Massachusetts Issues New Fire Safety Mandates for Assisted Living Residences Following Fall River Tragedy
In response to the recent tragic fire in Fall River, the Healey Administration has announced urgent safety directives to strengthen fire preparedness in Assisted Living Residences (ALRs) across Massachusetts. These measures, issued on July 21, 2025, are part of a statewide initiative to improve life safety standards and emergency readiness in facilities that care for populations who may require verbal and/or physical assistance to evacuate.
WHAT ALRs NEED TO KNOW:
As part of the Gubernatorial mandate, ALRs must comply with the following requirements:
1. Resident and Family Communication
By July 25, all ALRs must issue a written notice to residents and their families. This notice must include:
• Detailed fire safety protocols.
• Clear evacuation procedure.
• Contact information for questions or concerns.
2. Posted Evacuation Information
By July 25, Evacuation instructions and exit routes must be clearly posted within each resident unit and in all common areas throughout the facility.
3. Fire Safety Self-Assessment Survey
The Executive Office of Aging & Independence (AGE) will distribute a mandatory Fire Safety Self-Assessment Survey in the coming weeks. ALRs must complete and submit the survey that reaffirms compliance with applicable codes and standards within 30 days of publishing. Supporting documentation to be included with the survey is understood to be as follows:
• Proof of maintenance of sprinkler systems.
• Current fire drill and evacuation protocols, training, and drilling program.
• Proof of maintenance of fire-rated doors, walls, and locking hardware.
• Statement on life safety system (fire alarm sprinkler, standpipe, etc.) age to assess upgrade needs.
4. Emergency Preparedness Documentation
ALRs must submit their current, site-specific Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Plan to AGE within the same 30-day timeframe. This plan should reflect the facility’s approach to emergency coordination, evacuation logistics, and resident safety during critical incidents.
For additional details, the full press release is available here.
HOW ALRs SHOULD BE PREPARING:
ALRs should begin reviewing fire safety protocols, evacuation procedures, and documentation immediately to ensure timely compliance with these new requirements. Our team is available to support facilities with:
• Help you understand your building’s code compliance strategy. Without clarity about which walls/doors must be rated, it is difficult to prioritize inspections.
• Review door/wall maintenance reports to confirm documentation will be acceptable to AGE. Code Red Consultants can provide the inspections as needed.
• Review life safety system testing reports to confirm documentation will be acceptable to AGE.
• Review your Emergency Preparedness Plan to ensure it meets minimum code/AGE expectations based on your specific building’s design approach. As necessary, Code Red Consultants can prepare a site-specific Emergency Preparedness Plan.
WE WILL KEEP YOU POSTED AS THE GOVERNOR OR AGE ISSUES UPDATES:
Stay tuned for our upcoming blog series, which will dive deeper into the unique regulatory challenges facing Assisted Living Residences, including common building code issues and practical approaches to compliance.
For any immediate inquiries, please get in touch with Joseph Igoe at jigoe@crcfire.com or Caitlin Gamache at cgamache@crcfire.com.