Digital Fire Safety Plans: A Canadian Public Safety Initiative
Fire Safety Plans are one of the most basic tools available to arriving first responders at your building - no matter the size or occupancy. The data collected and organized in these paper based plans provide a wealth of tactical information to the fire services when they arrive at your building during emergency situations.
The Ontario Fire Codes require updates and reviews of Fire Safety Plans to be conducted at minimum annually, and to be stored inside a metal white box at the entrance to the building – easily accessible by the arriving fire services. Non-compliance may expose building owners to unwanted legal action for regulatory infractions.
However, Fire Safety Plans are only as effective as the information they contain. Unfortunately, many Fire Safety Plans are found to be out of date and lacking vital information about the facility’s critical infrastructure and resources. While there are requirements for what should be included in a fire safety plan, across Canada – There is no standardization of these plans, that would allow suppression crews and incident commanders to quickly, and easily access important life saving information from these documents – Until now.
Over 400 buildings have had their fire safety plans digitized in a new mobile technology developed for the Property Management industry born right here in Toronto. The mobile app, provides digital, secure access to the fire safety plan to building staff, along with an exact checklist that mirrors the Ontario Fire Code. When the codes change in your Province, the checklist automatically update themselves. Building staff are able to always access the code compliance records and take photographs right inside their inspections.
“We wanted to support our teams in the field and the technology needed to provide a return on investment to our Boards. From an operational perspective the application pays for itself,” said Judy Statham, President of ICC in Toronto. The technology has allowed ICC property managers to digitally track their safety and security compliance, and more importantly, access the evidence of completion in under 3 seconds” says Statham. “We can show proof of compliance to our Boards and the fire departments of compliance. Something we could not readily do in the past based on paper based compliance.”
Gone are the cumbersome clipboards, manual reports and missing work-orders – All major pain points for building Managers. Now, with a digital fire safety plan, you can know your code compliance and / or audit your buildings compliance - by looking down at your phone.
Simple, secure technology is changing how we look at evidence of compliance from a building operations perspective. Most organizations do great work, and complete their safety, security checks – problem is – they lack the evidence of completion….or…that evidence of completion is buried and inaccessible when you need it. By digitizing compliance, and vital emergency information, the technology can provide date, time and photographic stamped evidence that elevates the standard of care in a building and takes it to unprecedented levels to protect their occupants. When the code changes or is updated, so are the building’s required checklists. If someone misses an inspection, the building Owner is notified - automatically.
There are two streams of benefits when a building digitizes their fire safety plan; one, gone are the cumbersome clipboards and partially completed documentation. Now, with a digital fire safety plan, you can know your code compliance and / or audit your buildings with date and time stamped evidence. To date, the project has seen fire safety plans digitized for commercial high-rise buildings, hospitals, stadiums, long term care homes, day cares, condo’s and more. In fact, the project is now digitizing an entire portfolio of municipally owned building for a entire city.
The second benefit to digitizing your building’s fire safety plan, directly and positively impacts the entire community. To enhance occupant and firefighter safety, digital Fire Safety Plans are provided free to all fire services in Canada. This allows fire services to access life saving information – On the way to the building. Fire Departments can now have their tactical pre plans and fire safety plans all in one space – and answer questions under 3 seconds to;
Building Type, Occupancy, Height, Emergency Lobby Access Codes, Owner and security contact information
Important building information – Fire Pump GPM’s, Stairwell types and Identification & firefighter hazards
List of the Persons Requiring Assistance in the building
All Critical Infrastructure shut of valve locations
Multiple copies of tactical Floor Plans and much more.
This is an exciting project that continues to flourish – and provide a high ROI to public safety. We continue to engage the fire services with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
If you would like to know more of this initiative, please reach out to me directly or review the accessible technology below.
For more information about Safe Buildings visit https://www.safebuildings.ca/
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www.nationallifesafetygroup.ca
“NLS Group provides innovative solutions to your truly unique corporate risks. We achieve this by utilizing tested and proven leadership and experience from both the private, and public sector, utilizing the principles of emergency management in everyday business and facility operations.”