HOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - Hurricane Dorian’s path toward Florida could be a crucial test in the critical mission to keep the Sunshine State’s senior residents safe.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed the issue during a news conference, Friday.
“In terms of these nursing homes, obviously, that’s been an issue in the past,” he said.
And the past serves as a painful reminder. In September 2017, 12 patients died from the heat after the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills lost power during Hurricane Irma.
The building was without air conditioning for days.
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Florida are now required to have a generator or emergency source of backup power. While the state says most facilities do, they’re keeping close tabs on the ones that still do not.
“The agency for health care administration is making site visits or calls to all facilities where the state does not have updated info about generators,” said DeSantis. “We think it’s statewide about 120 that we don’t have the information for, so there’s going to be site checks, there’s going to be phone calls to make sure they have a plan to deal with folks in their care.”
The state has set up the website at www.fl-generator.com where users can search to see which facilities have permanent or temporary generators.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration said, “Our agency remains committed to making sure long-term care facilities can support safe conditions during loss of power. Currently, 80 percent of Florida’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities have permanent generators on-site and 96 percent have either a permanent or temporary generator on-site, plans to have a temporary generator delivered, or a full evacuation plan in case of a power outage.”
On Friday, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez visited with seniors at the Palermo Lakes Apartments. The independent living facility has a hurricane plan that includes a permanent generator.
Miami city officials said all 161 group homes they have inspected are in compliance with cooling requirements, and they stressed that they will be checking on them immediately after Dorian passes.
“The minute it’s physically safe for our fire trucks to get out on the road, they’re out there, and our inspectors and fire trucks are checking ASLs and nursing homes first,” said Miami Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Pete Gomez.
Whatever Dorian brings to Florida, state and local officials said, protecting the state’s most vulnerable population is a top priority.
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