Regulatory updates being finalized in wake of deadly Fall River fire
JULY 18, 2025…..By the end of next week, all 273 assisted living facilities in Massachusetts will be required to send a letter to all residents and families detailing fire safety protocols, evacuation procedures and key points of contact.
Gov. Maura Healey on Friday afternoon announced a spate of safety-focused changes that she said her administration is requiring assisted living centers to make in response to the fire that killed nine residents at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River on Sunday. The governor called it “a moment to make sure that every Assisted Living Residence is prepared to respond to emergencies and to protect the safety of their residents.”
The Executive Office of Aging & Independence, which certifies and regulates assisted living centers, will launch a statewide Fire and Life Safety Initiative starting Monday.
Under that program, the state’s 273 facilities must issue letters with safety details within five business days and also complete and return a state fire safety assessment survey. That survey is intended to measure compliance with fire safety requirements around sprinkler systems, fire drills, evacuation protocols and maintenance of fire-rated doors and walls. Facilities must return the survey along with a copy of their current, site-specific Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Plan.
The state said facility operators must also report “the age and key systems within their buildings to help prioritize oversight.”
“We are engaging every assisted living provider in this process. By requiring clear communication with residents and detailed reporting to the state, we are making sure resident safety is front and center – today and every day,” Aging & Independence Secretary Robin Lipson said. “Our entire team is committed to strengthening emergency readiness and improving standards across the assisted living sector in Massachusetts.”
The Fall River Fire Department responded to the Gabriel House assisted living facility at 261 Oliver St. at about 9:50 p.m. Sunday, and firefighters found many of the facility’s 70 residents trapped by the smoke and fire. Dozens were rescued, but nine residents died in the blaze.
Before the fire, Aging & Independence’s last onsite visit at the Gabriel House was on Oct. 31, 2023, the state said. The state found a handful of violations, none of which dealt with fire safety, and the center fulfilled its obligation to submit a plan of correction to the state. The center is up for recertification this fall.
The Assisted Living Residences Commission created under the 2024 long-term care law is required to issue a report and recommendations by Aug. 1, and commission members wrestled this week with how they should proceed. The group meets again Wednesday, and is led by Lipson.
Healey’s office said Friday that Lipson’s Aging & Independence office is “in the process of finalizing proposed amendments to strengthen regulatory requirements” for assisted living residences.
“These proposed updates predate the Gabriel House fire but will be reevaluated in that context to ensure they meet current safety expectations,” the administration said.
Sen. Mark Montigny, who sponsored the language that created the commission, called the initiative announced Friday “a step in the right direction,” but said “asking facilities to self-report compliance with fire safety requirements only reaffirms the urgency of further strengthening our regulations.”
“According to reports, six years’ worth of fire inspection reports revealed no obvious safety hazards at the Gabriel House, yet the actual testing of sprinkler and fire alarm systems was left to the facility while staff have stated that there were no evacuation plans or drills. At a minimum, this new fire safety assessment survey should be signed under the pains and penalties of perjury and approved by local chiefs prior to submission to the state,” the New Bedford Democrat said. “We believe that the existing regulations are grossly inadequate, and the commission must extend its deadline to spend time reviewing post-investigation findings to expand upon its current draft.”
