More than a year after Montgomery County officials said 42 group homes were out of compliance with fire safety regulations, roughly half the homes still lack the sprinkler systems necessary to protect elderly, juvenile and disabled residents.
In the summer of 2007, Montgomery County Council members set aside $250,000 to install sprinkler systems in the homes that lacked bedroom windows large enough to serve as emergency exits, putting the residents in danger and the homes out of compliance with safety codes, according to fire department inspectors.
A year later, the money has been spent, but county officials say only 18 of the 42 group homes have had sprinkler systems completed. Another five homes are in the midst of the installation process, four others were recently approved for sprinkler funding and more than 15 still need help, according to Alan Hepler, a senior planner for Montgomery County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
Hepler said “behind-the-scenes negotiations” over sprinkler system details have taken longer than officials anticipated.
“We had some bids at $70,000 and some at $13,000 and it turned out there were bids coming in on two different sprinkler systems,” Hepler said. “The county is in the market for a system that give residents a chance to be rescued or buys them time to get out of the home, the purpose is not saving a building.”
Hepler said the county is still learning about additional group homes in violation of fire code.
“There are houses I didn’t even know were group homes that are now coming forward for help,” Hepler said. “I’ve been working with group homes since the early ’90s — when they told me there were only so many that violated code, I thought oh you don’t know the situation, there will be a need, a need and a need.”
Last week, Montgomery County Council members approved an additional $150,000 to continue work on the project.
“I am confident this is happening as expeditiously as possible,” Council Vice President Phil Andrews, who spearheaded the effort, said. “The time involved with the initial coordination of contractors was concerning, but my understanding is things are going a lot faster now. There is some complexity involved here: We don’t want to kick people out of these homes because there is no where else for them to go.”
