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Div B 1.1.2.1.(a) provides that corrective measures are required to be documented noting what was done, and the date and time it was done.
I am leery of issuing a new report, as they may replace devices, but aren’t testing the whole system. I believe a list of corrective actions – IE., heat detector in apartment 203 replaced as an attachment to the initial report is appropriate.
Interesting questions raised here. As a former tech, we never left anything on site with the client. Reports and work orders always went back to the office for billing etc (with some customers not even getting their reports until their bill was paid due to past payment issues).
I have a good rapport with the few providers in my area. If I have any doubts, a phone call is all it takes to verify that things are ok, even if the paperwork hasn’t made it to site yet.
By rights, yes, I suppose the owner should get something saying that work was done and everything is functional, even if it isn’t a 536/537 report. Could this be as simple as a tech sending an email to the owner saying “xyz work was completed, panel left functional?”
Hi Patrick.
Both the OFC and OBC have a section for prohibited combination of occupancies. The common factor is that one of the occupancies must be a high hazard industrial occupancy.
I understand where you are trying to come from on this. Effective code enforcement and education may be the best tool here. Ensure separations are in place and maintained, then work to educate the owner in hopes they would provide detection in the mercantile occupancy (where it may not be required) to provide early warning to other occupants within the building.
Cheers,
Kevin1. I would say no. However, now that as a general population we aren’t locked in our houses (COVID era), things have calmed down a bit. People aren’t setting fireworks off on a Wednesday night from a Home Depot bucket of sand in the middle of the street.
2. I can’t see it coming.
3. Some. Typically from serial complainers.
4. Some.
5. MLEO. We are 3000+ sqkm though and our officers only work until 6 on weekends, so for the majority of the year, complaints are handled later, so enforcement becomes almost impossible.Hi Scott,
That’s what the appeals process is there for. I’d issue the order and advise of their appeal rights. At the end of the day you’re going to get a binding opinion from an engineer at the OFM that is going to put you in a better position then an opinion from your advisor.
Most of the OFM resources have been moved onto their Sharepoint site. I just logged on and had no problem grabbing the single page info sheets, which include a field to put your fire service’s info into.
The following came out in an email:
Information for the public (Fire Marshal Communiqués, media releases, fire safety tips, etc.) will be posted on Ontario.ca. This information will continue to circulate to fire services and industry stakeholders using the OFM’s email distribution lists and, where appropriate, on our Twitter accounts @ONFireMarshal and @IncendiesON. All specialized information and resources (technical guidelines, public education resources, etc.) will be available on a new SharePoint online site designed for fire services’ and stakeholders’ unique needs. The new SharePoint site will facilitate easy, secure and dedicated access to information and resources previously available on the OFM website. Content will be added over the coming weeks and months.You can request access here: https://mailchi.mp/ontario/ofm-sharepoint-registration
I would look further as well to the very beginning of the standard:
1.3.2 The authority having jurisdiction shall determine compliance
with this standard and authorize equivalent deviations
from it in all applications.1.5 Equivalency. Nothing in this standard is intended to prevent
the use of systems, methods, or devices of equivalent or
superior quality, strength, fire resistance, effectiveness, durability,
and safety over those prescribed by this standard.Looking at this, you could establish a operating guideline between your department and CBO that all new installs going forward require both audible and visual.
You can put as much or as little on this as you want. We keep it fairly generic, however, you could ask more questions if you wanted to.
Further, the vendor our municipality uses for the website allows conditions to be added to forms. So, if you had a yes/no question on it, the answer to that question could radically change the form and what else is displayed.
We have a form available somewhere on our website. Once completed, it generates an email to our team address (everyone gets a copy).
https://forms.kawarthalakes.ca/Fire/Request-a-Fire-Inspection
Basically it gives a brief snapshot of what the requester is seeking to get the ball rolling.
Hi Steven,
Nothing really different then any other inspection of a mercantile occupancy. It’s a store so you need to treat it as such. Unless they are processing there using solvents/F&C liquids, you’re basically looking at a Part 2&6 inspection.
Detection and early warning if present maintained. Portable extinguishers as required. Sprinkler if present maintained. Fire separations maintained.
We have moved away from tablets. We have endorsed some electronic forms, but still feel there is room to progress.
I am thinking that the architect is proposing a monitoring panel for the sprinkler. It will be that – simply a panel that monitors and sends signals. This could be a security panel, or other type of dialer. (I had a pile of Silent Knight 5207 panels with customers in a past career). The electrical contacts from the various sprinkler components (valves, flow switch, low pressure) would connect to this panel and it would simply dial out when something is “not normal.”
I’m going to try to walk myself through this written here. Based on facts given, I am with the architect on this one from a facts point of view (although will always encourage the early warning and going above the code to provide better protection to buildings and occupants)
Under 3.2.4.1 a determination of whether a fire alarm system is needed or not is make. If we say yes, we continue to apply all of 3.2.4. If we say no, 3.2.4 is gone – we can’t selectively apply certain parts of that section.
The monitoring under S561 is indicated in 3.2.4.8(4), but we have already been kicked out of that because we don’t require a fire alarm (although, again, if a fire alarm system is installed, I feel that this level of monitoring would be required.)
3.2.4.10.(3) also requires the fire alarm to be be there before we can use this. As with the monitoring the presence of a sprinkler system does not require a fire alarm system to be there, however, if the fire alarm is there, the sprinkler must be connected. Once we connect sprinkler, we monitor. Kind of a vicious cycle.
As for the time and effort – It’s many hours of electrician time for installation. A 3rd party verification. Somewhere in the area of $1000 a year for 561 monitoring. Integrated system testing under ULC S1001 at time of occupancy, after year 1 and 5 years after that. With this in mine, it’s worth the architect to avoid installing this fire alarm.
Feel free to hit me with an email if needed. kmeijerink@kawarthalakes.ca
Hi Jon,
You indicate the threshold for installation under 3.2.4.1 is not met. Therefore a fire alarm system is not required. If the presence of a sprinkler system did require a fire alarm system, it would be provided as a prescriptive requirement here.
In my opinion since a fire alarm system is not required any installation of such would be above the code requirements. However, if the architect did specify a fire alarm system be installed, the electrical supervision of the system via the fire alarm system would then be required per your reference of 3.2.4.10.(3).
S524 does not provide any information on what is required in a fire alarm system – those requirements are in the building code (eg. installation of pull station at principle entrance and near every required exit) . 524 provides how the system must be installed (eg. pull station mounting heights and distance from doors).
Hope this helps?
Kevin