BOUNTIFUL -- Because disasters such as earthquakes, fires or power outages can strike at any time, unexpectedly, several Davis County nursing homes and medical centers are preparing in case of such emergencies. "It's required that we must all have stringent rules and plans in effect with a pretty good system," said Jason Law, plant operations director for the Life Care Center of Bountiful.

"Our center follows state and local regulations and is inspected regularly. We also get involved with the fire department and local individuals to have our disaster drills."

Rob Tweed, director of nursing for the Davis Surgical Center, said the center is prepared to provide emergency safety when a disaster such as a power outage strikes.

"We have a backup generator that automatically kicks on when the power goes out, and all hospitals and surgical centers are required to have one," he said.

"It's a huge diesel generator that operates the whole center, and we test it often and make sure it functions properly. The last thing you want when you're on the surgical table is for the doctors to not be able to see or the machines to quit working."

Tweed said the center also has strict codes to protect those inside the building in case of a fire.

"Because it's a regulation for hospitals and part of our safety code, our doors and walls are all fire-rated and would take a long time to burn all the way through," he said. "We also have sprinklers, lots of emergency exits and evacuation plans and we have a fire alarm test we do with our employees that includes a checklist we make sure everyone has. A hospital or surgical center is one of the safest places you can be in case of a disaster."

Heritage Place administrator Kaye Kizerian said her facility is also well-prepared for disasters.

"We have 72-hour kits for each resident, and we also run our share of fire and earthquake drills," Kizerian said. "We'll also have meetings with the fire department every six months where we talk to residents and let them know of the preparations for emergencies."

Mark Ferguson, maintenance manager for South Davis Community Hospital, Orchard Cove Alzheimer's Community and Barton Creek Assisted Living said all three of the facilities are highly equipped for disasters, with the help of guest appearances by Utah's well-known "Earthquake Lady," Maralin Hoff.

"We've had Maralin Hoff, the Earthquake Lady, speak and do a mock earthquake disaster drill with us, and every month we have a fire drill and alternate shifts with South Davis Community Hospital, Orchard Cove and Barton Creek, so all the staff members will have good detail on what to do," he said. "We also have a disaster orientation with both new and old employees, and we do a couple of other disaster drills each year. Everyone should have an emergency disaster and evacuation plan ready so they can know what to do in case any disaster happens."

Because sometimes the smallest hazards can cause the biggest problems, Law said even the simplest matters are taken care of throughout the Life Care Center.

"We do everything from cleaning the eye-wash stations, to checking the generators to cleaning out the lint in the dryers," he said.

"We like to make sure everything's working including the smoke detectors, alarm systems and sprinkler systems, and we'll go from area to area either checking, replacing or updating everything. We also have a go-to book with a line of events people can follow that we give out."

dradunich@davisclipper.com