SERVICES.
Fire Code Services
The local Fire Department is staffed with dedicated people, whose mission is to improve the level of fire safety in their community. The Fire Service is required, however, to enforce the Fire Code through Court Prosecutions, requiring Building Owners to both make required repairs AND bear the expense of legal defense.
In the first section of the Fire Code [Division B Part 1 1.2.1.1] unless otherwise stated, the owner of the building is held to be responsible for compliance with all aspects of the Code.
Unlike the Fire Dept., we work for you.
Fire Safety and Code Compliance Services
One of the many things property owners contend with is the many regulations that are put in place and enforced by the various levels of government. The Ontario Fire Code is enacted by the Province, but administered by municipalities.
The local Fire Dept has inspectors who will gladly come to your property to inspect it, but for any issues found, are bound to require immediate changes and/or begin immediate court proceedings.
Let us provide you with your own, ‘fire marshal’ who will work with you to provide fire safety for your home or business.
Do you have, or are you thinking of buying or building a duplex or other multi-unit building? We can help you make sure the building will comply with the Fire Code. Our reports will provide you with information on the building and the Fire Code requirements so that you can make the decisions on how to utilize your property.
Fire Code Inspections
Have us perform an inspection of your property to get a true picture of your position in regards to compliance with Ontario’s Fire Code. Our Inspectors will perform a thorough visual inspection of your property and provide detailed reports on any deficiencies found, without receiving a costly order from the local Fire Service.
Fire Safety Plans
We can assist you in the formulations of Fire Safety Plans and training your staff to be prepared in the event of a fire. If you have an apartment building, medium to large business, a rooming house, restaurant, bar or other establishment, chances are you need to have a Fire Safety Plan in place. Without a solid plan in place, fines up to $100,000 can be levied. Recent stringent enforcement has led to more convictions and higher fines being levied. Let us help your company be prepared for both a potential fire AND the Inspectors visit!
Home Inspection Services
We are proud to be able to offer home inspection services to our clients. Regardless of the reason, having one of our reports gives you valuable information regarding the overall state of your building and what, if any, issues are visible that may require attention now, or in the future.
At the end of the inspection we provide you with a comprehensive inspection report that outlines what has been found plus provides full reference information on home construction and standards.
Our inspectors have received training and are certified by the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors.
What is covered in most fire code inspections?
Ability of the building to slow the spread of fire [Containment and Separation]
This is usually expressed in minute, e.g: a 15 or 45 minute separation refers to the time that fire would take to break through the building component, usually a wall, window or door.
Ability for the occupants of the building to escape it in the event of a fire [means of egress]
Number of exits from each unit or floor level;
Dimensions of the exits [height, width]
Distance to an exit from any point in the building.
Systems for alerting the occupants of a fire [Individual or interconnected Alarms/detectors/alarm systems]
Smoke alarms, individual or interconnected;
Basic alarm systems with ‘pull station’ activation located at exit to the floor and building;
Full alarm systems with multiple detector types, alerting sirens or bells and external monitoring;
Suppression –The systems that are required, depending on the type of building, to work to extinguish a fire. These might be automatic or manually operated. The types of these systems are and where in a building they’re required is dictated by the Fire Code.
These include;
Wall-mounted fire extinguishers for use by building occupants;
Automatic Fire Sprinkler systems using water from mains or storage tanks;
Automatic suppression systems for commercial cooking equipment or for manufacturing processes;
Fire Safety Planning- Depending on your building, your business, and the number of people you employ hare have inside your building, you may be required to have a plan to deal with a fire should one occur. These plans must be approved by the local Fire Dept.
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COWDEN & ASSOCIATES
Scott P. Cowden
705-835-0813
