Northwood’s Emergency Plan
Northwood is serious when it comes to safety. It’s the law and, more than that, it’s part of our commitment to all who pass through our doors including families, clients, residents, volunteers and staff.
Overview:
As licensed care facilities, Northwood Halifax Campus and Northwood Bedford Campus are governed by the regulations contained in the Homes for Special Care Act. Part of our licensing requirement is that we have in place an emergency plan and test it regularly. Northwood is also inspected on an annual basis by both the Department of Health and the Fire Marshall. Any recommendations that are issued are implemented. That same level of commitment extends to all our buildings including Almon Place, the Towers, the Manor and Northwood Place.
Our Fire Systems:
Northwood has a state of the art sprinkler system. This system, which is maintained by Northwood staff on a daily basis and serviced by an external service provider, is alarmed and monitored 24 hours a day, seven days per week. It is inspected and certified annually. All hallways and common areas have sprinkler heads and each resident room has at least one sprinkler head.
Our facilities are also divided into fire compartments. Resident living areas are divided into two fire compartments. Hallways have fire doors that release and close during a fire alarm. Evacuation routes are posted throughout the building. Northwood also has smoke detectors in the hallways, resident rooms and common areas. All alarms are fed through a monitoring system to displays strategically located throughout our facilities.
Staffing Levels:
Staffing levels comply or exceed the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care staffing guidelines and every floor is staffed 24 hours per day, seven days a week. Should a fire occur in one area, a designated emergency team would immediately respond from other areas of the facility. All staff are trained in fire emergency response. Northwood works closely with the HRM Fire Department and they respond to all fire alarms.
Testing our Emergency Plan:
Northwood works continually to improve its planning, preparation, response and recovery processes. We have regular fire drills and conduct tests of our emergency response systems. Please contact us to learn more about Northwood’s Emergency Response Plans.
Home Support Services:
As a provider of Home Support Services, all Northwood Homecare clients are assigned an emergency response code. The code directs how care is provided during an emergency. All staff complete a risk assessment and provide care when appropriate.
