Fire Code Governance; the missing system for the built environment

Most organizations don’t fail fire code compliance because they “didn’t care.”

They fail because compliance gets treated like a checklist instead of a management system, and checklists break down the moment the building gets busy, the team changes, or a contractor misses a step.

Ontario’s Fire Code applies across existing buildings and facilities, and the responsibility for compliance sits with the building owner except where the Code specifies otherwise. In the real world, that accountability is carried day-to-day by building operators, facility managers, security teams, and vendors, often across multiple sites, multiple systems, and multiple priorities.

That’s where governance matters.

What “fire code governance” means

Fire code governance is the structure that makes compliance dependable.

It’s how an organization ensures fire safety obligations are consistently understood, executed, documented, verified, and improved, even when staff turn over, vendors change, budgets tighten, or the building’s use evolves.

If you manage the built environment (commercial, institutional, municipal, industrial, mission critical), fire code governance is the difference between:

- being compliant on paper

- being defensible under inspection, incident review, and scrutiny

Why the built environment is struggling right now

Across Ontario, there’s no shortage of technical information and service providers: audits, fire safety plans, inspections, testing, and consulting are widely available.

What’s missing is a governance-level operating model that helps leaders answer questions like:

- who owns each compliance obligation internally?

- how do we confirm critical inspections are done properly (not just “reported”)?

- how do we manage vendor oversight without becoming dependent on one person or one contractor?

- what evidence would we produce if a regulator asked, “prove due diligence”?

When those answers aren’t clear, compliance becomes personality-driven. If the “right” person leaves, the system leaves with them.

The Ontario Fire Code governance framework (a practical model)

This is the framework we use to stabilize compliance in complex portfolios. It’s designed to be applied across occupancy types and operational models.

1.      accountability mapping
Document who is accountable for what, internally and externally.
Not a generic org chart. A responsibility map tied to fire code obligations, fire safety plan duties, and system oversight.

2.      competence, not attendance
Training should create competence that can be applied the next day.
Many courses explain what the Code says. Fewer teach leaders how to govern performance across people, vendors, and records.

3.      documentation that stands up
Records are not admin. They are your defensibility layer.
If documentation isn’t consistent, accessible, and reviewable, it won’t help you when you need it most.

4.      vendor oversight as a system
Most organizations “outsource” compliance and assume that equals control.
Governance requires performance checks, defined expectations, and periodic validation, not just invoices and service reports.

5.      inspection readiness by design
Inspection readiness is not a scramble.
It’s what happens when your records, roles, and routines are designed to withstand inspection at any time.

6.      change control for buildings that evolve
Renovations, tenant turnover, operational changes, and new equipment all create compliance drift.
Governance includes a simple method to assess and document impacts before risk compounds.

7.      emerging hazards are treated as operational risk
The built environment is changing fast: battery storage, charging practices, new materials, new use patterns.
Governance requires an operating habit of assessing emerging hazards and translating them into practical controls.

Where most programs stop short

In Ontario, many offerings focus on one piece of the puzzle:

- audits (finding gaps)

- fire safety plan creation and approval (documentation)

- essentials-style training (knowledge)

Those are valuable. But without governance, they can become episodic: you “fix things” after an inspection, then drift back into risk as time passes.

Governance turns episodic compliance into a repeatable operating rhythm.

A one-day program built for governance-level impact

To support leaders responsible for building-level and portfolio-level oversight, National Life Safety Group delivers a one-day Ontario Fire Code compliance program designed specifically for built-environment professionals.

It is built to translate regulatory expectations into practical governance: roles, documentation, oversight routines, inspection preparedness, and defensibility.

The program has been designed and developed by recognized NFPA educators and is structured to meet and exceed Ontario Fire Code requirements. It has been reviewed, accredited and endorsed by the Institution of Fire Engineers (Canada), and is recognized for continuing education credits through CRMAO.  

How this improves ROI (what changes after training)

If you want measurable outcomes, measure the operational results that reduce risk and cost:

- reduced repeat deficiencies (because accountability and records tighten)

- fewer “inspection scrambles” and emergency mobilizations

- fewer vendor disputes (clear scope, clear evidence)

- faster response to orders and findings (because documentation is organized)

- leadership confidence (because obligations and oversight are explicit)

This is what owners and operators actually buy: reduced volatility.

Here is some frequently asked questions to assist and support. FAQ

Who is responsible for Ontario Fire Code compliance?
Ontario’s Fire Code applies across existing buildings and facilities, and the building owner is responsible for complying except where otherwise specified.

What is the difference between a fire safety plan and fire code governance?
A fire safety plan is a required document that the building Owner uses to communicate the “plan” for fire safety.  Governance is the operating system that ensures the plan is implemented, audited internally, documented properly, and maintained through change.

What does “inspection readiness” mean in practice?
It means roles, records, and verification routines are organized so that an inspection is a confirmation event, not a disruption event.

Do audits solve compliance issues?
Audits identify gaps. Governance prevents gaps from recurring by creating accountability, oversight, and documentation habits that hold over time.

What should facility managers prioritize first?
Start with accountability mapping and documentation standards. If you don’t know who owns each obligation and where evidence lives, everything else becomes fragile.

Call to action
If you’re responsible for fire code compliance across a facility or portfolio and want a governance-driven approach that strengthens inspection defensibility, connect with National Life Safety Group to discuss a one-day session tailored to your operating environment.

About the Author

Jason Reid is President and Senior Advisor at National Life Safety Group, a Toronto-based engineering firm specializing in fire code governance, emergency management, and regulatory risk mitigation across the built environment.

With more than 25 years of leadership in Fire, Safety, Emergency Management, and Risk Mitigation, Jason has supported complex and high-profile environments across Canada and internationally, including government facilities, high-rise, universities, mass assembly venues, transportation hubs, residential industrial facilities, and critical infrastructure portfolios. His work focuses on integrating practical emergency operations with strategic, evidence-based compliance frameworks that strengthen inspection readiness and operational resilience.

Jason is also Co-Founder of Safe Building Tech, a Canadian technology company developing mobile applications that support safety, compliance, and emergency response operations. The company’s platforms are deployed across built environment portfolios as well as within Police environments - all with a focus on community safety qand wellbeing. These applications enhance compliance visibility, operational coordination, and real-time risk awareness across complex facilities and multi-building portfolios.