Partner in Safety
.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=14d2cc0ed84989c0b3c847d173871048)
South Metro Fire Rescue is partnering with our Assisted Living Communities to promote a culture of safety for all residents and staff. Partner In Safety is a program meant to simplify the requirements set by our Fire Marshal’s Office and the State of Colorado so our communities can ensure compliance. Partner in Safety is also intended help our Firefighters and Medics best care for the residents of these communities during fire and medical emergencies.
There are 6 Requirements to become a Partner in Safety:
- Fire Drills conducted on every shift the correct amount of times per year.
- No open fire inspection violations within your current inspection cycle.
- All Employees understand their role in a medical emergency and how/when to use 911.
- Educational class held with the community discussing fire safety and evacuations, File of Life, and DNR/MOST Forms.
- Educational class held with the staff discussing how to assist during fire evacuations.
- Staff training on mitigating fall hazards and how to safely lift a person after a fall.
Qualifying as a Partner in Safety will provide your community with an annual award showing residents that their staff members are actively partnering with South Metro Fire Rescue in a commitment to resident safety and well-being.
PRINT THE PARTNER IN SAFETY CHECKLIST to keep track of your progress.
Partner in Safety Checklist.pdf
.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C790%2C1303%2C471&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=03bebeecc318092d35d7682e858f8ef9)
REQUIRED Resources for Partner in Safety
“Fire Drills are required semi-annually on each shift and shall include all occupants.” Partner in Safety also requires that there are no open fire inspection violations within your current inspection cycle. These inspections will be scheduled through our Fire Marshal’s office and will be held annually.
Fire Drills need to be completed on your own with one scheduled with South Metro so we can provide feedback to make sure they are running smoothly.
Request SMFR’s Community Risk Reduction Team to observe one of your fire drills through the “Contact Us” Page or by emailing ReducingRisk@SouthMetro.org.
Accidental fire alarm activations do not count as a fire drill.
Please review the correspondence below for more information on the adopted fire codes associated with emergency evacuation plans for Nursing Homes, Assisted Living, and Independent Living from our Fire Marshal:
Evacuation Planning - Institutional & Residential.pdf
Fire Drills are essential to ensuring the safety of residents and staff during an emergency. Our video “How to Run a Fire Drill” will help teach the steps essential to running a successful fire drill. (Need Link to Video on “How to Run a Fire Drill”)
Evacuations can also be complicated by mobility concerns of older adults. Consider watching our videos on how to best assist residents with mobility concerns during an evacuation provided on our Video Library page.
Classes available for Staff include training on lifting residents after a fall, mitigating fall hazards, hands-only CPR, and assisting during evacuations.
Reach out to ReducingRisk@southmetro.org or through our “Contact Us” page to find a date and time a specialist can visit your community to teach a class.
Classes available for Residents include training on fire safety and evacuation techniques, older adult safety skills, and cooking safety.
Reach out to ReducingRisk@southmetro.org or through our “Contact Us” page to find a date and time a specialist can visit your community to teach a class.
South Metro Fire Rescue is available for all emergencies, but our Medics are often limited in only transporting patients to the Emergency Room of the closest hospital. Although this is appropriate for many medical emergencies, an urgent care or doctor’s appointment might be a more appropriate option for your residents. Providing this education to staff and residents is important to properly utilizing the 911 system.
Handling a medical emergency can be a stressful situation, especially if at a loss of how to help. The video "Check, Call, Prepare” provides 3 simple steps to follow when calling 911 to make sure your residents are taken care of by staff and responding medical personnel. “Check, Call, Prepare” ensures our medics have all the information and paperwork required to best care for the patient. You can find this video in the "Required Videos" page.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regulates all Assisted Living Communities. For your convenience, we have provided a link to the CDPHE online newsletter with training on the rules under Chapter 7, which addresses Assisted Living Residences and department oversight. You will find the regulations for staff lift assistance under ‘Training Modules,’ Part 12, sections 16-18.
While you are required to be familiar with and comply with any regulations pertaining to your community, the Partner in Safety application will ask you to confirm that your staff has received training on the Code of Colorado Regulations regarding Lift Assistance.
Please CLICK HERE to review these regulations.
Hands-Only CPR is not a certification, but studies show it is just as effective as conventional CPR if administered in the first couple minutes of a cardiac arrest emergency. The more staff who are capable of quickly administering quality compressions has been proven to dramatically improve patient outcome. Administering compressions between the time of collapse and EMS personnel arrival is essential for potential brain function post arrest.
.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&w=2000&h=2000&fit=max&or=0&s=3a23242596750f4937b10d2ef7b1ad4e)
ADDITIONAL Resources for Partner in Safety
Assisting an individual up from the floor can be dangerous if not done correctly. Make sure you are reviewing your protocols to safely lift community members. We have also provided this video on "How to Help Someone Up After A Fall" Video for additional lifting strategies.
Review all other videos in our VIDEO LIBRARY for information on medical emergencies, navigating stairs, evacuating safely, and more.