It’s very important in a crisis that people stay in contact,” Mayor Paul Coogan said in a wide-ranging interview from his office Friday.

All 273 assisted living facilities in Massachusetts must send letters to all residents and families detailing fire safety protocols, evacuation procedures and key points of contact, the state announced Friday.

The fire that claimed nine lives at an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, "was destined to kill 50-plus people," according to the local fire chief.