Anderson nursing home had no sprinkler system
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Anderson nursing home had no sprinkler system

Date: November 27, 2006
By: Rachel Bunning
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: The southern Missouri nursing home where 10 people died early Monday morning had no sprinkler system.  Rachel Bunning has more from the state Capitol. 

RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

Fire officials responded to a blaze at the Anderson Guest House, a residential care facility  35 minutes south of Joplin.  Ten people are confirmed dead and more than two dozen are injured.

The nursing home, classified as a level II facility, was not required to have a sprinkler system installed. According to a new law signed by the governor, facilities like this one can legally choose not to include the safety measure.  

State Senator Bill Stouffer sponsored the bill which became law this summer.

Actuality:  STOUFFER.WAV
Run Time: 00:07
Description: "It's one of those things that as you move update facilities some get left behind, and apparently this one wasn't sprinkled."



The cause of the fire is still undetermined. The local fire marshall has declared the site a crime scene, but says no foul play is currently suspected.

From the Capitol, I'm Rachel Bunning.
Intro: According to a bill passed this summer, the nursing home where 10 people died Monday was not required to have a sprinkler system. Rachel Bunning has more from the capitol. RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

A law passed in August proposing stricter regulations for long term care facilities, states that nursing homes classified at the level of residential care II are not required to install a sprinkler system.

The Anderson Guest House, the location of the fire early Monday morning that killed ten and injured 24, had this lower classification.

The law only requires facilities with an assisted living classification to install the sprinkler systems. 

Facilities can choose to change classifications says State Senator Bill Stouffer, sponsor of the law, however he states the Anderson facility decided against it.

 

Actuality:  STFFER2.WAV
Run Time: 00:11
Description: They chose not to, in fact there was a letter that they submitted that they chose not to go to assisted living and so they were going to remain as residential care two which was allowed in the bill.

The cause of the fatal fire is still undetermined.  The local fire marshal has declared the site a crime scene, but says no foul play is currently suspected.

From the Capitol, I'm Rachel Bunning.