GORE BAY—Staff at Manitoulin Lodge Nursing Home in Gore Bay are prepared in the event of an emergency in getting residents out of the facility safely, quickly and efficiently.
“The staff are trained to handle the residents gently, but in an emergency situation it’s about speed and getting the residents out of the building as safely and quickly as possible,” said Mike Addison, fire chief of the Gore Bay joint volunteer fire department after a mock evacuation drill at the nursing home. “This is all about speed and safety, and the staff did a very good job.”
“The safety of our residents and staff is of great importance,” said Rachelle Pilon, staff educator at Manitoulin Lodge. “Here at Manitoulin Lodge, we are dedicated to know how and what to do in the event of an emergency. Our mock drills are a very important part of our roles here at Manitoulin Lodge. Every month fire drills are conducted with all shifts to ensure staff are trained and ready in the event of a real fire and need for evacuation.”
On December 20, a mock evacuation drill was held with the presence of Mr. Addison and two of his fellow firefighters.
Under the guidance of Ms. Pilon, staff educator coordinator in charge of code red (fire) and Gloria Hall, activity coordinator who is in charge of code green (evacuation) for the Lodge, staff demonstrated proper training and confidence in the evacuation procedure to which got Manitoulin Lodge a pass on the fire drill scenario.”
Mr. Addison said, “it is important that the lodge is doing this type of training and passing. This exercise is required of all vulnerable care occupations. The lodge simulates the time of day when they have the lowest staff levels and a fire, at 2 am. The fire alarm tells them the zone in the lodge that the fire is in.”
“When they find it, they notify everyone and evacuate the residents from all the rooms,” said Mr. Addison. “They have two minutes to find the fire location and get the residents out of their rooms before the door is closed. And they get everyone out way beyond the fire doors.” The person in charge on the Lodge staff contacts the fire department and contacts other nursing home staff to come back to the nursing home to assist and get the residents into a safe place.
Mr. Addison noted, “the evacuation is their (Manitoulin Lodge) responsibility. When we arrive we will fight the fire, and assist if people are still in the building. They have two minutes to get all residents out of their rooms and close the room doors. They have 20 minutes to get the residents out of the wing of the Lodge safely.
“The nursing home is mandated by the Ontario Fire Marshall to take part in these type of mock evacuation exercises,” said Mr. Addison. Lodge staff passed, being able to evacuate residents in all the rooms in two minutes and having them out in the corridor of the building in six minutes.”
“Every month our home practices our emergency codes to ensure our staff are prepared in case of an emergency,” said Jaime-Lynn Kalmikov, Lodge administrator.
