectors and sprinkler equipment installed under this section shall be listed by a nationally recognized laboratory that maintains periodic inspection of production of tested equipment. The list shall state that the equipment meets nationally recognized standards or has been tested and found suitable for use in a specified manner.

History: Cr. Register, February, 2000, No. 530 , eff. 9-1-00; correction in (12) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, June, 2001, No. 546 ; CR 04-040 : am. (4) (a) and (12) Register December 2004 No. 588 , eff. 1-1-05; correction in (10) (c) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2004 No. 588 ; corrections in (7), (8) (intro.) and (9) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register November 2008 No. 635 ; correction in (4) (a), (9) (a), (b), (10) (c), (12) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register December 2011 No. 672 , eff. 1-1-12.

Note

It is recommended that a rate-of-rise heat detector be used in an attic rather than a fixed temperature heat detector. Rate-of-rise heat detectors respond to a fire sooner, particularly when it is cold outside. It is recommended that a fixed temperature heat detector be used in the kitchen. Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1