1. NOVEMBER 16, 2017 BARCLAY FRIENDS SENIOR LIVING FACILITY FIRE
The Response & Facility Evacuation

2. Facility Background BARCLAY FRIENDS Established in 1893
Current Facility Built in 1997
Services:
Assisted Living
Personal Care
Memory Care
Skilled Nursing
Post-Acute Rehab

3. BARCLAY FRIENDS
Assisted Living &
Memory Care
Nursing &
Rehab

4. NOVEMBER 16, 2017 – 22:42-22:45 – WEST CHESTER, PA
Fire Breaks Out on a Rear Patio at Barclay Friends
137 residents inside the facility
15 staff members on duty
Fire rapidly grows, extending into the west side and roof of the assisted living building
Staff members call 911 reporting a “loud explosion” and smoke in the building

5. Initial Response Police, Fire & EMS Dispatched Police Arrive First:
TIMELINE
Initial Response
Police, Fire & EMS Dispatched
Police Arrive First:
Begin Evacuations
2nd Alarm Request
Medical Box Request
22:47-22:50

8. TIMELINE
EMS & Fire Arrival
Initial ambulances on scene assist with evacuation and begin triage
Hospitals Notified
Command of the Incident Established by Fire Chief
2nd Medical Box Requested
22:52-23:00

9. Action Requests – Acute Care Facility ED and Inpatient Bed Status

10. EMS & Fire Arrival Formal EMS Command Established
TIMELINE
EMS & Fire Arrival
Formal EMS Command Established
(EMS Group Leader)
First Patients are transported to Chester County Hospital (Smoke inhalation/Lacerations)
23:03

11. TIMELINE
Formal Triage Officer Established
Patient Tracking – Paper Logs
3rd Medical Box Requested
Initial Reports of Dozens of Burn Patients
23:06-23:10

12. TIMELINE
Patient Triage In Progress
Patient Tracking
Paper Logs
KC App Attempted
Initial Request for Busses
4th Medical Box Request
23:11-23:18

13. KEY TAKEAWAYS
Residents moved into main driveway – access to main parking lots eliminated
EMS units reduced to 1 access point due to water supply lines
All patients thus far transported to Chester County Hospital
Delay in establishing transport officer
23:11-23:18

14. 22:47-22:55

15. KEY TAKEAWAYS Need for unified command
EMS Operating on separate channel from Fire
Radio Traffic
Communications assistant
23:11-23:18

16. Private Ambulances Requested By DES to assist with Medical Box
TIMELINE
Private Ambulances Requested By DES to assist with Medical Box
AMR
Family Members Arrive
Removing residents from scene
Difficulty tracking
23:19-23:22

17. Chester County Hospital Unable to Take Any Additional Patients
TIMELINE
Chester County Hospital Unable to Take Any Additional Patients
Transport Officer Established
Patients transported from scene to Hospitals (CCH, PMH, BWH)
Specialty Busses Requested
23:23-23:30

18. INITIAL MEDIA COVERAGE

19. Water running into triage area from hose lines
TIMELINE
Temperatures 38°-40°
High winds
Water running into triage area from hose lines
Secondary triage center/ shelter opened at Good Fellowship Ambulance
23:26

21. THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE

22. THE COMMUNITY RESPONSE

23. KEY TAKEAWAYS Evolving illness Wheelchair/bed bound residents
Constant re-triage
Wheelchair/bed bound residents
Manpower lifting/moving
Evacuees still on scene breathing in smoke, exacerbating existing medical problems
KEY TAKEAWAYS

24. Hospital Bed Availability Completed by DES/HAP
TIMELINE
Hospital Bed Availability Completed by DES/HAP
Other Nursing Facility Bed Availability Completed
Chester County Incident Support Team in place
23:30-23:45

25. CHESTER COUNTY INCIDENT SUPPORT TEAM
The Chester County Incident Support Team was formed in 2008 as a multi-agency group to support large-scale fire, EMS, police, and hazardous materials operations. The IST is comprised of representatives from police, fire, EMS and other agencies that have received training in the National Incident Management System.

26. Operational Awareness and Resource Requests
• Medical supplies and linens to evacuation sites
• Med carts from LTC to evacuation sites
• Portable toilets
• Mobility assist devices
• Blood glucose monitors
• ARES/RACES response to
shelters
• Crisis response team /
chaplain services

27. Multiple transports to Good Fellowship Ambulance
TIMELINE
Red Cross Arrival
Coordination with EMS Command and West Chester University officials – Shelter opened in campus gymnasium
Multiple transports to Good Fellowship Ambulance
Ambulances
Busses
23:46-00:00

28. SECONDARY TRIAGE/SHELTER AT GOOD FELLOWSHIP

29. SECONDARY TRIAGE/SHELTER AT GOOD FELLOWSHIP

30. 1st Bus of evacuees to West Chester University
TIMELINE
1st Bus of evacuees to West Chester University
Formal command structure established at Good Fellowship
MCI Pod Arrives at Good Fellowship
00:01-00:30

31. Patient Tracking and Accountability – Facility Evacuation

32. Opened at Good Will Fire Company
FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTER
Opened at Good Will Fire Company
Family Contact Information Collected
Closed early morning hours
Reopened 09:45
00:05

33. KC EMS Incident Created
TIMELINE
KC EMS Incident Created
Documentation/Patient Tracking
Comm 1 Establishes Command Post
St. Francis Hospital EMS Resources Arrive
Formal Command Structure at West Chester University
00:31-01:00

34. CHALLENGES: CHESTER COUNTY HOSPITAL
Patient surge
Communication
Additional Staff
Volunteers
Blind to the incident
Emergency Management Supplies
Off-site storage location
Supply requests for shelters
No materials management staff on duty

35. TIMELINE
Final evacuated residents and staff moved from the scene to secondary triage and West Chester University Shelter
Confirmed at 02:16
01:01-02:30

36. TIMELINE
Command Staff Meeting
Compiling patient lists and evacuee list - comparing to the facility census
Evacuees being moved from Good Fellowship to other assisting living facilities
03:00

37. 27 injured – treated at 3 hospitals
TIMELINE
All evacuees moved out of shelters to family or other assisted living facilities in Chester County.
27 injured – treated at 3 hospitals
Comparing patient tracking logs to facility census
Different versions
Residents moved by family
05:00-09:00

38. Friday Morning – NOVEMBER 17, 2017 Unaccounted for residents
News Media Storm
Relief Crews

39. KEY TAKEAWAYS Family assistance center closed too early
Family member contact number
News media contact number
NOV 17

40. THE DAYS FOLLOWING..
ATF Investigation
4 residents confirmed missing / 4 residents found deceased inside the structure

43. Emotional effects on first responders and the community
THE DAYS FOLLOWING..
Emotional effects on first responders and the community
Chester County Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Team

44. Regional HCC Response Successes
Hospitals – Chester County, Brandywine, Paoli, Bryn Mawr Rehab Hospital
• Additional 20 facilities reporting census and ED status
Long Term Care – Approximately 2 dozen LTC and Home Health and Hospice organizations
• Placed majority of residents at other area facilities directly from shelter locations without overloading area EDs
SEPA HCC H-IST Team
SEPA Healthcare Coordination Desk (HCD)
SEPA SMART Team
County EMA and Health Departments
HAP Regional Manager support
Regional EMS agencies
Multiple transportation assets

45. KEY TAKEAWAYS QUESTIONS? Practice, practice, practice..
Triage/Mass Casualty Training
EMS & Hospitals
NIMS Training
The online training isn’t enough…
Develop relationships NOW
Healthcare partners
Hospitals
EMS
Practice, practice, practice..
QUESTIONS?

46. Final Report Issued On Fatal West Chester Nursing Home Fire
The exact cause of the deadly 2017 fire at Barclay Friends Senior Center remains unknown, a final report from the ATF stated. More details:
The main sprinkler valve was found in the off position when investigators arrived at the scene, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said in their final report. It's not clear how long it was turned off for, who turned it off, or why. But investigators believe it was off during the blaze.

47. THANK YOU!