OCCURRENCE
REPORTING
MANUAL

Ministry of the Community Safety and Correctional Services
Office of the Fire Marshal

June 2001

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO OCCURRENCE REPORTING

• 1.1 What is Occurrence Reporting?
• 1.2 What is An Occurrence?
• 1.3 How Occurrences Should Be Reported
• 1.4 Who Completes the Standard Incident Report
• 1.5 What to do with Completed Reports
• 1.6 How to Submit a Revision/Update
• 1.7 If Incomplete or Incorrect Reports are Submitted
• 1.8 More Information

2.0 THE STANDARD INCIDENT REPORT

• 2.1 Report Set-up
• 2.2 Reporting Exceptions
• 2.3 Section A: All Occurrences
• 2.4 Section B: Structural, Vehicle and Open Area Fires/Explosions
• 2.5 Section C: Vehicle Fires/Explosions
• 2.6 Section D: Structural or Property Fires/Explosions
• 2.7 Section E: Fire Department Use (Optional)

3.0 THE CASUALTY REPORT

• 3.1 General
• 3.2 Report Completion

APPENDIX A: STANDARD CODES LIST

APPENDIX B: HEIGHT CONVERSION CHART

APPENDIX C: WEIGHT CONVERSION CHART

APPENDIX D: SUMMARY OF CHANGES TO MANUAL 2001

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO OCCURRENCE REPORTING

1.1 WHAT IS OCCURRENCE REPORTING?

Occurrence reporting is a method of tracking fire, explosion and other emergency responses made by Ontario fire departments. Information concerning the occurrence is recorded in a standardized format and forwarded to the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) here the data is compiled on a province-wide basis.

****Subsection 11(2) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.

1.2 WHAT IS AN OCCURRENCE?

An occurrence is an incident which results in a fire department emergency response. There are two categories of occurrences for the purposes of reporting. These are listed below.

a) Fires & Explosions

Fires and explosions involving structures, vehicles or open areas (whether or not they result in property losses, injuries or deaths) constitute the first category of occurrences to which fire departments respond.

Despite involvement in other activities, these occurrences remain of utmost interest and of primary concern given their potential to result in large property losses, injuries and deaths. As a result, even if a fire department is notified of such an incident after it has already occurred, the occurrence should be reported.

A fire or explosion occurrence is defined as any instance of destructive and uncontrolled burning, including explosion of combustible solids, liquids or gases.

Exceptions:

The following do NOT constitute fire occurrences except where they cause fire or occur as a consequence of fire:

1. lightning or electrical discharge;
   
   
2. rupture of steam boilers, hot water tanks or other pressure vessels due to internal pressure and not to internal combustion;
   
   
3. explosions of ammunition or other detonating material;
   
   
4. accidents involving ships, aircraft or other vehicles;
   
   
5. overheat condition. This condition is described as the alteration of material by heat without self-sustained combustion. Removal of the heat source will stop the alteration process. It may also be described as the stage before ignition.
   
   

Examples of overheat:
A kitchen counter is discoloured by being in contact with hot metal.

The table or carpet is scarred by the hot ashes of a cigarette.

(b) Emergency Responses Other Than Fires

Fire departments respond to emergencies other than fires. Included as other emergency responses are responses to overpressure ruptures, pre-fire conditions, false fire calls, public hazards, rescues, medical calls, assistance to other fire departments and public service calls. These types of responses constitute the second category of occurrences to which fire departments respond.

1.3 HOW OCCURRENCES SHOULD BE REPORTED

All fire and non-fire occurrences involving a building, structure, vehicle or open area are reported on the Standard Incident Report (see Section 2.0). This report is completed using the codes identified in the Standard Codes List (see Appendix A).

In most cases, the completion of one report is required for each occurrence to which a fire department responds. Exposure fires are the only exception to this rule—addressed in more detail in Subsection 2.2.

In addition to reporting occurrences, firefighter and civilian injuries should be reported on separate Casualty Reports. This report is addressed in more detail in Section 3.0.

1.4 WHO COMPLETES THE STANDARD INCIDENT REPORT

The jurisdictional fire department is always responsible for completing the full details of a fire incident including details relating to the civilian injuries. Fire departments providing assistance from outside the incident jurisdiction complete only the first portion of the report. Each fire department reports their respective firefighter injuries.

1.5 WHAT TO DO WITH COMPLETED REPORTS

Complete reports as soon as possible, to ensure that details of the occurrence are accurate. A copy of the report should be retained by the originating department and a copy sent to the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Multiple reports issued by the same fire department for a single or related occurrences should be submitted together (eg. Standard Incident Report with corresponding Casualty Reports; Standard Incident Reports for exposure fires with Standard Incident Report for the originating fire).

1.6 HOW TO SUBMIT A REVISION/UPDATE

When a reporting error is made or when updated information becomes available, a revised report must be submitted. Complete those categories that have been revised/updated with the correct information. The response location, area, sub-area, date and time must be completed for the revised report and must be identical to the original report submitted. Clearly label the report with the word REVISION.

1.7 IF INCOMPLETE OR INCORRECT REPORTS ARE SUBMITTED

If incomplete or incorrect information/reports are submitted, the fire department will be contacted. These reports will not be processed until complete information is supplied.

1.8 MORE INFORMATION

For assistance in completing a report, contact the Office of the Fire Marshal at (416) 325-3200 and ask the receptionist to connect you to a Statistical Clerk or send an e-mail message through the OFM website at WWW.OFM.GOV.ON.CA

Blank reports as well as self-addressed envelopes to be used for submitting completed reports are available from the regional office of the Office of the Fire Marshal or Forms may be printed from this website. Mail forms to:

• ********The Office of the Fire Marshal-Statistics Section
• ********7^th Floor
• ******* 5775 Yonge Street
• ********Toronto ON M2M 4J1
  
  
• Telephone: (416) 325-3200
• Facsimile: (416) 325-3146

2.0 THE STANDARD INCIDENT REPORT

2.1 Report Format

The Standard Incident Report is used to record all fire and non-fire responses made by the fire department. These include:

• structure fires or explosions
  
  
• vehicle fires or explosions
  
  
• other structural fires or explosions
  
  
• open area fires or explosions
  
  
• all non-fire incidents (overpressure ruptures, pre-fire conditions, false-fire calls, public hazards, rescues, medical/resuscitator calls and other calls)

The Standard Incident Report is divided into 5 sections, namely:

• SECTION A: ALL OCCURRENCES
• SECTION B: ALL FIRES/EXPLOSIONS
• SECTION C: VEHICLE FIRES/EXPLOSIONS
• SECTION D: STRUCTURE FIRES/EXPLOSIONS
• SECTION E: FIRE DEPARTMENT USE (OPTIONAL)

Section A is completed for ALL fire and non-fire occurrences.
This section identifies the "where" and "when" of the incident, "who" responded, and to "what" they responded. Section A must be completed for all fires and non-fire responses, namely those with "Response Type" codes 11 to 99.

Section B is completed for ALL fires and explosions.
This section is completed only for those occurrences with "Response Type" codes 01 or 02. This section identifies the "what", "how" and "why" details of the incident and estimates the extent of any monetary losses involved. It must be completed for structural, vehicle and open area fires.

Section C is completed only for incidents involving VEHICLE fires or explosions.
In other words, this section is completed for those occurrences with "Response Type" codes 01 or 02, where the "Property Classification" is coded 901 to 999. This section is used to record details specific to the vehicle involved.

Section D is completed only for incidents involving STRUCTURE fires or explosions.
Complete this section for occurrences with "Response Type" codes 01 or 02, where the property involved was a structure. This section is used to gather details on the structure involved and identifies whether Alarm/Detection/Suppression devices were available and involved at the scene.

Section E (on the second page) is optional and is provided for fire department use only.
This second page is a supplement to the first page and has been made available to those fire departments who choose to use the Standard Incident Report as an official record of the occurrence. This information is not recorded by the OFM and therefore is not required to be submitted.

Table 1 summarizes completion of the report.

Table 1

Note: In all cases, Section E is optional.

Address is completed for ALL fires and explosions.
Fire departments may complete addresses for all responses for their own records. The Office of the Fire Marshal records only fire or explosion incident addresses.

A sample copy of the Standard Incident Report follows.

Section E: Fire Department Use

Response Location
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Owner/Occupant                               Status 1. Owner 2. Owner/Occupant 3. Occupant 4.
Primary Witness

Remarks

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.2 Reporting Exceptions

In most cases, the completion of one Standard Incident Report is required for each occurrence to which a fire department responds. The exception to this rule is in the reporting of exposure fires.

Exposure Fire

An exposure fire is defined as a fire in a building, structure, or vehicle that occurs as a direct consequence of another fire that originated in a completely detached, segregated building, structure, vehicle, or outside open area.

When recording exposure fires, separate reports are required for the originating fire and each exposure fire. The incident identifiers (location and time of incident) of each related exposure fire must be IDENTICAL to that of the originating fire. However, each fire is to be treated as a separate incident and the information recorded on each report must be unique to the fire in question and each exposure incident must be coded as exposure (code 89) in IGNITING SOURCE.

The following are examples of exposure fires:

• A building fire ignites a vehicle parked nearby. The vehicle fire is an exposure fire.
  
  
• A vehicle collision results in a fire that ignites a nearby building. The building fire is an exposure fire.
  
  
• The spread of a forest/bush fire results in a building fire. The building fire is an exposure fire.
  
  

The following examples are NOT exposure fires:

• A fire in a garage attached to a residence spreads to the residence. The residence fire is NOT an exposure fire.
  
  
• A fire in an apartment unit spreads to a neighbouring unit in the same apartment building. The fire in an adjacent apartment unit is NOT an exposure fire.
  
  
• A fire in a restaurant situated in a mall spreads to a nearby shoe store situated in the same mall. The shoe store fire is NOT an exposure fire.
  
  
• A fire in a vehicle parked within a structure spreads to the structure. The structure fire is NOT an exposure fire as the vehicle is viewed as the structure contents.
  
  

Multi-Vehicle Fires (revised 2001)

In the case where a multi-vehicle fire occurs (e.g. as a result of a multi-vehicle collision), a single incident report is required. Use the codes for multi vehicles in property class to indicate more than one vehicle had fire involvement.

2.3 SECTION A: ALL OCCURRENCES

Section A is completed for ALL fire and non-fire occurrences. This section identifies the "where" and "when" of the incident, "who" responded, and to "what" they responded. As well, the section indicates the extent of any injuries or fatalities resulting from an occurrence. For all non-fire responses, namely those with "Response Type" codes 11 to 99, this is the only section that needs to be completed.

Section A is illustrated below.

Section A—All Occurences

Location Code

Each municipality is identified by a unique, four digit location code which is assigned by Statistics Canada. Record the code for the municipality in which the fire occurred.

Area codes are assigned by some fire departments in municipalities where it is felt that a further geographic breakdown of the area is required. For data collection purposes, the OFM must be advised when area codes are implemented or changed.

Date of Occurrence

Record the last two digits of the year, month, and day of the occurrence.

• Year (95 for 1995)
• Month (01 to 12)
• Day (01 to 31)

Alarm Time

Using the 24 hour clock, record the exact hour (00 to 23), minute (00 to 59), and second (00 to 59) the initial alarm is reported to the fire department.

• Hour (00 to 23)
• Minute (00 to 59)
• Seconds (00 to 59)

Fire Department Identification

Every fire department is identified by a four digit code assigned by the Office of the Fire Marshal. In many cases, this code is the same as or similar to the location code of the municipality for which the fire department is providing services.

In the event that more than one department is on the scene, reports are to be submitted by both the jurisdictional and assisting departments. The jurisdictional department and assisting departments identify their respective 4 digit codes on their reports.

Note that the jurisdictional department is always responsible for the complete reporting of the incident on the Standard Incident Report while the assisting department only completes Section A of the report.

Time on Scene

Using the 24 hour clock, record the exact hour (00 to 23), minute (00 to 59), and second (00 to 59) at which the first unit arrives at the scene.

It is not necessary to code this category if a fire occurrence is reported to the fire department after the fire has already been extinguished. For responses with no arrival time (e.g. cancelled on route) enter 0, leave blank, or enter the Alarm Time.

Response Type

In this area, indicate the type of response.

01 Fire

This response type applies to uncontrolled burning involving structural, vehicle and open area fires which may or may not have resulted in a dollar loss. It includes situations where:

1. a fire department is notified of and responds to a fire or an explosion that results in a fire, or
   
   
2. a fire department is notified of a fire or an explosion that results in a fire but does not respond because the fire is already extinguished.

02 Combustion Explosion (No Fire)

This code is used to describe a combustion explosion that does not result in a fire and may or may not result in a dollar loss. This response type is intended to capture incidents that involve the explosion of combustible solids, liquids, and gases.

Incidents not included under this response type include the rupture of steam boilers, hot water tanks or other pressure vessels due to internal pressure, or any munition explosions (bombs, dynamite, and similar explosives). These types of incidents are considered to be non-fire responses.

All Other Response Types

Response Type codes 11 to 99 are non-fire responses and only require the completion of Section A of the Standard Incident Report.

Alarm to Fire Department

This category identifies the means by which a fire department is first notified. Note that in the case where a fire occurrence is reported to a fire department after the fire has already been extinguished (formerly a "No Alarm Fire" response type) use the code "10 No Alarm Received—No Response".

Responding Personnel

Each fire department must identify how many staff members respond to the emergency.

Excluded from this total are fire prevention officers, investigators, back up crew, clean up crew and anyone else who appears on the scene after the emergency has been resolved.

Rescues

Identify the total number of persons rescued. A rescued person is one who

1. is in danger of injury or death because of his/her proximity to the occurrence and is rescued as the result of direct actions of a firefighter or under the direct supervision or control of a firefighter, or
   
   
2. is trapped or confined as a result of the occurrence and firefighter action is necessary for his/her release.
   
   

Note that rescue does not include persons evacuated from an occurrence area for precautionary measures.

Injuries

For fire/explosion responses enter the total number of persons injured as a result of the incident. This figure is comprised of the total number of firefighter action injuries and civilian fire injuries.

For nonfire incidents report only firefighter injuries. Injuries are discussed in more detail in Section 3.0.

Fatalities

Enter the number of fatalities associated with the fire incident. This figure is comprised of the total number of firefighter action deaths and civilian fire deaths.

For nonfire incidents report only firefighter fatalities. Fatalities are discussed in more detail in

2.4 SECTION B: STRUCTURAL, VEHICLE AND OPEN AREA FIRES/EXPLOSIONS

Section B is completed in addition to Section A for structural, vehicle and open area fires or explosions to which a fire department responds. In other words, this section is completed only for those occurrences with "Response Type" codes 01 or 02. This section identifies the "what", "how" and "why" details of the incident and estimates the extent of any monetary losses involved.

Section B is illustrated below.

Section B: Structure, Vehicle Fire and Open Area Fire or Explosion

Time of Agent Application

Using the 24 hour clock, record the exact hour (0-23), minute (0-59), and second (0-59) at which extinguishing agent is initially applied by the fire department to suppress the fire.

It is not necessary to code this category if the fire occurrence is reported to the fire department after the fire has already been extinguished.

Property Classification

Property Classification refers to the use made of a structure, portion of a structure, vehicle or outside area by an owner, tenant, or occupant of a space.

If two or more properties are involved in a fire (such as an exposure fire) record the property of fire origin on the originating fire report and record the property to which the fire spread on the associated exposure fire report.

Fires involving vehicles are identified by using the "900" series of property codes. A vehicle is coded under this category only if the vehicle fire occurs outside of a building.

Where a vehicle fire occurs within a building, the vehicle is considered to be building content. Treat this situation as a structural fire and classify the vehicle as the object or material to first ignite.

See Table 2 for scenarios.

Table 2: Scenarios

Area of Origin

Area of Origin refers to the specific use of the room or space of the property where the fire originates.

See Table 3 for scenarios.

Table 3: Scenarios

Ignition Source/Igniting Equipment

The ignition source/igniting equipment of a fire is the equipment, device, or item that brings about ignition.

See Table 4 for scenarios.

Fuel or Energy Associated with Igniting Equipment

This category denotes the fuel or energy normally used in conjunction with the igniting equipment. This category is only completed when equipment is responsible for igniting the fire. If the ignition source is not a piece of equipment, code as "99—Not Applicable".

See Table 4 for scenarios .

Object or Material First Ignited

Object or material first ignited is the item that first ignites which brings about the fire condition. Note that Codes 11 to 49 refer to specific objects. If a code representing the object first ignited is not available use Codes 51 to 68 to indicate the material that first ignited.

See Table 4 for scenarios.

Table 4: Scenarios

Cause (Possible)

An incident is the result of a set of conditions and a sequence of events which lead to the ignition of a material by an ignition source. This sequence of events is usually initiated by human acts (something which is done) or human omissions (something which has not been done). These acts or omissions are the cause of the fire because they trigger the events which lead to the occurrence.

Causes are divided into three main categories:

1. Incendiary,
2. Accidental, and
3. Other/Undetermined.

The Incendiary and Accidental categories are further subdivided.

A clarification of the cause codes follows:

Incendiary

This category refers to a fire incident that is maliciously set or initiated. Incendiary causes are divided into the following sub-categories:

01 Arson

This code refers to a maliciously set fire that is initiated by the offender to destroy property for personal gain.

02 Riot/Civil Commotion

This code refers to a maliciously set fire that occurs during a riot or civil commotion.

03 Vandalism (Ages 18 and Over)

This code refers to a maliciously set fire that is initiated by an offender aged 18 and over to destroy property for no apparent purpose.

04 Youth Vandalism (Ages 12 to 17)

This code refers to a maliciously set fire that is initiated by offenders aged 12 to 17 years to destroy property for no apparent purpose.

Accidental

This category is defined as any incident that occurs as a result of unintentional human failing. Accidental causes are broken into the following sub-categories:

11 Children Playing (11 and under)

This code refers to a fire caused by a child (11 years of age and under) playing. If the cause of an occurrence can be attributed to both a child playing and something else, choose "11—Children Playing" over other causes.

Example:

• A child experimenting with cigarettes carelessly discards a cigarette into a wastepaper basket resulting in a rubbish fire.

12 Vehicle Accident or Collision

This code refers to a fire caused by a vehicle(s) collision.

Examples:

• A fuel tanker on an icy road collides with a concrete wall, igniting the fuel.
  
  
• A helicopter crashes during an attempted landing on a hospital rooftop.

Design/Construction/Installation/Maintenance Deficiency

21 Design Deficiency

This code refers to a fire caused by a design fault in a product.

Example:

• ABC Kettle Company develops a new kettle design. The new product results in many fires even when used properly, due to a deficiency in the design of the kettle.

22 Construction Deficiency

This code refers to a fire caused by an inadequacy in the construction of an item.

Example:

• An improperly built chimney results in the ignition of combustibles.

23 Installation Deficiency

This code refers to a fire caused by an improperly installed object.

Example:

• A woodstove is installed too close to a combustible wall and results in the ignition of the wall.

Excluded is storage located too close to a heat source, which would be coded under "41—Improper Storage".

24 Maintenance Deficiency

This code refers to a fire caused by improper maintenance.

Examples:

• A chimney fire occurs due to the ignition of creosote buildup.
  
  
• A dryer fire occurs due to the ignition of lint buildup.

Misuse of Ignition Source/Igniting Equipment

31 Improperly Discarded

This code refers to a fire caused by an ignition source that is discarded in an unsafe, careless or irresponsible manner.
Example:

• Hot smoker's material discarded in wastepaper basket results in a rubbish fire.

32 Unattended

This code refers to a fire caused by an ignition source or igniting equipment that is left unattended.

Examples:

• A person smoking and falling asleep results in a couch fire.
• A campfire left attended results in a rubbish fire.
• Cooking equipment or appliances turned on and left unattended result in a kitchen fire.

33 Used or Placed too Close to Combustibles

This code refers to a fire caused by an ignition source or igniting equipment that is either in contact with or close to combustible material.

Examples:

• A lit candle impinges on curtains.
  
  
• Smoking while refuelling at a gas station results in the ignition of gasoline fumes.

Exclude situations where a heat source is permanently installed too close to combustibles. In these situations, code as "23—Installation Deficiency".

34 Used for Purpose Not Intended

This code refers to a fire caused by an ignition source or igniting equipment that is used for a purpose not intended.

Examples:

• Drying clothes in an oven results in an oven fire.
  
  
• An extension cord serving too many appliances overloads the wiring and results in an electrical fire.

Misuse of Material First Ignited

41 Improper Storage

This code refers to a fire caused by the improper storage of an object or material.

Examples:

• A glass jar used to store gasoline breaks and is ignited by a nearby pilot light.
• The storage of flammable liquids at excessive temperatures results in spontaneous ignition.
• Combustible material is placed too close to a furnace and ignites.

42 Improper Handling

This code refers to a fire caused by the improper handling of an object or material.

Example:

• A flammable liquid is dispensed with improper bonding and grounding procedures. A resulting spark ignites the vapour.

43 Used for Purpose Not Intended

This code refers to a fire caused by an object or material that is used for a purpose not intended.

Example:

• A flammable liquid is used to kindle a fire.

Mechanical/Electrical Failure

51 Mechanical Failure

This code refers to a fire caused by a malfunction in a mechanical system.

Examples:

• The failure of the automatic control in a piece of equipment results in ignition.
  
  
• The malfunction of gas regulators, or leaks and breaks in gas pipes results in ignition.

52 Electrical Failure

This code refers to a fire that is caused by a malfunction in an electrical system.

Example:

• A short circuit or ground fault results in an electrical fire.

Exclude situations where equipment is overloaded (e.g. an extension cord serves too many appliances), equipment is used for purpose not intended or safety or control devices are bypassed. These situations would be coded "34—Used for Purposes not Intended".

Other/Undetermined

This category refers to any incident that cannot be categorized under either the Accidental or Incendiary classifications.

67 Other

This code is used when the cause has been determined but cannot be categorized as one of the above.

Examples:

• Embers from a previous fire re-ignite remaining combustibles.
  
  
• Lightning strikes a house and sets it on fire.

68 Undetermined

This code is used in the case where the cause cannot be determined.

Example:

• An investigation into a fire eliminates all causes except those related to electrical failure and improperly discarded smokers' materials.

Estimated Dollar Loss

The estimated dollar loss is the cost of actual damage to property and property contents, including open area losses.

This amount includes direct losses resulting from fire, explosion, smoke, water or other destruction associated with firefighting operations. NOT to be included in this total are revenue losses or costs involved due to business interruption, loss of good will, loss of sale, production down time, vacancies or environmental contamination cleanup.

Note: In accordance with Canadian insurance practices, damages and/or destruction of buildings, installed equipment and contents shall be estimated and reported at actual replacement value. For buildings under demolition or other property of little value, the dollar loss is the salvage value of the property lost in the fire.

The dollar loss resulting from the fire must be estimated and recorded by the department responsible for completing the entire report. It is recognized that the figure recorded is an estimate at best.

For insured property, this estimated amount may be replaced by the adjusted amount reported to the OFM by insurance adjusters.

Insurance Coverage

Indicate the insurance coverage status of the property in question.

2.5 SECTION C: VEHICLE FIRES/EXPLOSIONS

Section C is completed in addition to Sections A and B for incidents involving vehicle fires or explosions. In other words, this section is completed only if the "Property Classification" is coded 901 to 999. This section is used to record details specific to the vehicle involved.

Section C is illustrated below.

Section C: Vehicle Fire or Explosion

Primary Purpose
__

Vehicle Fuel or Energy Source
__

Primary Purpose—(Transport of)

Indicate the main transport function of the vehicle.

Vehicle Fuel or Energy Source

Enter the fuel that is used by the vehicle as its energy source.

See Table 5 for scenarios.

Table 5: Scenarios

2.6 SECTION D: STRUCTURE FIRES/EXPLOSIONS

Section D is completed in addition to Sections A and B for incidents involving structure fires or explosions. This section is used to gather details on the physical nature of the structure involved and identifies whether Alarm/Detection/Suppression devices were available and involved at the scene.

Section D is illustrated below.

Section D: Structure Fire or Explosion

Property Address (All fires or explosions)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Street Number
___________________

Street Name
___________________

Apartment #
___________________

City/Town/Township
___________________

Complex

A complex is defined as the general (overall) use of a structure, land, or space under the same management or ownership. It can be comprised of two or more different property classifications. A facility which is comprised of only one property classification is not a complex.

See Table 6 for scenarios.

Table 6: Scenarios

Occupancy Status

Occupancy Status identifies whether or not the property is occupied on a year-round or seasonal basis and whether there are people present at the time of the fire.

Permanent—This applies to a property that is meant to be occupied on a year-round basis (eg. permanent home, office). Persons may or may not be present at the time of the occurrence.

Seasonal—This applies to a property that is meant to be occupied only during part of the year (eg. summer cottage, summer theatre). This property may or may not be ‘In Use’ depending on the time of year. However, in the situation where the property is ‘In Use’, persons may or may not be present at the time of the occurrence. That is, a seasonal property can be "In Use" but with "No Person(s) Present" if the occupant temporarily stepped out.

Vacant—This applies to a property that is not meant to be occupied at the time of fire.

See Table 7 for scenarios.

Table 7: Scenarios

Building Status

This category identifies the physical status of the property in which the fire originates.

Ownership Status

Indicate the ownership status of the property in which the fire originates.

Height

This field refers to the number of storeys contained between the floor of the first storey (excluding basement, underground parking facilities and the like) and the roof of the building or structure of origin. When the property is contained in a complex, code the highest storey of the complex.

Storey—That portion of a building situated between the top of any floor and the top of the floor next above it, and if there is no floor above it, that portion between the top of such floor and the ceiling above it. A mezzanine should be considered an additional storey where the Building Code defines the area as such. Unused crawl spaces and unused ceiling/roof spaces should not be considered additional storeys.

Mezzanine—An intermediate floor assembly between the floor and ceiling of any room or storey including an interior balcony.

If the building or structure height cannot be described by the number of stories (ie. grain elevator), classify it as "997—Other". See Table 8 for scenarios.

Table 8: Scenarios

Level of Origin

Record the building/structure level on which the fire originates. If the level of origin is above grade, record the level in the three digit field ensuring that all three spaces are filled in. Identify levels of origin which are below grade by preceding the number with the letter ‘B’.

If the fire originates in a building/structure that cannot be described by the number of stories, classify the level of origin as "997—Other".

See Table 9 for scenarios.

Table 9: Scenarios

Alarm/Detection/Suppression

Each column represents a specific alarm, detection, or suppression device available in the building of fire origin. Each row represents the details of that device.

Detection/Suppression Device

In the first row, list the alarm, detection or suppression device(s) that is/are installed within the property. All devices within the area of origin must be included. As well include all devices outside the area of origin that are or should be affected by the fire. Exclude those devices located beyond the area of origin that are not and should not be affected by the fire.

Device Location

In the second row, indicate the location of the device with respect to the area of origin.

Operation

In the third row, indicate if the device operates. If the device does not operate choose the code "04—Nothing Operated".

Reason for Inoperation

In the fourth row, indicate why the device does not operate. If the device operates properly, choose the code "99—Not Applicable".

Examples:

• A fire originates in a basement apartment resulting in smoke spread throughout the 2 storey house. A smoke alarm located in the basement activates as expected but the smoke alarm on the second floor does not activate due to a dead battery. The fire is extinguished by the occupants using a fire extinguisher located on the first floor.

A fire originates in a fourth storey unit of a twenty storey apartment building and smoke spread is confined to the unit and fourth floor corridor. A smoke alarm is located within the unit of fire origin and smoke detectors are located in the main corridors of each of the twenty floors. The alarm within the unit activates along with the detector in the fourth floor corridor. The pull station is activated by an occupant on the floor of fire origin. The fire is eventually extinguished by firefighters through the use of a standpipe and hose system.

Note: Information on the detectors located on all other floors is not required since they should not be affected by the fire.

• A rubbish fire occurs in an area where there are no alarm, detection, or suppression devices present.

Property Address

Enter the full address of the property fire.

2.7 SECTION E: FIRE DEPARTMENT USE (OPTIONAL)

Section E (on the second page) is optional and is provided for fire department use only. This second page is a supplement to the first page and has been made available to those fire departments who choose to use the Standard Incident Report as an official record of the occurrence. This information is not recorded by the OFM and therefore is not required to be submitted.

Section E is illustrated below.

Section E: Fire Department use

Response Location
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Owner/Occupant                     Status 1. Owner 2. Owner/Occupant 3. Occupant 4. Primary Witness

Fire Department Reference Number

This area is provided for the convenience of the fire department to record the department's occurrence or response number.

District

Record the two digit numeric code for the responding fire department district.

Station

Record the two digit numeric code for the first responding fire station.

Platoon

Record the two digit numeric code for the first responding platoon.

Response Location

Enter the street name(s) that best describes the location of the occurrence.

Owner/Owner Occupant/Occupants/Primary Witness

Record the name (either family or company name) and indicate whether the person/company is the owner, owner/occupant, occupant or primary witness.

Remarks

Use this space to expand on information provided or as required by the reporting department.

3.0 THE CASUALTY REPORT

3.1 Introduction

The Casualty Report is used to report civilian fire injuries and deaths and firefighter injuries and deaths sustained while on duty.

See Table 10 for clarification.

Table 10

Injuries are comprised of the following:

A firefighter action injury is defined as a firefighter injured

1. accidentally while in the process of fire fighting, (burns, asphyxia, building collapse, projectiles hurled, etc.);
2. in an accident en route to, or returning from, a fire scene or any other response scene; and
3. while involved in training or any other fire department activity carried out while on-duty.

A civilian fire injury is defined as a person injured

1. as a direct result of a fire/explosion, (burns or asphyxia);
2. as a result of a fire/explosion impairment, (pulmonary edema, pneumonia);
3. as a result of an injury that was caused by escaping the fire/explosion, (jumps from third floor, falls down a stairwell); or
4. as a result of destruction caused by the fire/explosion, (wall falls, roof collapse, projectiles hurled).

This definition includes a person who is known to have attempted suicide by fire or explosion, and a person who is injured as a result of an arson fire, whether the set fire was intended to injure the specific person or not.

Exception: A person injured by fire/explosion which results from an accidental vehicle collision is NOT considered to be a fire injury.

Civilian injuries must be reported by the jurisdictional fire department while firefighter injuries must be reported by the department to which the firefighter belongs.

Fatalities are comprised of the following:

A firefighter action death is defined as a firefighter killed

1. accidentally while in the process of fire fighting, (burns, asphyxia, building collapse, projectiles hurled, etc.);
2. from an injury which is directly related to ONE fire and that is sustained while fire fighting, (pulmonary edema, pneumonia, bacterial complications, etc.).
   
   Exception: The death of a firefighter from a heart attack or stroke brought upon by exertion while involved in fire fighting or any other type of rescue activity can only be classified as an action death if it is shown that the condition was directly related to the activity.
   
   
3. in an accident en route to, or returning from, a fire scene or any other response scene; and
4. while involved in training or any other fire department activity carried out while on-duty.

The death must occur within a year and a day of the incident to be classified as an action death.

A civilian fire death is defined as a person killed

1. as a direct result of a fire/explosion, (burns or asphyxia).
2. as a result of a fire/explosion impairment, (pulmonary edema, pneumonia);
3. as a result of an injury that was caused by escaping the fire/explosion, (jumps from third floor, falls down a stairwell); or
4. as a result of destruction caused by the fire/explosion, (wall falls, roof collapse, projectiles hurled).

This definition includes a person who is known to have committed suicide by fire or explosion, and a person who is killed as a result of an arson fire, whether the set fire was intended to kill the specific person or not.

In all instances, death must occur within one year and one day of the incident to be classified as a fire death.

Exception: A person killed by fire/explosion which results from an accidental vehicle collision is NOT considered to be a fire death.

Civilian fire deaths must be reported by the jurisdictional fire department. A firefighter deaths must be reported by the department to which the firefighter belongs.

Casualty Reports should be completed and submitted in conjunction with Standard Incident Reports.

A separate Casualty Report should be completed for every casualty associated with an occurrence.

A sample copy of the Casualty Report follows.

3.2 CASUALTY REPORT COMPLETION

Fire Department Reference Number

This area is provided for the convenience of the fire department to record the department's occurrence or response number.

Response Location

Every municipality is identified by a unique, four digit location code which is assigned by Statistics Canada. Record the code for the municipality in which the fire occurred.

Area and sub-area codes are strictly for fire department use. These codes are assigned by some fire departments in municipalities where it is felt that a further geographic breakdown of the area is required. For data collection purposes, the OFM must be advised when these codes are implemented or changed. The location code recorded on the Casualty Report must correspond to the location code of the associated Standard Incident Report.

Date

Record the last two digits of the year, month, and day of the fire occurrence. The date must correspond to the date on the associated Standard Incident Report.

Time

Using the 24 hour clock, record the exact hour (00 to 23) and minute (00 to 59) the incident is reported to the fire department. The time recorded on the Casualty Report must correspond with the hours and minutes on the associated Standard Incident Report. Do not record seconds.

Casualty Name and Address

Provision has been made to record the casualty name and address.

Casualty Number

As a separate Casualty Report should be completed for every casualty associated with an occurrence, all Casualty Reports pertaining to the same occurrence must be numbered sequentially beginning with number 001 for the first report, and 002, 003, 004, etc. for each subsequent report.

Status

In this location, indicated whether the casualty is a firefighter, occupant or non-occupant.

An occupant is someone who is present in the property or vehicle at the time of the fire.

A non-occupant is someone who is NOT present (such as bystander, passerby) in the property or vehicle at the time of the fire.

Sex

Record the gender of the casualty.

Age

The age of the casualty should be noted in this area. Record the age in years. If the age is less than one year, record "00". If the age is over 99, record "99". Where the age is not known, provide an estimate.

Physical Condition or Status

Indicate the physical condition of the casualty immediately prior to the occurrence. If two or more conditions apply, select the one which most likely contributes to the injury/death.

Example: A sleeping infant who suffers smoke inhalation in a fire is considered to be "too young to act" rather than "asleep". The condition of being "too young to act" contributes to the injury more than being "asleep", as the infant would be helpless and suffer injuries even if awake.

Action of Casualty

Indicate the suspected action with which the casualty may have been involved just prior to sustaining the injury/death.

Cause of Injury or Death

In this area, note the major factor causing injury or death.

"Cause of injury" codes which include the terms "occurrence related" and "training related" refer specifically to injuries sustained by firefighters.

"Occurrence related" injuries relate to those injuries sustained while responding to a specific incident (either fire, hazardous material spill, etc.).

"Training related" injuries refer to those injuries sustained during the course of training.

The remaining "cause of injury" codes apply to both firefighters and civilians.

Injury (Observed or Suspected)

Record the most serious observed or suspected injury.

Severity

An injury is deemed "minor" if the casualty is not hospitalized and is able to resume a regular lifestyle within 8 hours of sustaining the injury.

An injury is deemed "serious" if the casualty requires hospitalization.

Clothing

Certain fabrics melt and burn easily, increasing burn severity while others have a higher flame resistance and may actually protect from burns. In addition, loose fitting clothes are more susceptible to catching fire when persons are involved in activities that require the handling of fire or hot objects (such as cooking, welding).

Indicate if the clothing worn by the casualty is a factor in adding to the severity of the injury.

If the casualty is a firefighter, provide the following details:

Employment Status

Record if the firefighter is a full time or volunteer firefighter.

Firefighting Experience

In this area, note the number of years of firefighting experience to the closest full year.

Height

Record the firefighter's height in centimetres. Appendix B provides a chart for the conversion of feet and inches to centimetres.

Weight

Record the firefighter's weight in kilograms. Appendix C provides a chart for the conversion of pounds to kilograms.

Clothing/Equipment Worn at Time of Injury

Indicated all items of clothing and equipment worn at the time of injury.

Remarks

Use this space to expand on information provided or as required by the reporting department.

Fire Department

Indicate the name of the fire department, the chief's name (in print), and provide the authorizing signature of the chief or his/her designate as well as the date the report was completed.

APPENDIX A: STANDARD CODES LIST

n…indicates new code (2001/2001)

r… indicates revised code

RESPONSE TYPE