Zoomers’ group CARP – A New Vision of Aging – has sent an open letter to the federal, provincial and territorial governments to take immediate steps to put fire sprinklers in all nursing homes.

Since 1969, 140 Canadians have died in nursing home fires, including 32 who died in a fire at the nursing home in L’Isle-Verte, Quebec nearly one year ago.

CARP’s Susan Eng tells AM 740 News, ”It’s well past time for them to act.”

New nursing homes must have sprinklers, fire-safe doors and walls and fire safety plans.

Homes built before 1997 do not.

CARP wants laws pass to make sprinklers mandatory in all nursing homes.

”The key here is that they (governments) know what to do.  There has been inquest, after inquest, after inquest.  They’ve all said the same thing, ‘We already have the technology to keep buildings safe.’  Just do it.”