Jean Bruce Poole, a 100-year-old resident of the MonteCedro retirement home, was left behind during an evacuation due to the Eaton fire, suffering from a breakdown in procedure that necessitates urgent reform. With her hearing aids malfunctioning, she exited to smoke-filled hallways alone, not realizing the grave danger. Fortunately, two sheriff's deputies stumbled upon her and another elderly resident after a final sweep, rescuing them just in time. The incident has raised serious concerns about the protocols in place for vulnerable residents during emergencies, prompting calls for a thorough review by the facility.
"They left my mom," Poole's son, John Ward, said in an interview with The Times. He called what happened to his mother during the first hours of the Eaton fire a "terrible breakdown" that requires a full review and several reforms to ensure it never happens again.
By the grace of God, within about 30 minutes of being disoriented in the hallway, she hears, 'Hello hello.' Can you imagine ... if they never walked through?
The deputies were able to take both women to safety. MonteCedro, a nonprofit assisted living facility run by Episcopal Communities & Services, has acknowledged that the two residents were left behind.
Body camera footage from the encounter showed the two deputies first finding another elderly resident attempting to walk her dog, before locating Poole on the third floor of the dark, empty building.
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