OWNERS RESPONSIBILITIES & CASE STUDIES –

ONTARIO FIRE CODE

John Percy, Public Education Officer Waterloo Fire Rescue

• AGENDA: • Fire Protection and Prevention Act and Ontario

Fire Code • Role of Assistants to the Fire Marshal • Enforcement of the Act and Code • Fire Alarm System Violations • In-Class Exercise • Case Studies-Fines from Fire Departments

Fire Protection and Prevention Act & the Ontario Fire Code

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Fire Protection and Prevention Act: An act to promote Fire Prevention and public safety in the Province of Ontario. The act references the Ontario Fire Code.

Three lines of defense:

1. Fire prevention and public education 2. Fire safety standards and codes 3. Effective emergency response

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Purpose of the Fire Code:

The minimum level of fire and life safety requirements for all buildings and the occupants in them.

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2015 Ontario Fire Code

• Div. B Part 2 – Fire Safety – Provides measures for the fire safety of

persons and buildings, including the elimination or control of fire hazards in and around buildings, the maintenance of certain life safety systems in buildings, the establishment of a fire safety plan in certain buildings and the installation of smokealarms and carbon monoxide alarms

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2015 Ontario Fire Code Div. B Part 6 – Fire Protection

Equipment

This Part applies to installation, checking, inspection, testing, maintenance and operation of fire protection equipment and life safety systems.

2015 Ontario Fire Code

Div. B Section 6.3: • Fire Alarm Systems • Smoke Alarms • Carbon Monoxide Alarms

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Assistants to the Fire Marshal of Ontario

Assistants to the FM

FPPA Part III Section 11(1) • A. The fire chief of every fire department • B. The clerk of every municipality that does

NOT have a fire department • C. Any member of a fire prevention bureau

as part of a fire department and • D. Any person designated.

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Role of Assistants to FM

• May without a warrant, enter and inspect land and premises for purposes of assessing fire safety.

• May take a Police Officer to assist in inspection. • Produce identification and state purpose of

entry.

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Role of Assistants to FM:

Powers During Inspection: a. Examine a document or other thing that is relevant to the inspection,

b. Demand the production of a document or other thing relevant to the inspection.

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Inspection Orders – Fire departments issue Orders to ensure

compliance with the Ontario Fire Code. – Issued to Owners/Occupants

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Fire Code Requirements:

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6.3.1.1. Access to fire alarm and voice communication system components requiring inspection or servicing shall be kept unobstructed.

Fire Code Requirements

6.3.1.2. (1) Where the Building Code or this Code require a fire alarm system to be monitored to transmit a signal to the fire department, the building owner shall ensure the continuation of the monitoring

Fire Code Requirements

Fire Code Requirements

Fire Code Requirements

• 6.3.1.4. Fire alarm and voice communication systems shall be maintained in operating condition

Certified Fire Alarm System Technicians

Fire Code Requirements • 6.3.2.1. (1) The owner shall ensure that any

person performing the annual tests or annual inspections required by this Subsection for fire alarm systems or performing the repairs, replacements or alterations of fire alarm systems referred to in Article 6.3.1.8. is in compliance with the requirements of

• (a) Clause 1.2.1.2.(1)(a) of Division C, or • (b) Sentence 1.2.1.2.(2) of Division C.

• Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems

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Fire Code Requirements:

6.3.2.2. (1) A fire alarm system, with or without voice communication capability, shall be inspected and tested in conformance with CAN/ULC-S536, “Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm System

• Title “Standard for the Inspection and Testing of Fire Alarm Systems”

• Tests must be carried out to ensure that the FAS is fully operational.

• Daily, monthly, annual inspection and testing of the following:

• Control unit • Batteries • Annunciator • All devices (initiating, audible, visual …)

Daily Inspections: • Power “on” status • Trouble signal indicator status

Monthly Inspections: • Note: not required during the month when the

annual inspection is occurring • While on emergency power supply test: • One initiating field device or manual station on a

rotational basis

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Monthly Inspections continued: • Testing one device/manual station on one zone only

and checking the alert/alarm signal for that zone • Checking annunciation of correct zone on control

unit/annunciator • Operation of the common audible and visual trouble

signals • Inspection of batteries (emergency power) • One emergency telephone on one zone • Voice communication paging to one zone

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Fire Code Requirements Annual Inspections:

• To be performed by qualified and certified CFAA

technicians.

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In-Class Exercise

Fire Code Exercise • May 13, 2015-A Fire Department Inspector

attends your property to perform a complaint inspection.

• On site with your building representative as you are not on-site to assist with the inspection.

• This is a Residential apartment building.

• The Fire Inspector observes the following: • 1. Fire alarm panel obstructed with furniture • 2. The Inspector asks if you have received

training on the operation of the system in accordance with your fire safety plan. Your representative said “NO”

• 3. Your monitoring certificate of the system has expired

• 4. The inspector observes from his/her records that the fire alarm panel was replaced due to a flood in your building. Do you require a building permit for the replacement?

• 5. The inspector asks to see records that prove that Monthly Inspections and Tests have been performed. The inspector observes that the same manual station is tested every month (other than the month during the annual inspection).

• 6. Annual inspection performed in accordance with CAN/ULC-S536-04 and the Inspector observes the following from the report:

• i. No CFAA technician # listed • Ii. Testing of the backup batteries did not

produce a trouble signal • Iii. Heat detectors painted • Iv. Recommendation to install additional smoke

detectors • V. Recommend to replace manual stations

As the building owner do you think that the Fire Inspector will issue an Inspection Order for any of the above examples?

Case Studies – Fines Issued by Fire Departments in Ontario

- • St. Catharines: Apartment building landlord fined $5,000 + Victim Surcharges – Fire Doors Propped Open; Combustibles stored in a stairwell; Failure to keep records of testing of smoke alarms

• Huntsville: Owner fined $1,000 + Victim

Surcharges – Failure to install a Smoke Alarm; $1,000 fine for failure to maintain a smoke alarm

• Barrie-Metal Recycling Facility-$15,000 in fines

– Combustible salvage piles too high. • Fines issued after 3 fires at facility.

Provincial Offenses Act Part I Fines: • Failure to install smoke alarms - $295.00 • Failure to install carbon monoxide alarms -

$295.00 • Failure to make records available to Fire

Inspectors - $195.00

Provincial Offenses Act – Part III:

• Individual – Fire Code Violation – Maximum $50,000 fine + 1 year in prison

• Corporation – Fire Code Violation – Maximum $100,000 fine + 1 year in prison

Thank You!