A fire safety plan is a vital step in taking the proper procedures to keeping your building safe in the event of an emergency.

A fire safety plan is required for almost all buildings in Canada, and a copy of that plan is required to be provided to the arriving fire services when they arrive at your building – typically through a fire safety plan box. This plan provides the building Owners, Managers, Staff and Occupants with a detailed understanding of the life safety systems installed and how they function. The plan also lists the maintenance, testing and inspection schedules of the buildings life safety systems for the building operations team. In fact, your fire safety plan assigns roles and responsibilities to everyone in the building, not just building staff.

In Ontario, your building fire safety plan is required to be submitted to the local fire department for approval. Once the plan has been approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, the plan is to be implemented by the building Owner. Implementing the plan means training is held for all supervisory staff having roles and responsibilities within that plan, and the plan is distributed to all building staff and occupants.

Once implemented, your Fire Safety Plan requires a review and update every 12 months.

If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe building, reach out and connect with us. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Fire safety plans are required for almost all buildings in Canada.

In Ontario, a Fire Safety Plan is a document required by Section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code and required as per below;

• required for all buildings and premises containing 4 storeys or more
• an assembly occupancy,
• a care occupancy,
• a care and treatment occupancy,
• a detention occupancy,
• a residential occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 10,
• a retirement home,
• a business and personal services occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 300,
• a mercantile occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 300,
• a high hazard industrial occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 25,
• a medium hazard industrial occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 100, or
• a low hazard industrial occupancy where the occupant load exceeds 300.

There are exceptions to the above list. If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe building, reach out and connect with us. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

It is important to note: “Every person who contravenes any provision of the Fire Code and every director or officer of a corporation who knowingly concurs in such contravention is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 (first offence) and $100,000 (subsequent offence) for an individual or $500,000 (first offence) and $1,500,000 (subsequent offence) for a corporation or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both”.

Your Fire Safety Plan - is a plan that identifies who owns the building, who manages it, and what their roles and responsibilities are to maintain the building to the fire code. Your plan also does much more. The objectives of developing and implementing a fire safety plan allows organizations to do more than meet just the fire code, it’s the foundation of your facility risk management program.

Your Fire Safety Plan is designed to:

1. Eliminate liabilities and obtain fire and life safety program compliances for the Ontario Fire Code, applicable sections of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, and municipal codes through the design and implementation of the legally required fire safety plan.

2. Create a fire safety plan for tactical reference by First Responders, building supervisory staff and municipal emergency services.

3. Engage and empower building staff and occupants with the knowledge to be safe, which supports the building owner’s ongoing efforts in Fire Code, Occupational Health and Safety and Emergency Planning compliance and best practices.

If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and peace of mind, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

A copy of your fire safety plan is required to be provided to the arriving fire services when they are called to your building. It is these plans, that can provide a “tactical edge” to arriving fire services in the event of an emergency in your building. Your plan contains detailed floor plans of the building, a list of “Persons Requiring Assistance” and more. That tactical edge positively impacts both building occupant and first responder safety, by ensuring first responders are equipped with all applicable knowledge needed.

If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe building, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

The Fire Safety Plan shall be fully reviewed, and updated every 12 months, or as changes to the building occur, to maintain accuracy and compliance with the Ontario Fire Code.

This review and update maintains the accuracy of the building’s critical systems, contact information, human resources, emergency procedures, preventative maintenance schedules, Persons Requiring Assistance List and more, to ensure your fire safety plan is always accurate and code compliant.

If you are looking to learn more about your building or facility Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe workplace, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

A fire safety plan must be current, ensuring that it reflects all conditions in the building.

A fire safety plan must be reviewed at least once every 12 months.

In addition to annual fire safety plan review, it should be updated when there has been a change in contacts, occupancies, building renovations, construction or code changes that affect the plan. These changes are to be submitted to Fire Services for approval.

Fire Safety Plans are typically completed in a phased project management approach. This phased approach depends on the complexity of your facility. The below provides a basic outline of the process to develop a fire safety plan.

Phase I: The right service provider

Engage a trusted and experienced service provider for your Fire Safety Plan.

Phase II: Site Visit

A risk identification and site review is a design enabling tool to ensure deliverables are accurately met with respect to code compliance and industry best practices. A site review is required when developing all fire safety plans to ensure accuracy.

During the site visit the following is typically reviewed:

1. Identify and document current status of facility and life safety systems critical infrastructure.
2. Identify and document roles and responsibilities and emergency procedures.
3. Identify and document human and facility resources.
4. Identify and document facility related risks and hazards.
5. Identify and document fire safety preventative measures.
6. Identify and document fire safety “alternative” measures requirements.

There is limited to no occupant impact during site visits and the development of fire safety plans.


Phase III: Plan Development and Approval

Your fire safety plan is developed based on the Occupancy, type and life safety systems installed in the building, along with other details collected during the site visit. The Building Owner / Representative reviews the drafted plan for accuracy, who will then authorize the submission to the local fire services.

Fire Safety Plans must be reviewed and approved by the local Authority Having Jurisdiction, in most cases, this would be the local fire department. Approval can take anywhere from weeks to months, depending on the jurisdiction. A Municipal Fire Inspector or Fire Prevention Officer will likely visit the building during the approval process to review the plan’s content and procedures.

Once the Fire Services approves the plan, this plan becomes law, and the building Owner is required to implement the fire safety plan immediately.

Yes. In fact, more and more building Owners are digitally tracking their Fire Code compliance.

A digital fire safety plan provides detailed instructions on the many requirements of the fire code, which owners need to comply with in respect to daily, weekly, monthly and annual test and inspections of building life safety systems and equipment. Now, with digital fire safety plans, building Owners and staff are provided a detailed digital checklist, that meets both the fire safety plan and Fire code requirements. If they are late in completing this inspection, they are reminded. If staff don’t complete the inspection, the building Manager will be notified.

Another direct benefit to digitizing your fire safety plan is that the fire code checklists automatically update when the fire code changes in your Province – meaning your building will never miss a compliance component again.

For more information on how you can take your code compliance program digital – connect with us. If you are looking to learn more about your building or facility Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe workplace, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

The building owner is required to fully implement the now approved fire safety plan. Building Owners typically achieve this by hiring a Professional Property Manager, who acts on behalf of the building owner or corporation in control of the building or workplace.

The Property Manager is required to fully understand the fire safety plan, and document that the plan has been implemented by:

• Distributing the Fire Safety Plan
• Place an entire copy of the plan, drawings and Persons Requiring Special Assistance Lists inside the Fire Safety Plan Box.
• Training of building supervisory staff and maintain those training records.
• Have building staffs “sign off” on their roles and responsibilities within the plan.
• Implementing the roles and responsibilities of the building Owner
• Communicating the emergency Procedures to occupants and employers in the building.
• Maintain proof of the above as required by the Ontario Fire Code

The above is not an all-inclusive list and is intended to provide a brief overview. If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe building, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Fire safety is everybody’s responsibility.

Everyone in the building should understand the emergency procedures found within the building’s approved fire safety plan. Property management, employers, and occupants within the building are required to “implement” the fire safety plan within their areas of operations. Fire Safety is a team approach, and your fire safety plan identifies those team members, and allows the entire team to know what each other is responsible for.

If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe building, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Yes. This is a requirement under the Ontario Fire Code Section 2.8. Fire inspectors and insurance companies can ask for evidence of this training at anytime – and there are consequences for noncompliance.

Well trained building staff are essential for both occupant and firefighter safety. In fact, this was recently referenced in the Raising the Alarm report by the City of Toronto’s Auditor General which highlighted the need for industry recognized training aimed at building owners and staff of commercial / office buildings to assist and support them in understanding their roles and responsibilities under the fire code. This report highlighted that only 1 in 12 of the “sample” City of Toronto buildings were compliant and further recognized the needs for this type of training in Commercial buildings in Ontario.

It is important to note: “Every person who contravenes any provision of the Fire Code and every director or officer of a corporation who knowingly concurs in such contravention is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 (first offence) and $100,000 (subsequent offence) for an individual or $500,000 (first offence) and $1,500,000 (subsequent offence) for a corporation or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both”.

If you are looking to learn more about your Fire Safety needs to ensure both compliance and a safe building, reach out and connect with us. We offer a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

An entire copy of the approved fire safety plan must be provided to the building Owner / Board of Directors. This is required as the building owner and / or representative of the owner must understand what their roles and responsibilities are under the approved fire safety plan. The property manager should communicate the fire safety plan upon each annual review, and document in the condominium corporation’s Board meeting minutes, that the distribution of documents to the building owner was completed.

Alternatively, Directors of condominium corporations should, at a minimum, verify with their property Manager every 12 months that the building’s fire safety plan is accurate, up to date, and implemented. This confirmation should be recorded in the Board Minutes and be maintained as part of a corporate due diligence action.

It is important to note: “Every person who contravenes any provision of the Fire Code and every director or officer of a corporation who knowingly concurs in such contravention is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 (first offence) and $100,000 (subsequent offence) for an individual or $500,000 (first offence) and $1,500,000 (subsequent offence) for a corporation or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both”.

The property manager and building staff shall be trained on the building’s approved fire safety plan before being given any roles and responsibilities at the building. This is required by the Ontario Fire Code.

Upon plan approval and the completion of training on that plan, an entire copy of your building’s fire safety plan shall be provided through the fire safety plan box and be accessible at all times by all building staff.

Documentation of this training must be maintained at the building for a period of 2 years. It is this training, that explains each section of the fire safety plan, and who, has what, roles and responsibilities.

Upon completion of the training, the Property Manager, Building Superintendent / Security Staff will understand their unique fire safety plan, in its entirety and be able to then sign the “acknowledgement table” found within the appendix of this plan.

The signing of this acknowledgement table confirms that these staff members understand their roles and responsibilities in each section of the fire safety plan, from emergency preparedness to preventative maintenance. This acknowledgement table must be reviewed and acknowledged by the above staff members every 12 months.

According to sentence 2.8.2.1. (1) of the Ontario Fire Code: A fire safety plan shall be prepared, approved and implemented in buildings and premises. Implementation of the plan means that all supervisory staff shall be trained in its content and emergency procedures. Training is required before any person is assigned any roles and / or responsibilities at the building.

If you are looking to learn more about Ontario’s only fire safety plan accredited training program, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

The building owner is required to ensure all parties with roles and responsibilities in the plan understand those roles and responsibilities assigned to them. Residents (owner / Tenants / Occupiers) of residential suites have roles and responsibilities as well and shall receive a copy of those roles and responsibilities both at time of move in, and again once every 12 months.

The building Owner or corporation’s responsibilities under the Ontario Fire Code do not end with the training of the building staff on the property’s fire safety plan. The occupants must also be engaged and informed on their own roles and responsibilities under that same plan which is often overlooked despite it being an integral component of implementing a fire safety plan.
Historically, a significant challenge for residential property managers is the engagement of residents to participate in fire and emergency preparedness initiatives.

The building Owner / Corporation should, at minimum, confirm that the emergency procedures were shared with all residents, and that all staff at the building, have received training on how to implement the fire safety plan. The Owner and / or Board of Directors is simply confirming these code requirements are done as a basic due diligence once every 12 months.

See our website blog for further information or reach out to solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca We can help.

The building owner is required to ensure all parties with roles and responsibilities in the plan understand their roles and responsibilities. Owners and tenants of commercial / Retail Suites in the building shall be provided a copy of the fire safety plan, or at minimum, the applicable sections, addressing roles and responsibilities of tenants, how and what Persons Requiring Assistance will be dealt with within the plan, and more.

This information should be provided to the “tenant contact” for each employer owning, renting or leasing space at the property.

This “tenant contact” in receipt of this information, as part of the employer’s and Tenants roles and responsibilities in the fire safety plan, implements the Fire Safety Plan within their owned, leased or rented space at the property, and fulfills the Employers responsibilities.

As per the plan, employers are to appoint sufficient staff such as fire wardens, (among other requirements in the fire safety plan) and ensure they are provided their roles, responsibilities and attend the annual training (on the building’s approved fire safety plan) offered by the building owner.

Typically, the communication to the owners and tenants of Commercial / Retail Suites is issued every 12 months, with building owners providing a training opportunity once per 12 months for tenant fire wardens. This training allows fire wardens, who work for the employers and tenants of the building to understand their emergency procedures found in the building’s approved fire safety plan.

If you are looking to learn more about Ontario’s only fire safety plan accredited training program, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

The building owner is required to ensure all parties with roles and responsibilities in the plan understand their roles and responsibilities. Cleaning Staff are also given roles and responsibilities within the fire safety plan. After all, it is these staff members that “patrol” the building all day. These staff members are a vital resource in the fire safety program at your building. The building owner shall make all cleaning staff aware of their roles and responsibilities, emergency procedures and more, by ensuring thee staff members are trained – before being given those responsibilities. This is a fire code requirement.

If you are looking to learn more about Ontario’s only fire safety plan accredited training program, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Yes. Your building’s approved Fire Safety Plan may also include roles and responsibilities for trades and service providers working at the building. These service providers need to be informed of these policies and procedures prior to starting work.

Prior to any major project / renovation, the employer representative of the contractor shall receive a copy of the fire safety plan so that the building owner, can ensure that the employer / contractor has been communicated the emergency procedures and fire safety rules / processes for the building.

Note: Major projects / renovations often require updates to the fire safety plan, and / or a unique fire safety plan for the actual renovation or project. i.e.) roofing and/or hot work projects. Changes to drawings and floor plans.

If you are looking to learn more about fire safety plans, or have questions about Fire Code Compliance, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

The building owner, through the building’s property manager, is required to implement the preventative maintenance requirements found in Section # 11 within your building’s approved fire safety plan.

This section of the plan provides a detailed list of what the building owner is required to test, inspect and maintain on a daily, weekly, monthly, semi and annual basis. In fact, this also lists the building owner requirements for 5, 6 and 15 year test and inspections required of some life safety systems. That’s why keeping an up to date, current plan - reviewed each year – allows a building Owner to easily achieve code compliance.

While some requirements can be completed internally by building staff, explained within the training delivered to building staff, some of the test and inspection requirements must be done by third party, certified professional.

The building owner is required to maintain evidence of (all) fire code requirements at the building. Communicate this list and this section of your approved fire safety plan to your service provider so that they are aware of what is required of them and the frequency.

Ensure your service provider provides written documentation of all tests and inspection completed by them and that the documentation outlines the requirements outlined in in your fire safety plan. Maintain this documentation onsite at the building as required for a period dating back two years.

If you are looking to learn more about fire safety plans, or have questions about Fire Code Compliance, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Yes. In fact, this is a fire code requirement. Residents obviously have roles and responsibilities in the building fire safety plan - and they must be explained those roles and responsibilities. Edcuating residents, is also a great way to both engage the occupants and document your due diligence in doing so.

Historically, a significant challenge for residential property managers is the engagement of residents to participate in emergency preparedness initiatives.

As fire statistics in Ontario climb up and down due to the season, and risks, proactive Property Managers have recently hit this challenge head on, by bringing in high-rise safety experts to present brief – but powerful building fire safety seminars. These unique sessions provide opportunities for both residents & building staff to uniquely understand their own roles & responsibilities in the event of an emergency. More importantly, these session displace myths and explains what staff are NOT going to do, so everyone in the building understands “everyone’s” roles.

Both building owners, building staff AND residents have a role in fire safety and it is not only vital for both parties to understand each other’s roles, it is important for residents to understand that the decisions of others (other residents) also have an impact on their safety.

These Occupant Educational sessions can be held in person or virtually –during evening hours - depending on the client needs.

National Life Safety Group is the industry leader in this practice, and the program is being delivered successfully throughout the GTA at high-rise buildings. Understanding each other’s roles, and following the building’s approved fire safety plan, allows for seamless response and quick action to emergencies.

The practice of holding resident information evenings, where occupants have an opportunity to review building procedures, and of course, answer the infamous question “Do I leave when the fire alarm goes off at 2:00 AM?” has rapidly become the gold standard in ensuring residents understand the procedures in your building.
If you are looking to learn more about fire safety plans, or have questions about Fire Code Compliance, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Typically, these sessions allows property managers to document communication of these important roles, responsibilities and emergency procedures found within your fire safety plan, providing for documented compliance, but also allows the resident to truly understand critical information like:

1. Residents need to understand the varied Life Safety features and systems in their building, and understand how they impact resident safety - not all buildings are the same.

Residents need to also understand the vital role that building operations and security personnel play when a fire alarm goes off. Why - Because residents already flood the security desk with calls when the alarm goes off - asking what do to do? Is the alarm Real ? It is this evidence that tells building Owners we have a breakdown in the awareness of the roles and responsibilities.

2. Understand that the decision to leave a suite during a fire alarm is that of the resident, after reviewing evacuation procedures found within the buildings approved fire safety plan, including discussing human behavior in fires, challenges to the fire department response in high-rises, as well as emergency preparedness for Persons Requiring Assistance during evacuations. This allows residents to make informed decisions at time of a fire alarm. The only way to achieve this, is to communicate the residents roles and responsibilities in advance of an emergency.

3. Understand PRA Programs in your Fire Safety Plan. Persons Requiring Assistance during a building evacuation may be described as anyone who has reduced mobility, a speech, hearing or visual impair¬ment, or a cognitive limitation. In Ontario, the building Owner is required to work with residents, in developing a list of Persons who may require assistance during an evacuation, and ensure those residents are aware of their own roles and responsibilities, procedures in the building’s approved fire safety plan.

In the event of a building evacuation, the PRA List, along with a copy of the building’s fire safety plan is made available to municipal emergency services upon their arrival.

4. Residents should be comfortable in understanding options in the event they cannot leave due to smoke and / or fire, explaining common terminology “Defend / Shelter In Place”, and ensuring the resident understands; to go or to stay when the fire alarm goes off.

Each option involves a major commitment on the resident’s part, and their choice will depend on the circumstances at the time of the emergency, each option with its own consequences. Residents need to make informed decisions. As a property Manager, you are simply allowing an opportunity for them to be reminded of those options every year during these resident information sessions.

5. Residents need to understand that it may be safer for them to stay in their building in the event of an exterior building emergency, and have confidence that building staff are aware of how to isolate the building air intakes, and the procedures to inform and protect residents.

6. Residents in high-rise buildings need to understand the current trends derived from post fire investigations, lessons learned and fire prevention. This affords a resident an opportunity to learn from the actions / inactions of occupants / staff in other high rise fires and how that knowledge can strengthen their own families emergency preparedness.

National Life Safety Group virtual resident education sessions allow residents and building staff to both participate in a question and answer opportunities, and its a great way to connect with your community on an ongoing basis. The resident sessions comply with the Ontario Fire Code requirements, and provides answers to such questions as:

• What’s in my building and how does it better protect me ?
• Understanding: To stay or go when the fire alarm goes off at 2:00 AM?
• Evacuation or Shelter In Place Fire Alarm Procedures
• Persons Requiring Assistance During Evacuation
• Understanding Fire Prevention & Code Compliance
• Typical Challenges found during evacuation.
• Property Management roles and Concierge responsibilities
• What are each Resident responsible for – Required by law?

These session(s) may be scheduled 24 hours per day in order to meet both your property operations and resident’s needs.

At National Life Safety Group our goal is to provide a holistic solution to our valued clients, and we offer technical advisory services, code compliance reviews, and assessment and general inquiries. We are professional, accountable and passionate in what we do, and we encourage the development of best practices, integrating the principals of emergency management, into your property operations. www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca

“Every person who contravenes any provision of the Fire Code and every director or officer of a corporation who knowingly concurs in such contravention is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 (first offence) and $100,000 (subsequent offence) for an individual or $500,000 (first offence) and $1,500,000 (subsequent offence) for a corporation or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both”.

If you receive a Notice of Violation from the fire department, the building Owner is typically required to post that Notice of Violation at their “Front Door” to the building. In fact, now, many municipalities are now displaying the status of building fire inspections and compliance history, making fire code compliance a reputation issue. For Example, the City of Toronto posts their inspection records - right on their website !

If you receive a Notice of Violation, respond and take control of the violation immediately. Document each step with the date and time included for evidence. You will need it. As a building Owner, you typically have 30 days to respond and correct the violations.

Navigating and responding to Notice of Violations is a serious subject. We have documented and responded to thousands of Notices of Violations and would be happy to assist you with yours.

“Every person who contravenes any provision of the Fire Code and every director or officer of a corporation who knowingly concurs in such contravention is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $50,000 (first offence) and $100,000 (subsequent offence) for an individual or $500,000 (first offence) and $1,500,000 (subsequent offence) for a corporation or to imprisonment for a term of not more than one year or both”.

If you are looking to learn more about fire safety plans, or have questions about Fire Code Compliance, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

The Chief Fire Official (Fire Prevention personnel) periodically inspect buildings to ensure that the required checks, inspections, and tests are being carried out. The Ontario Fire Code sets specific requirements for checking, inspecting, and testing of Fire Safety Equipment in existing buildings. There are also requirements for the maintaining of records. Whenever a defect or deficiency is discovered in any fire safety device, the property owner or his agent must take immediate corrective action.

Your Fire Safety Plan will provide you with a detailed list of your building’s specific fire code requirements.

Definitions for key words are as follows:

Check means a visual observation, to ensure the device or system is in place and is not obviously damaged or obstructed.

Inspect means a physical examination, to determine that the device or system will apparently perform in accordance with its intended function.

Test means the operation of a device or system to ensure that it will perform in accordance with its intended operation or function.

Persons Requiring Assistance (PRA) during a building evacuation may be described as anyone who has reduced mobility, a speech, hearing or visual impairment, or a cognitive limitation—regardless of whether or not these conditions are obvious, temporary or permanent.

A list of building occupants who may require assistance (the Person’s Requiring Assistance- PRA list) during emergency building evacuations shall be maintained by the Building Owner. In the event of a fire alarm and/or an evacuation, the copy of this plan and PRA List is made available to municipal emergency services upon their arrival.

This list shall be updated on an annual basis.

Maintenance of this list is truly a partnership between the building Owner, through their professional property manager, and all building occupants.

If you are looking to learn more about fire safety plans, or have questions about Fire Code Compliance, please reach out and connect with us for a no fee consultation. solutions@nationallifesafetygroup.ca

Yes. In fact, your Fire Safety Plan will detail how and when to complete your fire drills to both meet the requirements of the fire code, and to ensure that your staff and building occupants are knowledgeable on the emergency procedures.

In Ontario, all fire drills must be approved by the Authority Having Jurisdiction, typically the local fire services. Your fire drill procedures are found within your building’s approved fire safety plan. Most plans, developed in the last 2 years, also contain templates for building Owners to complete and document these fire drills.

The following are drills acceptable as per the Ontario Fire Marshall Fire Drill Guidelines:

1. Comprehensive Drills

Comprehensive fire drills are conducted at the frequencies specified by the Fire Code and involve all the following activities and considerations:

• The fire alarm system is activated as part of the comprehensive drill [i.e., activated in a manner to assess the response of supervisory staff and building occupants (where applicable) to the alarm condition, or alternatively activated by an individual participating in a given fire scenario situation which is an expected response during the drill.
• Supervisory staff operates emergency systems and equipment as they would in the event of an actual fire.
• All supervisory staff that have specific duties identified in the fire safety plan participate (i.e., notification of the fire department, provisions for access for firefighting, evacuating endangered occupants, closing doors, notification of supervisory staff who may be off site and an assessment of their timely response, etc.).
• The fire drill runs long enough to adequately assess the expected responses of supervisory staff and the emergency procedures relative to the scenario expectations (i.e., if the drill is too short, it may not be possible to adequately assess whether sufficient staff have or will respond, etc.).
• The fire drill outcomes are documented and where concerns are identified, corrective measures are implemented.
• The desirable degree of occupant participation is taken into account.

Notices should be posted in the main entrance lobby notifying occupants of the fire drill.

Before initiating the fire drill, notify any fire alarm monitoring company, as well as notification to the local fire services prior to the drill. Inform you will be having a fire drill and state a time of completion.

Note: When speaking with the monitoring operator or the fire services, ensure that you record their name or operator number.


2. Silent Drills

Silent fire drills are conducted in addition to comprehensive drills and are more commonly conducted in buildings where there are multiple shifts, special risks or hazards and in situations where staff turnover is frequent. These drills are local exercises conducted in designated departments or specified areas of the building for the purpose of ensuring that all supervisory staff participate in fire drills at a desired frequency.

Features of silent fire drills include the following:

• These drills do not involve the actual activation of the fire alarm system. Fire alarm system activation is only simulated.
• Tenant managers, department heads, supervisors or other designated persons monitor the emergency response of individuals in a specific area to a simulated or described fire scenario.
• Participants involved in the area respond to the simulation in accordance with their emergency procedures.
• These drills provide opportunities for assessing the adequacy of the emergency preparedness of persons on all shifts, in individual tenancies, departments or area-specific responses.
• To avoid accidental activation of the fire alarm system during these exercises, the individual initiating and monitoring these drills takes appropriate steps to ensure that the drill remains silent, by notifying personnel in the area in advance of the exercise.
• The fire drill outcomes are documented and where concerns are identified, corrective measures are implemented. In some instances the exercise can be repeated immediately to reinforce appropriate responses by staff and occupants.


3. Table Talk Drills

Table talk drills are also conducted in addition to comprehensive fire drills. Similar to silent fire drills, table talk exercises are conducted in designated departments or specified areas of a building. The major difference between a silent drill and table talk drill is that table talk exercises do not involve physical demonstration/simulation of the emergency response activities.

When planning table talk drills, consider the following:

• Table talk drills involve facilitated discussion surrounding example fire scenarios.
• Tenant managers, department heads, supervisors or other designated persons facilitate discussion and monitor the recommended emergency responses of individuals to a described fire scenario(s).
• Participants involved in the table talk drills must describe their proposed response to the given scenario. The facilitator assesses the adequacy of the suggested response behaviour and where necessary, uses the opportunity to reinforce correct responses expected of supervisory staff.

Table talk drills provide opportunities to assess adequacy of the emergency preparedness of persons on all shifts, in individual tenancies, departments or area-specific responses. They may help identify local risks or hazards and the need to update procedures and practices. The fire drill outcomes are documented and where concerns are identified, corrective measures are implemented. In some instances after the table talk discussion a silent drill or comprehensive drill could be initiated to reinforce appropriate responses by staff and occupants.