Affordable Fire Safety in Board and Care Homes: A Regulatory Challenge. Interim Report

Published

May 1, 1992

Author(s)

Bernard M. Levin, N E. Groner, R Paulsen

Abstract

This is an interim report on a project concerning fire safety in Board and Care Homes. Homes vary greatly in the level of disability of residents and financial resources of the residents. A major concern is the availability of satisfactory care for clients with limited funds. Meeting fire safety codes can mean an unaffordable capital cost to financially marginal providers who cannot borrow money. One focus of the study is the use of the provisions in the Life Safety Code. Many agencies use these requirements and find they lead to a high level of safety without excessive costs. All have developed or adopted a procedure for rating Evacuation Difficulty that they find workable, and many find satisfactory. Other agencies use other requirements, sometimes more lenient and often more strict. Costs of fire safety systems, such as sprinklers, can vary greatly, impending a dialogue on the benefit-cost relationships of these systems. It appears that in some locations there are many homes that provide the services of Board and Care Homes but are not regulated.

Citation

Grant/Contract Reports (NISTGCR) - 92-611

Report Number

92-611

NIST Pub Series

Grant/Contract Reports (NISTGCR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

board and care homes, fire safety, costs, fire codes, human behavior, planning

Citation

Levin, B. , Groner, N. and Paulsen, R. (1992), Affordable Fire Safety in Board and Care Homes: A Regulatory Challenge. Interim Report, Grant/Contract Reports (NISTGCR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=916603 (Accessed January 15, 2025)