The Gap No Audit Can Close

What a Fire Safety Assessor looks for in aged care facilities 

In residential aged care, emergency planning is often discussed in terms of standards, documentation and compliance. But what does it actually look like on the ground? 

Australia’s residential aged care sector supports some of our most vulnerable community members. At 30 June 2025, more than 196,000¹ people were living in permanent residential aged care across the country, supported by over 600² providers operating nearly 225,000² places. As Australia’s population continues to age – with people over 65 projected to make up nearly one in four3 Australians by 2066³, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – the demands on the sector will only increase. 

And while only around 1 in 20 older Australians live in residential aged care today, those who do often have the most complex needs – and are least able to respond independently in an emergency. 

Kimberley Probert, a Fire Safety Assessor (FSA) at Locatrix, works with aged care and healthcare providers to assess whether emergency planning and fire safety measures are not only compliant, but workable in real-world conditions. 

Her role centres on one critical question: Would this actually work in an emergency? 

Training is not the same as readiness 

One of the most common gaps Kimberley sees is between training records and real capability. 

“Auditors, or assessors, are often looking for evidence of training,” she explains. “But what really matters is whether staff understand what to do when it matters – not just whether they’ve completed a module.” 

In many facilities, training can be: 

• Generic rather than site-specific 

• Repeated without adaptation 

• Difficult to deliver consistently due to high staff turnover 

• Disconnected from realistic scenarios. 

In a dynamic aged care environment – where residents may require one assist, two assist or full evacuation support – generic training is rarely enough. 

Drills are rare – and often unrealistic 

Despite their importance, drills are not always embedded into daily operations. 

“In some cases, staff have only participated in one drill in many years,” Kimberley notes. 

Even when drills are conducted, they may not reflect real conditions: 

• Staffing levels during night shifts 

• Physical complexity of moving residents 

• Layout of the building 

• Communication challenges under pressure. 

“You need to practise moving people – not just talk about it.” 

Aged care is uniquely complex 

Emergency planning in aged care is fundamentally different from most other environments. 

Facilities must account for: 

• Non-ambulant residents 

• Oxygen-dependent individuals 

• People living with dementia 

• Residents who may become distressed or disoriented 

• Individuals who require multiple staff to move safely. 

In some cases, disconnecting equipment is not straightforward, or even safe. 

“In some situations, residents cannot simply be disconnected from essential medical equipment and relocated in a hurry. Staff may need to manually support breathing while moving them safely.” 

This level of complexity makes planning – and training – far more demanding. 

Documentation does not guarantee understanding 

Emergency plans, diagrams and procedures are often in place. 

But that does not always translate into clarity on the ground. 

Common challenges include: 

• Unclear Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) roles 

• Staff unsure of responsibilities 

• Breakdowns in communication during incidents 

• Reliance on “paper compliance” rather than practical readiness. 

“We want to know that staff can respond in a real emergency, not just that the documentation exists.” 

Night shift is where risk increases 

Many of the greatest challenges emerge outside standard operating hours. 

In residential aged care: 

• Staffing levels are typically lower 

• Clinical support may be limited or offsite 

• Decision-making pressure is higher 

• Escalation pathways may be less clear. 

That makes clarity, training and preparation even more critical. 

The gap between theory and practice 

Across all of these areas, one theme is consistent: the gap between what is written and what is possible. 

Plans may be compliant on paper, but difficult to execute in real conditions. 

“It’s not about whether a plan exists. It’s about whether people can actually carry it out when it matters.” 

What providers should keep in mind 

From an assessor’s perspective, strong providers tend to focus on a few key areas: 

1. Ensuring plans reflect how the facility actually operates 

2. Delivering training that is relevant and practical 

3. Running realistic drills, including night shift scenarios 

4. Keeping building information and diagrams current 

5. Ensuring staff understand their roles clearly 

6. Making information accessible when needed. 

Facilities that perform well are not necessarily those with the most documentation – but those where preparedness is part of everyday operations. 

Final thought 

In residential aged care, emergency planning is not an abstract exercise. 

It is shaped by people, buildings, staffing and care needs – often under pressure, and often with little margin for error. 

The true measure of preparedness is not what is written, but what can be done. 

Find out more 

Locatrix works with leading aged care providers to support practical emergency readiness – from site-specific online training and compliant evacuation diagram tools that help keep information current and accessible.

Explore how PlanSafe can support your aged care emergency compliance or complete the https://locatrix-compliance-checklist.pages.dev/ and download your results to take action.

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Sources

^{1 196,000 people in permanent residential aged care at 30 June 2025: Aged Cate Data Snapshot 2025}

^{2 600+ providers and 225,000 operational places as of 30 June 2025: Gen Aged Care Data; Providers of Aged Care}

^{3 One in four by 2026- original statistics by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and cited by the AIHW: ABS Population Projections 2022-2701}

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