(a) An assisted living home must meet the applicable safety and evacuation requirements of this section.
(b) The licensing agency may inspect an assisted living home to determine whether
(1) the home protects against or is free from significant hazards that could cause injury or health risk;
(2) any firearms in the home are unloaded and whether any firearms and ammunition are stored separately in places reasonably inaccessible to residents; and
(3) the home has installed and maintained hot water temperature controls so that hot water delivered to plumbing fixtures, excluding dishwashers, is not more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
(c) An assisted living home must have a disaster preparedness and emergency evacuation plan approved by the licensing agency. The plan must provide for
(1) the complete evacuation of residents during an emergency; and
(2) emergency evacuation drills to be held at least twice year.
(d) An assisted living home shall
(1) ensure that each stored medication is properly labeled with the resident’s name, name of medication, dosage, expiration date, and directions for administration;
(2) store medications in a manner that prevents access by unauthorized persons;
(3) store controlled substances in a locked storage container and ensure that eachsubstance is accurately accounted for; and
(4) store medications, including controlled substances, in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
(e) Before a license will be issued under AS 47.33 and this chapter, an assisted living home seeking to be licensed for six or more residents must
(1) meet the standards for life and safety specified in 13 AAC 50 and 13 AAC 55; all
information required by those standards shall be kept available for inspection by the licensing agency;
(2) obtain any municipal building code approval; approval must also be obtained before
making a modification to a licensed home if the modification is one that requires that approval; and
(3) obtain a fire safety inspection report from each state or municipal authority responsible for those inspections, and continue to obtain these reports every two years, or more often if required by a state or municipal authority; the licensing agency will submit a request for inspection to the state or municipal authority on the home’s behalf; the home is responsible for any fee charged by the state or municipal authority for the inspection.
(f) The licensing agency may inspect, or require a self-monitoring report on a safety issue of, an assisted living home licensed for fewer than six residents, with consideration given to prevailing community residential standards, to determine whether the home is built and maintained in a manner protective of life, health, and safety, with respect to the residents’ bedrooms, exit to the outside of the building, operational smoke detectors or fire extinguishers, the storage and disposition of combustible waste material, and portable heating mechanisms. Submitting a false report under this subsection is grounds for issuing a notice of violation under AS 47.33.530.
(g) Assisted living homes licensed for fewer than six residents must
(1) have one fully charged 2 A:10 BC dry chemical fire extinguisher strategically located on each level of the home;
(2) maintain the home free of any accumulation of combustible waste material in or around the premises;
(3) store flammable liquids in containers that have tight-fitting lids and are specifically designed for the particular flammable liquids;
(4) have heating appliances that are
(A) not placed or located in exitways or corridors at any time or in bedrooms
during sleeping hours, unless the home is a one-room home;
(B) equipped with protective devices when presenting a hazard because of
exposed flame or heating element;
(C) maintained in a safe and serviceable manner; and
(D) vented to the outside to discharge smoke and combustion gases, if the appliances are fuel burning;
(5) have one or more smoke detection devices that are operational, monitored,
powered by battery or alternating current, and located in each bedroom; if the licensed home is a multilevel home, at least one smoke detector must be installed on each level in addition to those required in
each bedroom;
(6) have at least two means of emergency escape that are remote from each other and
that provide unobstructed escape to the outside of the building, one of which must be an exterior door;
(7) have at least one fully-opening window in each resident’s bedroom; the window must be of sufficient size and free of obstructions to allow for emergency escape or rescue unless the room has a door leading directly to the outside; for purposes of this paragraph, “sufficient size” means that the window has a finished sill height that does not exceed 48 inches above the floor, has a net clear openable area that is at least 5.7 square feet, has a net clear openable height of at least 24 inches, and has a net clear openable width of at least 20 inches
(8) ensure that open flame heaters are not used, except for fireplaces in compliance with 13 AAC 50, 13 AAC 55, and any applicable municipal building code;
(9) ensure that window screens are not used if they permanently prevent exit or if they cannot be easily removed for exit;
(10) designate an area for smoking, if smoking is permitted; and
(11) ensure that emergency procedures are reviewed with each resident and the resident’s representative before the resident takes up residency in the home and at least once a year after that date.
(h) An assisted living home licensed for fewer than six residents shall make and retain a record of each required evacuation drill and make the record available to the licensing agency upon request. The record must include the time, date, and critique of the drill, the personnel who participated, the names of residents who did and did not participate, the reasons for non-participation, and the amount of time required to complete the drill. Emergency evacuation drills may be postponed during severe weather, but residents must be instructed on emergency evacuation procedures.
(i) If the licensing agency determines that it is necessary, the agency will request an advisory inspection report from one or more state or municipal building or fire safety authorities for a home licensed for fewer than six residents. The home is responsible for any fee charged by the state or municipal authority for the inspection.