Implementing your Condominium’s Fire Safety Plan in Ontario.
Navigating the Fire Code can be a daunting task. That’s why we use Fire Safety Plans. A Fire Safety Plan helps to ensure effective use of equipment, fire safety systems, and procedures to protect people from fire.
These detailed documents are required by law for buildings listed in Section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code, including a residential occupancy such as a condominium.
The Ontario Fire Code also requires that every Fire Safety Plan be reviewed and approved by the Chief Fire Official of a local Fire Department. Upon approval, the property manager, on behalf of the condominium corporation, must implement the plan, often within 30-days.
Implementation of a Fire Safety Plan includes:
Distributing the Fire Safety Plan to all persons with roles and responsibilities in the plan to ensure that it’s fully implemented.
This comprises of the condominium corporation (the owner), building superintendent, building concierge / security, commercial / retail tenants, cleaning personnel and trades.
Should the distribution of the plan be documented by the Property Manager ? Absolutely. In order to reduce liabilities under both OHSA and the Occupiers Liaibility Act, Property Managers should have date stamped evidence of these basic inspections. In fact, OHSA requires proof of many fire safety inspections in the workplace in Ontario.
Distribute applicable pages of the Fire Safety Plan to all suite owners / residents within the building.
This vital step allows the building occupants to understand what they should do in the event of a fire alarm and understand what staff will (and won’t) do during fire alarms.
When each team member of a fire safe building understands their roles and others, it creates a greater awareness for all. This transparency often reduces complaints “after” the fire alarm, made by residents by over 50%.
Property managers can effectively communicate this information to residents via email using a PDF attachment of resident roles and responsibilities, emergency procedures (and more) from the approved fire safety plan. Then, simply print and/or save the sent email to document completion as part of your risk management program. Consider holding “Resident Information” evenings on “fire & evacuation safety” in the party room once per year.
Place a printed copy of the approved fire safety plan, floor plans, drawings and a current list of Persons Requiring Assistance (PRA) during a building evacuation list inside the fire safety plan box on site, for retrieval by arriving Fire Services. The PRA list is to include a date and time of the last annual fire safety plan review – within 12 months.
Training of all persons with roles and responsibilities found within the Fire Safety Plan.
Persons identified as “supervisory staff” such as property managers, superintendents, security and concierge staff must be trained prior to being given any roles and responsibilities at the building. This is a Fire Code requirement.
Property managers are required to maintain evidence of building supervisory staff training onsite. Failing to complete or maintain training rosters, certificates, or proof of training is a violation of the Ontario Fire Code and can result in a Notice of Violation.
Upon completion of the training, most fire safety plans have an “acknowledgement table” for supervisory staff to sign every 12 months to ensure (and document) that they themselves are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Completing this step enhances staff response and provides evidence of compliance for the property manager. Failing to have the plan signed-off on, as required, may also result in a Notice of Violation for not “implementing” the fire safety plan.
Implement the roles and responsibilities found within your condominium’s approved Fire Safety Plan on behalf of the building owner and internal staff. This includes ensuring that the security / concierge and superintendent are completing the daily, weekly and monthly Fire Code checks and inspections. These checks and inspections must be documented every day, week, and month, and are typically assigned to the security and superintendent to complete. While the Fire Code does not specifically state these are required documentation records, industry standards and best practices would suggest that these be both documented and retained for a p[eriod of 12 months. It is this documentation that proves your efforts under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, as well as the Occupiers Liability Act. Document retention is more than just what the fire code requires.
Third Party Service Providers: A property manager is required to implement the roles and responsibilities found within the building’s approved Fire Safety Plan on behalf of the building owner with third-party service providers. This includes monthly fire alarm / sprinkler testing and inspections, generator testing and an assortment of monthly, semi monthly, quarterly, biannual, annual tests and inspections. In some condominiums they have two-year, three-year, 10 year and 15-year Fire Code requirements. Failing to implement these and maintain evidence of completion onsite will result in a Notice of Violation.
The above is not an all-inclusive list and is intended to provide a brief overview only.
Finally, a Fire Safety Plan must be current and ensuring that it reflects all conditions in a building. It must be reviewed at least once every 12 months. In addition to an annual Fire Safety Plan review, it is to be updated when there is a change in occupancies, building renovations, construction or code changes that affect the plan.
When a Fire Safety Plan is created and implemented properly, it can reduce damage and ensure the safety of all individuals within a building.
Property managers are the significant connection to maintaining a fire safe building. If you are a property manager who would like to learn more about your building’s fire safety needs and compliance status, visit www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca, call 647-794-5505 or email solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca.