, all identified buildings can be evaluated using the same yard stick.
The Local Assistants to the Fire Commissioner are empowered to order upgrades to existing buildings under the Fire Services Act or the BC Fire Code.
The Local Assistant may wish to have a more systematic approach by establishing an upgrade program for existing buildings. This may be done by setting some specific fire safety objectives and applying them to individual buildings or targeting a group of buildings in the community with similar profiles and risks.
There are many ways of establishing the baseline for such a program. The Local Assistant may want to select one or more specific upgrades, such as fire alarms or sprinklers, and apply this to a pre-selected group of buildings. Another method may be performing a general building survey for all selected buildings and then determine what specifically are required in each identified building.
In order to establish
priorities, the Local Assistant needs to carry out a complete assessment of all
buildings in their jurisdiction. Buildings can be classified by use, occupancy,
building height, year built and general condition. Using a rating tool such as
one shown in the Fire Risk
Assessment Model , all identified buildings can be evaluated using the same yard stick.
The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has a fire safety guideline that describes a fire risk assessment for a community.
Once all identified buildings are evaluated, the Local Assistant can then begin to set priorities. For example, considering people are generally most vulnerable when they are asleep or restricted, the review may result in residential and institutional occupancies being given a high priority. The next classification may be occupancies where people gather, such as public assembly and educational type occupancies.
Building height may give some weight to the assessment if the buildings require longer evacuation time such as high rise residential towers. If resources are limited in your jurisdiction, (e.g. lack of a hazmat team) upgrades to high hazard classifications may have a higher rating, such as manufacturing and the storage or transferring of flammable gases, flammable liquids or hazardous materials.
The extent of any upgrading program undertaken will be largely dependent upon the available fire prevention resources. Initially the Local Assistant may only be able to upgrade buildings with serious fire protection deficiencies. However, it is important to develop a long-range plan in order that buildings may eventually be systematically upgraded through an ongoing program.
Once the priorities for upgrading by classification have been established and buildings with serious fire protection deficiencies have been addressed, then upgrading should be carried out in a consecutive and systematic manner (such as by street or by occupancy name). For example, if the Local Assistant has the resources to start an upgrading program for all residential high rise occupancies, the upgrading of may start with “1st Avenue” and finish with “99th Avenue”. This would demonstrate that upgrading is being carried out in a fair and systematic manner.
Once the order for building upgrades has been decided upon, it is then necessary to develop priorities within individual occupancies and establish acceptable time limits for compliance. Deficiencies must be identified and the Local Assistant should then determine the order of importance for work to be carried out, together with time frames that are agreeable to the owner.
A Local Assistant should be able to accomplish considerable upgrading without the necessity of issuing orders. Some departments have success in using an information letter to start, and working cooperatively with user groups such as the Ratepayer’s Association or BOMA. When other avenues have been exhausted however, and reasonable time limits for compliance have not been met, then issuing of orders becomes necessary.
The following are two sample letters that a fire department uses for their fire alarm upgrade program:
In summary, for a successful upgrade program to take place:
The upgrading of any building requires sound judgment, research, experience and discretion from the Local Assistant. The Office of the Fire Commissioner can provide technical support and tools to any Local Assistant who chooses to implement an upgrade program. Please contact the OFC if you need assistance regarding building upgrades.
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