Power outage traps seniors at Atlanta facility, sparks safety concerns

Seniors call for generator after power outage

Residents at a senior living facility in southwest Atlanta are calling for a generator and an emergency preparedness plan after a power outage left them without support. Some seniors at the Briar Park Senior Living Facility say the elevators stopped working for several hours yesterday, and staff left in the middle of the crisis.

ATLANTA - Residents at a newly opened senior living complex in southwest Atlanta say a power outage Wednesday exposed the need for a generator and an emergency plan.

What we know:

The outage at Briar Park 55-plus Apartments on Greenbriar Parkway began around 2:45 p.m. and lasted nearly three hours. Several wheelchair-bound residents said the elevators shut down and they were stuck in the lobby with no way back to their rooms. One family recorded video showing firefighters working to access the elevators and help residents reach their units.

Some residents allege the building’s staff was unprepared and even left at regular quitting time despite the ongoing outage.

What they're saying:

"They should have a generator. I have oxygen. I don’t have it on right now, but I sleep with it. They should have a backup. It’s too many elderly people in this building for them not to have a generator. I don’t know how they could go home knowing that we weren’t comfortable," said 72-year-old resident Dianne Morris.

Relatives say some seniors are afraid to speak up publicly.

"We need an emergency prepared plan. We need a safety protocol plan. According to the seniors I spoke with, they are scared to say something. They don’t want to get kicked out," said Ursula Kendall, whose mother lives in the facility.

The other side:

Management told FOX 5 the property is considered independent living and that residents should contact maintenance if they need help, though response time could vary depending on the severity of the call. They said residents can also call 911.