Most building owners and managers are shocked when they learn that their building is not fire code compliant.
From their perspective, they’ve invested in the best equipment and taken things seriously from Day 1. How could this happen?
If this sounds too familiar, you’re not alone and it’s not your fault.
Here’s why…
Fire Code Compliance is a Full-Time Job
First and foremost, keeping up with all changes, trends, and best practices in the world of fire safety is a full-time job. And you already have a full-time job. Actually, if you run a building, it often feels like you have 3 full-time jobs.
Simply put, you don’t have the time to keep up to date on everything in the fire safety world and you shouldn’t try.
It’s not like major media outlets cover regulatory changes. A fire at a Toronto condo building will make the front page. However, a fire code change that is designed to prevent future fires will not.
Things That Were Once Considered ‘Going Above and Beyond’ are Now Standard
Prior to January 2020, if you tested how all of your various systems interacted with each other (sprinklers, doors, alarms, locks, etc.), you were going above and beyond. There was no regulatory standard requiring you to do that.
However, in January 2020, integrated testing became the law. And today, you need to get that integrated test if you’re planning a new build or a renovation that will impact your life safety system.
We don’t simply help our clients achieve compliance today, we also look ahead to help them remain aware of what may be required tomorrow.
Inspections are Being Carried Out More Frequently
The pandemic changed our lives in more ways than we can count, but it definitely had an indelible impact on fire safety. More people at home led to more residential fires.
As a result of an unprecedented number of fire fatalities, our local fire departments are under immense pressure to curtail these trends and keep us safe. This has led to them carrying out more inspections than ever.
You will be inspected at some point in the next 12 months. And you may not receive much notice to prepare.
If your building currently has any compliance issues, it is definitely better to have a fire safety expert find them, and show you exactly how to address them, long before the fire department is on-site.
Even if you haven’t been able to fully resolve the issue yet, an inspector is more likely to be a bit lenient if you can show them that you’ve been diligent. If you can show them that you’re working with a fire safety expert that brought this to your attention, and you’re actively working to fix the issue, you may get a warning instead of an inspection order.
If you want to be prepared for your next inspection, we can help! We spent all day thinking about fire safety so you don’t have to. You can start right now by emailing us at admin@fcsfire.com, or calling us at (705) 436-9865 or 1-800-281-8863.
