On 18 November 2011, an early morning fire at Quakers Hill Nursing Home in Sydney, Australia killed eleven elderly residents, seriously injured others and caused the evacuation of up to 100 people.[1][2] Three people died in the fire, and a further eight residents of the home died later in hospital from their injuries.[3][4] The fire started in two places and was regarded by police as suspicious.[1] A nurse working in the home, 36-year-old Roger Dean, was arrested and charged with four counts of murder.[5] He was later charged over more subsequent deaths.[6]
Fire
editAt 4:53am on 18 November 2011, Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) responded to an automatic fire alarm at the Quakers Hill nursing home.[7] The fire was started in two separate wings, one occupied and one not. This caused initial confusion for the nearly 100 firefighters dispatched to the scene. Along with the firefighters, twenty fire appliances were also sent out.[7] Four workers were present and helped evacuate almost 100 sick or elderly patients, some of whom were immobile. Roger Dean, a nurse working in the home, was accused of stealing painkillers the night before the fire. He set the fires in an attempt to hide the evidence of his crime. It is said the crime could have been prevented with quicker action by the nursing home.[8] The fire was completely preventable, according to several firefighters, but at the time Australia had no law requiring nursing homes to have sprinklers installed.[9]
Aftermath
editDean was arrested and charged with four counts of murder.[5] He was later charged over more subsequent deaths.[6] In November 2012, he pleaded not guilty to eight counts of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and eleven counts of murder. He had wished to plead guilty to manslaughter, but that was rejected by the Crown. He did plead guilty to two larceny charges relating to theft of prescription painkillers from the nursing home. He stood trial in the Supreme Court in May 2013.[10] Later the same month, Dean pleaded guilty to eleven counts of murder,[11] and in August 2013 he was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[12]
In September 2014, an inquest into the deaths opened, and its results were released in March 2015. After finding that the nursing home operators Domain Principal Group (now known as Opal Aged Care)[13] didn't look into Dean's past before employment, Hugh Dillon, the NSW deputy coroner recommended: a database of healthcare workers be created with details of their background; that workers be trained to recognize signs of co-workers abusing drugs; and that nursing home door and corridors be constructed to allow beds to be moved rapidly during emergencies. Dillon also suggested that two fire-fighters receive bravery awards.[14]
As of March 2015[update] Opal Aged Care has 69 homes in Australia.[14]
As a result of the fire, nursing homes in Australia are now required by law to install sprinklers.[7]
References
edit- ^ a b Glenda Kwek; Stephanie Gardiner; Saffron Howden; with AAP and Rachel Browne (18 November 2011). "A firefighter's worst nightmare' as multiple deaths confirmed after fire breaks out in nursing home". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ "Case 06: Roger Dean – Casefile: True Crime Podcast". Casefile: True Crime Podcast. 2016-02-13. Retrieved 2018-03-19.
- ^ "Nursing home tragedy claims 10th victim". smh.com.au. 26 November 2011. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
- ^ "Further fire victims named – Strike Force Westall" (Press release). NSW Police Force. 30 November 2011.
- ^ a b Browne, Rachel (19 November 2011). "Fatal fire:Male nurse refused bail on four counts of murder". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 November 2011. (Updated 20 November 2011)
- ^ a b "Quakers Hill nursing home fire claims sixth life". NineNews. NineMSN. Australian Associated Press. 20 November 2011. Retrieved 20 November 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c corporateName=Fire and Rescue NSW; address=1 Amarina Ave, Greenacre. "Lessons from the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire". www.fire.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Bibby, Paul (2015-03-09). "Circumstances surrounding Quakers Hill nursing home fire characterised by management, safety and policy failures, coroner finds". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ "Nursing home fire preventable says Kiwi firefighter". NZ Herald. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2024-04-21.
- ^ Dale, Amy (2 November 2012). "Accused Quakers Hill nursing home arsonist Roger Dean on 11 counts of murder charges in court". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ "Roger Dean pleads guilty to murder over nursing home". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 May 2013.
- ^ "Life sentence won't ease victims' pain". 2 August 2013.
- ^ "Big changes at Domain Principal Group". agedcareguide.com.au. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Quakers Hill nursing home fire inquest: Owners should be held accountable, friends and relatives say". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
...none of the information relating to the circumstance or termination of Dean's employment was ever communicated to anyone at Quaker Hill nursing home and no inquiries made. (Deputy coroner Dillon)