Every city has them. They may go by different names, but cities have them nonetheless. Not everyone in this country has the privilege of owning or even living in a home. For myriad reasons, including the cost of living, there are people in our communities who can barely afford to put food on the table, and many of those don't even a table to put food on. Where are these people who don't have a place to call their own going to go?

The answer is homeless shelters. In 1983, Fort Worth, Texas, was within the grip of one of the worst ice storms in its history. As a result, a transient froze to death while taking shelter in an abandoned van. The man's death enraged several area ministers, who established the Presbyterian Night Shelter in an old elementary school building that was no longer needed by the school district.

In 1987, the current Presbyterian Night Shelter opened just east of downtown Fort Worth. Although there were other shelters in the area, transients either tended to avoid them because of the rules or couldn't gain admittance because they were intoxicated.

Although homeless shelters may be a low priority in the emergency evacuation plans of major cities, it's important to remember that not all people who live in shelters are bums. I should know; I began working for the Presbyterian Night Shelter in September 1988.

Basic precautions

Today, the Presbyterian Night Shelter's three adjacent buildings can serve 500 men, women and children. We are fortunate that our buildings serve strictly as a night shelter. In other cities, homeless shelters may be gyms in closed schools or recreational facilities. In some areas, shelters are referred to as “soup kitchens.” We are not a soup kitchen. We serve one hot meal at dinner time, which is when all residents are entering the building.

Whatever the type of building, there are several things to consider when preplanning fires in homeless shelters. For example, the Presbyterian Night Shelter has two separate open areas with both bunk beds and mats on the floor area. Open buildings allow for quicker fire and heat spread. While our building is constructed of cinder-block, other shelters may be constructed of wood with brick veneer, and they may have few exits.

In addition to the challenges of the building itself, it's important to consider the people inside. A great deal of our clients have some form of mental illness. For example, we have two residents who have never been farther than the front gate of the shelter because they feel safe inside its walls.

As you preplan, take the time to perform a quick assessment of the residents. Some residents may be physically handicapped and will require assistance. Others will have all they own in plastic garbage bags that they will be very reluctant to leave behind. Some residents may be combative or distrustful of authority. Including the police department in the creation of the evacuation plan could help to address some of these issues.

Also be advised that a lot of shelters will have residents who have tested positive for tuberculosis, and there may be some who are HIV-positive. A meeting with your city's health department during the preplanning process is advisable. It also may be a good idea to wear PPE when assisting with an evacuation, even if the type of incident normally wouldn't require such precautions.

Drills & responses

When I first took the job as fire/safety officer in April 2005, I immediately drew up a preplan of the shelter and gave copies of it to our first-due engine and truck companies and battalion chief.

Everything from the floor plan to the locations of fire extinguishers and hazardous items should be included in the preplanning process. For example, our floor plan reveals that the shelter has an upstairs facility, as well as a 20-bed dorm that's run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. There are three fire extinguishers throughout the dorm. All of the shelter's staff members have been trained in the proper use of the extinguishers. Fire inspectors should ensure that all fire extinguishers are up to date and easily accessible. Our fire extinguishers are inspected once a year without fail, and records are kept.

Most shelters use industrial-strength janitorial fluids to clean up the shelter each night; these chemicals of course are stored away from food products. At Presbyterian Night Shelter, we have a book containing Materials Safety Data Sheets on each chemical that we currently use. Inspectors should verify that shelters keep their MSDS up to date. In addition, each housekeeping employee has been safety-certified in the cleanup of biohazards such as body waste and vomit. We also have one electric floor buffer, which only a very few are certified to use.

The inspection of shelters should include a look at the safety plan that's used during fire drills. One of the first things I did as fire/safety officer was to create a safety team made up of people who have some background in fire prevention and first aid. When we perform fire drills, we use a system similar to the Incident Command System. I always station two monitors at each of the primary exits to assist in escape and egress from the building. They also prevent people from re-entering the building and, if necessary, assist with the evacuation of those reluctant to leave.

During an emergency response to a homeless shelter, it's important to consider the time of day. During daylight hours, shelters won't be as full. There will be a handful of staff on duty. If there are any residents in the building, they are there because of their mental or medical condition. At night, most shelters will have a minimum amount of lights on in sleeping areas, so high-powered flashlights should be used when conduction a primary search. If the mattresses catch on fire, there will be a large amount of toxic smoke in this open area. SCBA will be a must.

Walkways between beds often are tight due to the many beds in the sleep area. Fire load will consist of foam mattresses, and there often will be pack-rat conditions. There will be those residents who will have everything but the kitchen sink around their beds, further hampering escape efforts, which is why we limit our residents to two bags of personal items.

Remember, not everyone thinks highly of the homeless population, but as first responders, our first priority is life safety.

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Dan Sisson is a fire/safety officer with the Presbyterian Night Shelter of Tarrant County in Fort Worth, Texas.