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

Published

July 1, 1993

Author(s)

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

Abstract

This is the final technical 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) - 93-632

Report Number

93-632

NIST Pub Series

Grant/Contract Reports (NISTGCR)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

board and care homes, egress, elderly persons, evacuation, fire codes, fire safety, handicapped, NFPA 101, residential buildings, sprinklers

Citation

Levin, B. , Groner, N. and Paulsen, R. (1993), Affordable Fire Safety in Board and Care Homes. A Regulatory Challenge. Final Report, Grant/Contract Reports (NISTGCR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=916602 (Accessed October 14, 2025)