The Fire Commissioner supports a general philosophy that every building should have a reasonable degree of fire and life safety.
As referenced in the BC Fire Code 2006 Division C Sentence 2.2.1.1.(1), building owners are responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Fire Code and the responsibilities include the maintenance and upgrading of their buildings. The Fire Commissioner recommends the owners to have discussions with the Local Assistant as resources regarding their upkeep and voluntary upgrade programs.
Where a Local Assistant becomes aware of a fire safety system that may require upgrading, the Local Assistant needs to inform the building owner to take appropriate action. This may be done as a local inspection notice initially, and if needed, stepping up to a provincial fire order.
In order to increase the success of an upgrade, the Local Assistant should work cooperatively with building owners to discuss options, cost effectiveness, and establish priorities within reasonable time limits. It is important to remember that the objective of upgrading is not necessarily to bring all buildings up to current code requirements, as this is often impracticable in older buildings. Using equivalent measures may be the key.
Where it is necessary to issue a fire order to facilitate an upgrade, the Local Assistant should determine whether the best remedy is to make improvements to the building rather than prohibiting a use or activity. For a building where the continuing use poses a severe fire risk, an upgrade to the building may not be the best solution. An example is an illegal conversion of a single family home to a temporary lodging facility where lodgers are sleeping in unacceptable spaces. A Section 22 order is recommended to discontinue the use rather than an upgrade to this building.
The Fire Commissioner is not in a position at present to mandate the Local Assistant to have fire safety upgrade programs since they are dependent on local factors. Where warranted, the Fire Commissioner may issue directives to the Local Assistant on mandatory upgrades, such as the Omega sprinklers upgrade or the commercial kitchen exhaust system upgrade.The Fire Commissioner recognizes the limitations in the existing Fire Services Act where upgrading to buildings may only happen to areas where they are under the jurisdiction of the Local Assistant. A Fire Commissioner’s order may cover geographic areas in BC that do not have a Local Assistant.
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