Winter Ready: Protecting Nursing Homes from Seasonal Fire and Life Safety Risks
A Leadership Guide for Long-Term Care Administrators, Operators, and Safety Professionals
Winter is a season of beauty and celebration, but also of heightened risk. For nursing homes, assisted living centers, and long-term care facilities, winter conditions introduce unique fire and life-safety vulnerabilities that demand proactive leadership and organizational readiness. This is not simply a compliance issue. It is a human protection issue, and leadership must treat it accordingly.
Residents in these facilities rely on caregivers, staff, and systems not only for comfort, but for survival. They cannot self-evacuate quickly. They cannot move independently. Many depend on oxygen, powered medical devices, and specialized equipment that require constant oversight.
When winter storms knock out power…
When heating systems strain and fail…
When holiday decorations ignite…
When electrical loads spike…
A facility can go from safe and stable to life-threatening in minutes.
This blog delivers a comprehensive, elevated guide for leaders, not just checklists and reminders, but the why behind the risks, the lessons learned from real incidents, and the strategies that separate well-run facilities from those that remain dangerously unprepared.
Why Winter Matters More Than Ever
Winter is the single most hazardous season for healthcare and long-term care facilities. The numbers are sobering:
Nearly half of all U.S. home heating equipment fires occur between December and February (National Fire Protection Association [NFPA], 2025).
Portable space heaters, although they account for only a small percentage of incidents, cause a large share of fatal heating fires (U.S. Fire Administration [USFA], n.d.).
December leads the year in overall fire incidents, driven by heating equipment, electrical overloads, and holiday hazards (NFPA, 2024).
For nursing homes, these risks are amplified by:
High oxygen usage
Non-ambulatory residents
Dependence on electricity for life-sustaining care
Difficulty evacuating residents in snow, ice, or extreme temperatures
Aging facility infrastructure
The result? Winter turns predictable hazards into potential mass-casualty scenarios. The question is not whether an incident will happen but whether your facility is prepared when it does.
Lessons From Recent Incidents: Tragedy as a Teacher
Recent fires in long-term care settings reveal systemic gaps that winter conditions expose. The July 2025 Gabriel House Assisted Living fire in Fall River, Massachusetts, which killed nine residents and hospitalized dozens, highlighted failures in evacuation capacity, facility readiness, and hazard recognition (Associated Press, 2025). Although not a winter incident, it underscores the life-safety vulnerabilities that winter only magnifies.
Past winter events have shown:
Facilities with insufficient emergency power were forced into dangerous, premature evacuations during blizzards.
Portable heaters caused room fires that spread rapidly in oxygen-rich environments.
Extension cords used to support holiday decorations overloaded circuits and ignited fires.
Snow and ice blocked key exits, delaying evacuations even when alarms worked properly.
Frozen pipes burst, disabling sprinkler systems when they were needed most.
These cases share a common theme: Winter doesn’t create new problems; it exposes the ones you haven't prepared for.
Leadership as the Differentiator
Technology matters. Systems matter. Codes matter. But what prevents winter disasters more than anything?
Leadership.
The best-run nursing homes have leaders who treat winter readiness as a strategic priority, not a maintenance task. Understand that systems working today may fail tomorrow if not tested under load. Refuse to tolerate risky shortcuts, such as unsanctioned heaters or uninspected cords. Understand that their duty extends beyond compliance; it includes a moral obligation to protect the vulnerable.
Leadership is presence. Leadership is vigilance. Leadership is action taken early. Facilities do not rise to the level of their emergency plans; they fall to the level of their preparation. And winter preparation is the ultimate proving ground for leadership.
Winter’s Risk Profile: A Detailed Hazard Map
Below is the expanded hazard landscape that winter introduces or worsens in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.
Heating Equipment & Portable Heaters
Heating equipment is one of the leading sources of winter fires. NFPA (2025) notes nearly half of all heating-equipment fires occur from December through February.
Portable heaters are especially dangerous:
They are often placed near combustibles.
Residents or staff move them without understanding clearance requirements.
They can overload circuits during peak demand.
In oxygen-rich environments, they drastically accelerate fire spread.
Regulations often prohibit them in residential areas, yet winter finds many facilities breaking this rule. Often, staff use them in areas where they work, which also violates most fire codes.
Why?
Human comfort outweighs perceived risk.
Many think it will never happen to them, or the fire protection system will save everything.
Leadership must be the counterbalance.
Holiday Decorations & Seasonal Hazards
Between December and January, facilities see an influx of:
Artificial or natural trees
String lights
Electric and battery-powered décor
Space heaters for visiting family gatherings
Candle use (which should be restricted)
NFPA (2024) reports more than 150 Christmas tree-related structure fires annually, often due to dry trees, faulty lights, or placement near heat sources.
Nursing homes must develop clear policies:
Staff-only installation of decorations
Approved lighting devices
Daily moisture checks for natural trees
Restricted placement away from heat sources
No-use-of-open-flame rules enforced
Electrical Overloads and Aging Systems
Winter strains electrical systems.
Loads increase from:
Medical devices
Holiday lights
Kitchen appliances
HVAC equipment
Supplemental heating systems
Older facilities often have outdated electrical infrastructure that is rarely tested under winter load conditions.
An overloaded panel in winter is not a nuisance; it is an ignition point.
Generator Reliability Under Cold Stress
A generator is only a lifesaver if it starts, stays running, and carries the whole load. The U.S. Senate Finance Committee (2023) found healthcare facilities among the most vulnerable institutions during long-duration power outages, often because backup power systems were not adequately tested, supplied, or maintained.
Common winter generator failures include:
Cold-weather starting failures
Fuel gelling or contamination
Failure of transfer switches
Battery degradation
Insufficient run time because of low fuel reserves
If a facility’s generator cannot reliably power:
Heating
Life-sustaining medical devices
Critical lighting
Alarm systems
…then the facility is not winter-ready.
Oxygen-Rich Environments
Oxygen accelerates combustion.
Many nursing-home residents rely on Oxygen concentrators, Portable tanks, and even Wall-supplied oxygen. Even a small spark can become a deadly fire. NFPA guidance requires strict oxygen-storage standards, but compliance varies widely. Winter heat sources combined with oxygen exposure create a risk vector that administrators must take extremely seriously.
Evacuation Barriers in Winter Weather
Snow, ice, and freezing rain can:
Lock the exit doors
Make ramps unsafe
Block access for the fire apparatus
Slow or stop staff movement
Prevent ambulance or EMS access
Most evacuation plans assume summer conditions. Winter demands its own playbook.
Leadership Checklist: Turning Risk Into Readiness
Below is a significantly expanded set of leadership actions, not just what to do, but why.
Systems & Infrastructure
✓ Conduct full-load generator tests under cold conditions
Because warm-weather tests prove little. Real emergencies happen in winter.
✓ Validate heating systems for peak performance
Heating systems that underperform in winter will drive staff or residents to seek unsafe alternatives, such as portable heaters.
✓ Inspect sprinkler systems and ensure pipes are insulated
Frozen sprinkler lines fail when needed most.
✓ Audit electrical panels for load capacity and aging breakers
Avoid unexpected tripping and fire ignition during peak winter loads.
Policy, Documentation & Compliance
✓ Update the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) with a Winter Addendum
Winter is a distinct risk profile that plans must reflect.
✓ Enforce a written, facility-wide portable heater policy
No exceptions, no personal heaters, no resident-room heaters.
✓ Strengthen holiday decoration policies
NFPA-based rules protect both residents and staff.
✓ Validate vendor contracts for snow removal, fuel delivery & generator service
Winter vendors are stretched thin; don’t assume availability.
Staffing, Training & Culture
✓ Conduct winter-specific drills
Fire in a snowstorm. Power failure in subzero temps. Oxygen incident during a holiday gathering.
Practice the scenarios that actually happen.
✓ Cross-train staff for winter emergencies
Leaders must assume staff call-offs will surge during storms.
✓ Build a culture that rewards hazard reporting
Winter hazards go unnoticed unless staff feel empowered to speak up.
Resident Care, Oxygen Safety & Mobility
✓ Maintain individual evacuation profiles
Name, mobility status, equipment needs.
✓ Validate backup batteries for medical devices
Power loss must not threaten life-sustaining care.
✓ Store and secure oxygen tanks per NFPA 99
No shortcuts. The consequences are catastrophic.
Communication: Families, Staff & Emergency Services
✓ Share winter-readiness communications with families
Transparency builds trust and prevents panic during outages.
✓ Notify local fire departments of winter drill schedules
This strengthens response readiness and builds partnership.
✓ Maintain rapid-notification lists for staff call-ins
Staffing determines survivability during evacuations.
Winter Incident Response: A Resilient Approach
When something goes wrong, and eventually it will, staff must be ready.
A winter incident has three stages:
Stage 1: Immediate Action (0–5 minutes)
Pull the alarm
Notify 911
Initiate the incident command structure
Move residents away from the hazard
Begin emergency power procedures (if applicable)
Stage 2: Stabilization (5–30 minutes)
Account for all residents & staff
Triage residents who require medical support
Communicate with families and regulators
Prepare for possible evacuation
Deploy winter gear for staff and residents (coats, blankets, warming supplies)
Stage 3: Recovery (30 minutes–hours)
Coordinate EMS transport
Document actions for regulatory review
Establish temporary family communication lines
Secure temporary heating or shelter resources if needed
Transition to after-action review and improvement planning
Compliance Snapshot: Codes & Guidance for Winter Readiness
Facilities must meet:
NFPA Life Safety Code requirements (CMS adoption)
NFPA 99: Health Care Facilities Code
CMS emergency preparedness regulations (2016; updated guidance 2024)
ASPR TRACIE resilience guidance
Local AHJ requirements
Compliance is the baseline, but winter readiness requires going beyond.
How Summit Response Group & Summit Fire & Life Safety Support Facilities
Summit’s services are designed specifically for nursing homes and long-term care administrators who need expert guidance, not generic templates.
We offer:
Winter Readiness Facility Audit
An inspection covering heating, electrical, generator systems, oxygen safety, egress, and staffing resilience. Our team can also check the fire and life safety systems to ensure they are ready for winter.
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Winter Addendum Creation
Custom-tailored to your facility’s census, layout, staffing model, and AHJ expectations. Our staff has built many Emergency Operations Plans for different projects and groups over the years. We take the guesswork out of this task and custom-tailor it to your site's needs.
Holiday Decoration, Portable Heater, & Oxygen-Safety Policy Packages
Fully compliant and easy to implement. With many of our staff serving as, or currently serving as, fire inspectors, we can also come in and make sure that your sites are meeting codes for decorations and/or the overall building. Often, this catches violations that can be costly if a local or state AHJ finds them.
Staff Drills, Tabletop Exercises, & Winter Scenario Training
We simulate the real emergencies that facilities experience each year. Our staff can test your teams and policies to make sure that everything will work, and or identify holes in the system to address, making you ready for real-world events.
Leadership Coaching & Crisis Messaging for Administrators
Helping leaders communicate clearly during chaos. Our staff have served as incident commanders for small and large-scale disasters and understand the stress. We can help build leaders before an incident happens. And we understand that it’s not a matter of if something happens, but when it happens. So we have staff who are experts in training and event coaching during a crisis, focusing on messaging and interaction with the media and communities.
If you’re reading this, you are already ahead of many facilities, but readiness requires action, not awareness.
Closing Thoughts: Winter Is Predictable, But Preparedness Is a Choice
Winter hazards follow patterns. Fire behavior follows science. System failures follow predictable stress points. The only variable is how leaders prepare.
Nursing-home residents do not choose where they spend their final years. They trust that leaders will anticipate risks, maintain systems, train staff, and create the safest possible environment. Your leadership could be the difference between:
A close call…
And a preventable tragedy.
Winter is coming, but you are not powerless. Prepare early. Prepare thoroughly. Prepare with purpose. Your residents are counting on you.
Contact Us
If you are looking for more help, reach out to Summit Response Group, and our team will work with you to keep you compliant and ahead of issues that could impact the safety of your residence and staff. But we will help limit the impact of costly fines and tickets issued by authorities with jurisdiction.
References
Associated Press. (2025, July 14). Flames tear through assisted-living facility in Massachusetts, killing 9 and trapping residents. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/deef7610ac6b12cccd4fcc5b8088669f
ASPR TRACIE. (n.d.). Utility failures. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://asprtracie.hhs.gov/technical-resources/35/utility-failures
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2016). CMS publishes final rule on fire safety requirements for certain health care facilities [Press release]. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cms-publishes-final-rule-fire-safety-requirements-certain-health-care-facilities
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2024). Life Safety Code & health care facilities: Code requirements. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-safety-standards/certification-compliance/life-safety-code-health-care-facilities-code-requirements
National Governors Association. (2023). Prioritizing resilience: Best practices on energy resilience for healthcare facilities. https://www.nga.org/publications/prioritizing-resilience-best-practices-on-energy-resilience-for-healthcare-facilities/
National Fire Protection Association. (2024, December 1). December is leading month for U.S. home fires [News release]. https://www.nfpa.org/about-nfpa/press-room/news-releases/2024/december-is-leading-month-for-us-home-fires
National Fire Protection Association. (2025, January 23). U.S. home heating fires peak during winter months [News release]. https://www.nfpa.org/about-nfpa/press-room/news-releases/2025/us-home-heating-fires-peak-during-winter-months
National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.). Holiday fire safety tips. https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/winter-holidays
U.S. Fire Administration. (n.d.). Portable heater fires in residential buildings (Fire statistics). https://www.usfa.fema.gov/statistics/
U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. (2023, February 22). Left in the dark: How long-duration power outages endanger human life and threaten critical infrastructure [Report]. https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/02222023%20Left%20in%20the%20Dark%20-%20Wyden-Casey%20final.pdf
