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Public Fire Safety Guidelines

Subject Coding
 PFSG 04-40D-12
Section
 Fire Prevention and Public Fire Safety Education 		Date
 March 2001
Subject
 Inspections Upon Request or Complaint (Fire Code) 		Page

Purpose:

To assist fire services in developing procedures to ensure that fire safety inspections are conducted, pursuant to the Fire Code, upon request or complaint and to meet minimum requirement of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.

Introduction:

Buildings maintained in accordance with the provisions of the Fire Code perform well during fire incidents. While building owners are responsible for carrying out the provisions of the Fire Code, fire services have a public safety interest in ensuring that buildings are maintained in accordance with the Fire Code.

Development:

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 to ensure the owner remains in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code.
  • the fire department is aware of violations in a particular property

Related Functions:

Any inspection conducted must include notification of the property owner or responsible person and appropriate follow-up with enforcement, if necessary. It is imperative that these inspections be conducted within a short timeframe, befitting the seriousness of the complaint.

For inspections, the following factors should be considered:

  • The type of inspections to be conducted and the buildings to be inspected. For example: routine inspections of all multi-unit residential buildings, new construction inspections of all buildings, smoke alarm checks of single family residential buildings.
  • The methods of inspection appropriate for the circumstance. This will have implications for the amount of time required to inspect, as more comprehensive inspections require more time.
  • The category of buildings being inspected and the skills and knowledge required to inspect them. The more complicated the building, the more skill and knowledge required.
  • The frequency that the properties will be subject to inspection should be identified in the fire department fire prevention policy.

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;
04-40-12 & 04-40-03 Selection of Appropriate Fire Prevention Programs
Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council