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Fire Code Commission Decision Summary

DECISION NO.:92A016-082
DATE:April 14, 1992

SUBJECT MATTER:

Installation of a ULC listed electrical fire alarm system and installation of a single station smoke alarm in each dwelling unit.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PREMISES:

The building is two storeys with a basement and is a combination of combustible and non-combustible construction. The occupancy consists of five retail stores on the ground floor and a total of eleven residential apartments: eight on the second floor, two on the ground floor and one in the basement. The basement also contains a laundry room, two small washrooms, a furnace room, and an old boiler room used for storage. A combustible stairway that leads from the basement to the ground floor corridor provides the only basement exit. The ground floor has three retail stores that share access to a central corridor with two apartments. The ground floor corridor has two exits. The second floor is only used for residential purposes and all units are accessed through a central corridor. Internal stairs from the ground floor connect to the second floor corridor and an exterior metal fire escape is also accessible from the corridor. Floor separations are poured concrete above the corridors only on the west end of the building. Floors in other areas are wood joist and wood floors. The furnace room in the basement is separated from the laundry room by a concrete block wall and stucco ceilings but holes, which breach the fire separations, are found in the wall and the ceiling in both rooms. Doors to both these areas are hollow core wood. Separation between apartments and the ground floor corridors are concrete walls with metal clad doors and metal frames but no self closers are present on these doors. An electrically operated smoke alarm is installed in the corridor of the ground and second floor but these are not interconnected.

REASON FOR APPEAL:

The work required is excessive and the protection required can be provided in a more economical manner.

APPELLANT'S POSITION:

The appellant does not want to be irresponsible about providing fire protection but the building is presently operating under power of sale due to default on mortgage payments. Therefore the appellant cannot afford to do all of the work described in the order.

RESPONDENT'S POSITION:

The existing smoke alarms are inadequate protection for the building or its occupants. The installation of a electrical fire alarm system, single station smoke alarms and proper fire separations in the building are the only way proper fire and life safety can be achieved.

COMMISSION RULING:

The Commission modified the informal review:
  1. Repair fire separations in the basement ceiling and walls and install minimum 45 minute fire rated doors with self-closing devices.
  2. Install battery operated smoke alarms in each dwelling unit.

In addition, the owner shall do one of the following:

    1. Vacate and remove from residential use the existing basement apartment and install interconnected electrically operated smoke detectors in the corridor of each floor or
    2. Install an electrically supervised fire alarm system with manual pull stations at all exits from each floor, smoke detectors at the top of each exit stairwell and in every public corridor, heat or smoke detectors in all storage, utility and services rooms and heat detectors in each retail occupancy.

REASONS:

This work is required to ensure the fire safety of the occupants and the building.