Fire Safety Training

On Thursday, March 31st staff at The Leavitt Family Jewish Home attended a Long-Term Care Fire Safety Training Program, presented by Andy McGuire, CEM, EMT-P, a Lead Fire and Emergency Management Consultant working with Jensen Hughes, a leader in safety, security and risk-based engineering and consulting. At the Leavitt Family Jewish Home we provide annual fire safety training like this, as well as monthly fire drill trainings for all staff in coordination with the Longmeadow Fire Department.

The presentation was very informative and realistic. Attendees critiqued real-life scenarios and reviewed procedures: for responding safely and correctly to a fire; for safe resident evacuation techniques; and for proper fire extinguisher use. A live and controlled resident fire, fictitiously caused by a smoker, was ignited and extinguished. Even though smoking is prohibited on our campus, staff need to be prepared for how to respond should such an event occur.

“At JGS Lifecare we take the safety of our residents as our highest priority,” remarked Rob Whitten, Executive Director of the Leavitt Family Jewish Home. “Andy’s presentation was highly informative and realistic. The real-life fire scenario caught everyone’s attention and drove home proper procedures for extinguishing a fire in a swift and safe manner. I feel confident that our staff are prepared to respond appropriately in the event of fire.”