Sprinklers can save lives

New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell wrote to Treasurer Wayne Swan late last month requesting hundreds of millions of dollars to be used to retrofit aged care facilities with sprinklers after 11 elderly residents were killed in a fatal fire.

With about 900 aged care facilities without sprinklers, National Seniors chief executive, Michael O’Neill, says sprinklers are a “basic standard”.

“We expect them in our childcare centres, schools and hospitals – why not nursing homes?” he asks.

Principal Quakers Hill aged care facility lost 11 of its residents after a deliberately lit fire swept through the building in November last year. A staff member was charged with multiple counts of murder.

While Victoria and Queensland require all of its aged care facilities to feature sprinklers, NSW does not have this requirement after a government audit stated 636 facilities
could go without sprinklers.

With an obligation to meet certain building codes, Aged Care Association Australia chief executive, Rod Young, tells DPS News fire sprinklers will “obviously raise safety standards”, reducing the hazardous risks to residents.

“I guess it’s a matter of looking at overall risk factors, recognising the client base is getting older and frailer and less mobile.

“Every additional feature included in buildings helps. At the end of day, fire sprinklers would also add another element to lower the risk exposure to residents,” he says.

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