Fire Safety Evaluation Systems for Board and Care Homes. Final Report.
Fire Safety Evaluation Systems for Board and Care Homes.
Final Report.
(4421 K)
Nelson, H. E.; Levin, B. M.; Shibe, A. J.; Groner, N.
E.; Paulsen, R. L.; Alvord, D. M.; Thorne, S. D.
NBSIR 83-2659; 196 p. March 1983.
Sponsor:
Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB83-192674
Keywords:
apartments; board and care homes; developmentally
disabled; egress; elderly persons; evacuation; fire
safety; Fire Safety Evaluation System; handicapped;
mental retardation; residential buildings
Abstract:
Board and Care Homes for residents with mental
retardation, the infirmities of age, or mental illness
are a new type of occupancy, and model fire safety codes
do not have requirements specifically for this type of
occupancy. In support of efforts to write model codes
for this type of occupancy, a Fire Safety Evaluation
System has been developed. It can be used for
determining if a home has fire safety equivalent to that
obtained by meeting the requirements of a given code.
The system was calibrated for use with a proposed
chapter of the Life Safety Code. There are three sets
of requirements: one for small dwelling units, one for
large facilities, and one for apartment houses. Within
each set, there are four levels of evacuation capability
of the residents and staff -- prompt, moderate, slow,
and impractical, each with a different requirement for
fire safety features, so that homes with more capable
residents will not be required to have as many fire
safety features to meet the desired level of safety. A
novel rating system is described for determining the
evacuation capabilities of the residents with available
staff assistance. A field test is described.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899