In a pioneering move to safeguard its senior residents, Harris County has amended its fire code to mandate that all nursing homes and assisted living facilities in unincorporated areas install backup power systems capable of maintaining heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) operations during power outages. This initiative positions Harris County as the first in Texas to implement such a requirement, reflecting a proactive approach to resident safety.
The decision, effective January 1, 2025, grants approximately 120 affected facilities until January 1, 2026, to achieve compliance. This timeline allows these establishments to acquire and install the necessary backup generators to ensure continuous HVAC functionality during emergencies.
This mandate is a direct response to the challenges faced during recent extreme weather events. During Winter Storm Uri in 2021, 10% of nursing homes and nearly 33% of assisted living facilities in Texas experienced power losses, leading to over 100 senior deaths statewide due to hypothermia. More recently, Hurricane Beryl in July 2024 resulted in 14 nursing homes and 30 assisted living facilities in Harris County being without power for several days, with at least one senior death attributed to extreme heat during the outage.
Harris County Commissioner Precinct 4
Commissioner Lesley Briones of Harris County Precinct 4 emphasized the critical nature of this measure, stating, “This is for all of our families, whether it’s our parents, our grandparents, our great grandparents, all of us—we’re all aging, and this could be us.”
Harris County Fire Marshal Laurie Christensen highlighted the county’s commitment to supporting facilities through this transition. “Our goal is to ensure our family members are in a safe place at all times when we take them to these facilities,” she remarked, acknowledging that many people are unaware of the lack of power backups in these establishments.
The mandate stipulates that backup power systems must activate within three hours of a primary power loss, ensuring that essential services remain uninterrupted. This includes maintaining safe indoor temperatures, powering critical medical devices, preserving medications, enabling emergency communications, and facilitating safer evacuations through powered doors and elevators.
Greg Shelly, Senior Program Manager at the Harris County Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, praised the county’s leadership, noting, “This is a critical step forward. Nationally, only 29% of assisted living facilities have backup power capable of running HVAC systems. Harris County is setting a precedent that others should follow.”
While the mandate introduces additional costs for facilities, particularly smaller assisted living complexes, county officials have expressed a commitment to collaborate with these establishments to achieve compliance. The focus is on education and prevention, with enforcement measures such as citations considered a last resort. Chief Christensen emphasized, “We want to work with you… We want to save lives before they need to be saved.”
This proactive measure by Harris County underscores the importance of preparedness in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events. By ensuring that senior care facilities are equipped with reliable backup power systems, the county aims to protect its most vulnerable residents from the dangers associated with power outages, setting a benchmark for other regions to follow.
For more detailed information on this mandate, please refer to the original article on Houston Landing.
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