Operations
Telephone (905) 468-3266
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1593 Four Mile Creek Road
P.O. Box 190
Virgil, Ontario
L0S 1T0
Submitted on:
August 08, 2017
Report:OPS-17-053
Report To:Operations Advisory Committee
Subject:Fire Safety Inspection Frequency Schedule

1. RECOMMENDATION

It is respectfully recommended
1.1 That Council adopt, through the attached policy, the fire safety inspection frequency schedule as outlined in this report and found attached as Appendix A to this report.

2. PURPOSE / PROPOSAL
The purpose of this report is to adopt a fire safety inspection frequency schedule.

3. BACKGROUND
The Province of Ontario and the Office of the Fire Marshal have recognized that Fire Prevention and Public Fire Safety Education is essential to reducing fire death, fire injuries and fire losses in Ontario. This recognition has been translated into legislation through the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA).

Fire Departments in Ontario are governed by the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997. As it relates to Fire Prevention and Public Fire Safety Education, the following requirements are legislated:

Municipal responsibilities:
2. (1) Every municipality shall,
(a) establish a program in the municipality which must include public education with respect to fire safety and certain components of fire prevention; and
(b) provide such other fire protection services as it determines may be necessary in accordance with its needs and circumstances.

Further, O. Reg. 365/13: Mandatory Assessment of Complaints and Requests requires all Ontario Fire Departments to respond to all fire safety complaints and requests for assistance by completing an assessment of the complaint and, where required, a fire safety inspection and appropriate enforcement of the Ontario Fire Code.

Lastly, O. Reg. 364/13: Mandatory Inspections and Fire Drills in Vulnerable Occupancies requires all Ontario Fire Departments to complete an annual inspection and supervised fire drill in all vulnerable occupancies (hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, long-term care homes, care facilities and care & treatment facilities).

In addition to these requirements, the municipality has the jurisdiction to establish other fire prevention activities and initiatives in accordance with their needs and circumstances.

Historically Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire & Emergency Services has provided the following Fire Prevention and Public Fire Safety services:
Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire & Emergency Services employs one full-time Fire Prevention Officer and one part-time (21 hours/week) Fire Inspector and Public Educator.

The Fire Prevention Officer is responsible for plans examination which requires approximately 30% of their time, completing complex fire safety inspections which requires approximately 60% of their time and coordinating the Fire Prevention Division administration which requires approximately 10% of their time.

The Fire Inspector and Public Educator is responsible for public fire safety education which requires approximately 50% of their time and routine fire safety inspections which requires approximately 50% of their time.

4. DISCUSSION / ANALYSIS
As it relates to fire safety inspections, Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire & Emergency Services meets the minimum requirements related to complaint and request inspections and vulnerable occupancy inspections and fire drills.

In addition to the minimum requirements, fire prevention staff have attempted to conduct routine fire safety inspections and fire code enforcement as resources would allow. This has included random fire safety inspections of schools, hotels and other high-risk buildings, as well as coordinated final occupancy inspections along with the building department. Also, at various times, fire safety inspection programs related to migrant housing and short-term rentals were initiated.

Currently our fire safety inspection program is driven primarily by complaint and request inspections. All complaint and request inspections are being completed and effort is being made to conduct routine inspections based on the needs of the community.

The goal is to move from reactive (complaint) inspections to proactive (routine) inspections. A proactive inspection program is true fire prevention that will aid in reducing fire deaths, fire injuries and fire losses in the community.

To work towards this goal an inspection frequency schedule that classifies buildings into the following categories (number of identified buildings in parenthesis) was created:
Each category of these 381 buildings was then assigned an inspection frequency of every year, every 2 years, every 3 years, every 4 years or every 5 years. The frequency that was assigned is based upon the fire safety risk due to the type of building. The numbers identified in this report reflect the number of buildings known to be operating in this capacity at the time this report was drafted. There is the possibility that further buildings will be identified in one or more categories and that these numbers may increase.

The resulting fire safety inspection frequency schedule (Appendix A) is as follows:
Annual Inspections Inspections every 2 years Inspections every 3 years Inspections every 4 years Inspections every 5 years In addition to these 381 buildings there are also approximately 180 migrant houses and approximately 228 short-term rentals that, ideally to ensure fire safety, are also placed on a fire safety inspection frequency schedule. The short-term rental and migrant housing numbers identified in this report reflect the number of buildings known to be operating in this capacity at the time this report was drafted. There is the possibility that further buildings will be identified in one or more categories and that these numbers may increase.

It is recommended that in addition to the fire safety inspection frequency schedule being recommended for the 381 buildings noted above, that the migrant houses and short-term rentals be placed on a 3 year inspection cycle as per Appendix A.

At this time, pending the completion of the consultation process recently approved by Council regarding the licensing of long-term rentals, conducting fire safety inspections of long-term rentals has not been included on this proposed fire safety inspection frequency schedule. Once direction regarding long-term rental licensing and fire safety inspections is determined it is recommended that the fire safety inspection frequency schedule be re-visited and long-term rentals included.

The proposed fire safety inspection frequency schedule is believed to be achievable based on the current staffing and resources within the fire department. If adopted by Council, this schedule will be used by Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire & Emergency Services to guide fire safety inspections. The schedule will be monitored closely and in the third quarter of 2018 a report brought back to Council outlining compliance.

5. STRATEGIC PLAN
Not applicable

6. OPTIONS
Staff recommend adoption of the fire safety inspection frequency schedule as outlined in this report and found attached as Appendix A.
Should Council feel that more frequent fire safety inspections are required the fire department would require additional fire prevention staffing hours.
As additional buildings are approved and constructed the fire safety inspection frequency schedule will need to be revised. Should growth and development result in the existing schedule no longer being achievable it will be brought back to Council for further consideration.
Should, upon review next year, the current fire safety inspection frequency schedule prove not to be achievable with the existing staffing and resources it will be brought back to Council for further consideration.

7. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications associated with adopting the fire safety inspection frequency schedule as outlined in this report.

8. COMMUNICATIONS
The Fire Prevention Division would be responsible for communicating the fire safety inspection requirements to each property owner upon scheduling the inspections.

9. CONCLUSION
Staff recommend Council adopt the fire safety inspection frequency schedule as outlined in this report and found attached as Appendix A and that staff report back in the 3rd quarter of 2018 regarding compliance with the schedule.



Respectfully submitted,

Rob Grimwood Holly Dowd
Fire Chief Chief Administrative Officer


ATTACHMENTS
Appendix A - Fire Safety Inspection Frequency Schedule.pdfAppendix A - Fire Safety Inspection Frequency Schedule.pdf


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