MILWAUKEE — One person was killed and two others hurt in a fire on the third floor of a senior living apartment complex on the southwest side near 22nd and Layton. Firefighters say two other people in the building were hurt.
While the cause is still being investigated, TMJ4 News looked into the regulations in place in our state, to protect some of the most vulnerable in our community.
There have been several fires recently at other senior living apartment complexes, including a fire at the Cambridge Apartments on Milwaukee’s east side in November, where fire investigators believe the cause was electrical.
A fire investigation is still under investigation in Cudahy, which broke out in January at Washington Square senior apartment facility.
The battalion chief for the Cudahy Fire Department let us know more about some of the rules and regulations that are vastly different between assisted and independent living facilities. This includes state regulations that require a paper trail to most inspections. Assisted living facilities must have a written fire safety plan. Employees must know the fire safety plan within 90 days of their first date of employment. A worker must also be present 24/7 if a resident is unable to self-evacuate a building in an emergency.
“Assisted living facilities are required by state to provide any of the documentation as far as biannual fire inspections, fire drills, or any other maintenance required by the state,” said Cudahy Fire Dept. Battalion Chief Brian Wojciechowski.
But he says independent facilities like subsidized senior living apartment do not have to follow those guidelines. They are checked by fire inspectors at least twice a year like any other apartment building.
The Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin Charity Foundation has a fire prevention push. Click here to learn more.
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