Public Fire Safety Guidelines

Subject Coding
 PFSG 04-40-12
Section
 Fire Prevention and Public Fire Safety Education 		Date
 March 2001
Subject
 Selection of Appropriate Fire Prevention Programs 		Page

Purpose:

To assist fire service managers in identifying the minimum fire prevention and public education activities required to comply with the Fire Protection and Prevention Act

Introduction:

Municipalities must develop a fire prevention and fire safety education program that addresses their needs and circumstances.

Minimum Required Services:

Section 2. (1) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act states:

(1) Every municipality shall,

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

Therefore, as a minimum acceptable model municipalities must provide the services listed below. The simplified risk assessment should identify the extent to which additional services may be required to meet the local needs and circumstances of specific municipalities.

Municipalities may develop a different model for fire prevention and public education services provided they are able to demonstrate that their model meets the mandated requirements of the community's local needs.

  1. Simplified risk assessment
  2. A smoke alarm program
  3. Fire safety education material distributed to residents/occupants
  4. Inspections upon complaint or when requested to assist with code compliance

Simplified Risk Assessment:

 A simplified risk assessment must be done for the community to determine the needs and circumstances of the municipality and to establish the level of fire prevention and public fire safety education required. Any significant risks identified through the analysis should be addressed. For example; if the risk assessment indicates a significant life or fire loss in multi-unit residential buildings, a program that will adequately improve their fire safety - such as routine inspections - would be appropriate to address the specific need of the community.

The scope and extent of the remaining three required programs can be determined by the results of the simplified risk assessment.

Smoke Alarm Program:

 The objective of a smoke alarm program is the provision and maintenance of working smoke alarms and home escape planning activities for all residential occupancies in the municipality. The activities associated with the program may include any combination of the following:

  • community surveys
  • distribution of pamphlets or other education material
  • instruction to residents regarding smoke alarms
  • providing smoke alarms at reduced or no cost
  • installation of smoke alarms
  • inspecting premises to determine compliance with the smoke alarm provisions of the Fire Code.

Fire Safety Material:

Fire safety education material may be distributed to residents and/or occupants consistent with the community's needs and circumstances by any combination of the following activities:

  • distribution of pamphlets or other education material
  • public service announcements utilizing the available media
  • instruction to residents/occupants on fire safety matters
  • presentations to resident groups
  • attendance at public events

Fire safety education material addresses such issues as preventing fire occurrence, the value of smoke alarms, planning escape from fire, and being prepared to deal with a fire incident. The OFM Regional Office can provide assistance with fire safety education material for the public. Fire safety education material may also be found on the OFM website.

Inspections:

 Inspections of properties must be done, or arranged for, by the municipality when:

  • a complaint is received regarding the fire safety of a property
  • a request is made to assist a property owner or occupant to comply with the Fire Code and the involvement of the Chief Fire Official is required by the Ontario Fire Code

Any inspection conducted must include notification of the property owner or responsible person and appropriate follow-up with enforcement, if necessary.

Codes, Standards, and Best Practices:

Codes, Standards, and Best Practices resources available to assist in establishing local policy on this assessment are listed below. All are available at http://www.ofm.gov.on.ca. Please feel free to copy and distribute this document. We ask that the document not be altered in any way, that the Office of the Fire Marshal be credited and that the documents be used for non-commercial purposes only.

See also PFSG
01-02-01 Comprehensive Fire Safety Effectiveness Model
04-12-13 Core Services
04-40A-03 Simplified Risk Assessments
04-40B-12 Smoke Alarm Programs
04-40C-12 Public Fire Safety Education Materials
04-40D-12 Inspections Upon Request or Complaint