A fatality inquiry report into the death of a 43-year-old woman with Down syndrome at an Edmonton group home has made certain recommendations to prevent similar deaths.
The report states governments should do more safety inspections of group homes, as well as ensuring a table or ladder be made available if the escape route from a basement room is through a window near the ceiling.
Marilyn Lane died in a fire that struck a Capilano-area group home back in April of 2007.
Firefighters on scene at the time of the fatal blaze were able to rescue two other residents. Lane was trapped by heavy smoke, and did not make her way to a basement window to escape.
Edmonton's fire chief Ken Block said he agrees with the outcome of the fatality report.
"Really it comes down to safety and people in care are just as deserving of a safe place to live as you and I are," said Block.
The manager of the home at the time of the fire, Halida Hodzic testified that there were four tenants in the home at the time of the fire. Three were in rooms on the main level and Lane was in the basement.
Hodzic said she organized fire drills in the home every month, and she changed the location of the fire for each drill. She testified that when an exit was required from the basement window, Lane was able to get out of that window, with the assistance of a futon couch.
During the inquiry it was learned that the group home did not have a licence and hadn't been inspected by the fire department.
Currently, group homes that have five or more residents must obtain a licence. The company operating the group home did seek provincial approval, but according to the fatality report, were informed they didn't need one because only four residents were living in the house.
With files from CTV's Susan Amerongen
