You Asked: Are nursing homes required to have the State Fire Marshal conduct annual fire training on site each year?
We Answered: No. The Ohio Department of Health has confirmed nursing facilities may meet the state requirement by completing the General Fire Safety for Ohio Healthcare Facilities training, available through the Ohio Department of Health’s TRAIN website. This online training was developed in response to the State Fire Marshal’s limited capacity to conduct on-site training for every facility annually.
According to Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 3701-17-25(E) on disaster preparedness and fire safety, each operator shall provide for annual training in fire prevention for regularly scheduled staff members on all shifts, to be conducted by the state fire marshal or township, municipal, or local legally constituted fire department. The operator shall require all staff members to be periodically instructed in the home's fire control and evacuation and disaster procedures and kept informed of their duties under the evacuation plan.