Flashback photo: 1949 Illinois hospital fire kills 74

Tragedy leads to national fire safety improvements


For a recent "Throwback Thursday," the Hospital & Health Networks website took a look at a  1949 fire at the St. Anthony’s Hospital in Effingham, Ill. that killed 74 poeple, including bedridden older patients and day-old babies. It is one of the worst hospital fires in American history.

The fire reportedly started in the basement near the laundry chute.

The next day, Illinois Gov. Adlai Stevenson inspected the ruins and ordered that all hospitals in the state be evaluated and fire safety measures adopted and enforced.

Stairwells were ordered to be enclosed so flames could not spread vertically and quickly throughout a multistory facility; an independent fire alarm system was mandated to ring in nonpatient areas and light up a visual system at each nurses’ station; regularly scheduled fire drills were called for; and improved sprinkler systems were required,the article said.

Read the article.

 



August 5, 2015


Topic Area: Safety


Recent Posts

Waco Family Medicine Achieves Savings and Bold Design with Wood Selections

Case study: The healthcare facility incorporated over 25,000 square feet of wood and saved over $400,000.


Alleged Ransomware Administrator Extradited from South Korea

The Phobos ransomware has been used globally to target over 1,000 organizations, including healthcare.


Design Plans Unveiled for New Intermountain St. Vincent Regional Hospital

The new hospital will be a 14-floor, 737,000 square-foot facility in Billings, Montana.


Ground Broken on New Pediatric Health Campus in Dallas

The new campus will replace the existing Children’s Medical Center Dallas.


Pre-Construction Strategies for Successful Facilities Projects

Savvy decisions can help facilities meet long-term goals by creating consistency and eliminating waste.


 
 


FREE Newsletter Signup Form

News & Updates | Webcast Alerts
Building Technologies | & More!

 
 
 


All fields are required. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

 
 
 
 

Healthcare Facilities Today membership includes free email newsletters from our facility-industry brands.

Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Posts

Copyright © 2023 TradePress. All rights reserved.