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Alarming The Insurance Company
The perspective from the Risk Insurance Industry; The most common problems we see, and recommendations to overcome them.
Presented by: Nicole LeBlanc
2
Alarming The Insurance Company
• The Inspection Process
• Insurability
• Common Problems and Recommendations
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The Inspection Process
• Types of Occupancies We See
• Types of Occupancies Where We See Fire Alarms
• Types of Occupancies Where We Require Fire Alarms
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Types of Occupancies We See
• Commercial properties
• Three main areas of focus: fire, crime, liability
• “Jack of all trades”
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Types of Occupancies Where We See Fire Alarms
• Habitational
• Assembly
Do NOT typically see in:
• Retail/Mercantile
• Manufacturing (unless sprinklered)
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Types of Occupancies Where We Ask For Fire Alarms
• Life Safety
− Habitational
− Restaurants with apartments above (suppression system tied in to alarm panel)
• Property
− Water damage in sprinklered buildings (look for alarms on pressure, flow and gate)
− High valued stock
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Insurability
• The “soft sell” approach
• AHJ for insurance purposes only
• Can be tied to rating depending on insurer
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Rating Sample (Illustrates the Weakness of the Insurance Industry in Understanding Fire Alarms)
Requirements
− Detectors installed throughout entire building in accordance with NFPA standards
− Alarm signals are transmitted in a reliable manner− System is inspected semi-annually by a reliable service organization− Detectors and transmitters are listed and receiving equipment either
listed or capable of operating in a satisfactory manner. (A listed central station is acceptable.)
− Duplicate power supplies and circuit supervision are provided in accordance with NFPA standards
• Full Protection (system fully in accord with NFPA standards) – 20%
• Partial Protection (system not fully in compliance with NFPA standards) – 10%
* For buildings classified as sprinklered multiply these credits by 0.50
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Absence of alarm protection where required
• Solution: Contact a reputable fire alarm company to have a CFAA or ECAO licensed technician install alarm protection in accordance with the OBC and CAN/ULC-S524
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: System not maintained
• Solution: Contact a reputable fire alarm company to schedule annual servicing in accordance with OFC and CAN/ULC –S536
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: No sticker on the panel, sticker out of date, company no longer in business, or multiple stickers with no clear indication as to who is maintaining.
• Solution: Request copy of the CAN/ULC -S536 inspection report.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Customer does not have, or can not locate a copy of the last inspection report.
• Solution: Co-ordinate with the customer, co-operate with insurers requesting copies of reports/information. Lack of compliance to produce report = recommendation. Non-compliance of recommendation = cancellation.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Lack of communication between customer, alarm company, and insurer.
• Solution: Develop and strengthen insurance and contractor relationships.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Battery operated smoke detectors
• Solution: Hardwired detectors.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Speaker system that is tampered with in residential apartments.
• Solution: Silence function.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: System only sounds locally, where insurance requires monitoring.
• Solution: Supervision/Connection to a ULC listed monitoring station.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: System is monitored by a non-ULC listed supervisory station.
• Solution: Use of a ULC listed supervisory station in accordance with CAN/ULC-S561 as required by OBC.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Limited number of enforcement agencies
− Fire Inspectors (OFM, municipal fire services)
− Insurance Inspectors
− Fire alarm technicians
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: We don’t know what we don’t know
• Solution: More education for the insurance industry on fire alarm systems.
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Common Problems Seen by Insurance Inspectors and What We Can Recommend
• Problem: Fire alarm technician, insurance inspector and OFM disagree.
• Solution: Consistency would be ideal and generally our recommendations do support each other however where a system may be otherwise grandfathered insurers have the right to request upgrades/retrofits for insurability purposes.