The 4 Most Important Conversations We Expect to Have at PM Springfest 2024

This week, we’re thrilled to be once again meeting with property management professionals across Ontario at this year’s PM Springfest.

As fire code experts, we have a unique perspective into how difficult the property manager’s job has become in recent years, particularly when it comes to fire safety. Not too long ago, fire safety was just one of many items on a property manager’s to-do list. Now, fire safety has its own to-do list– and it’s a big one.

We had a lot of very engaging conversations at last year’s event. Based on those conversations, and recent trends we’ve witnessed in fire safety, we predict that we will spend a lot of time at this year’s event talking about the following topics.

1. How Often Do I Need to Update My Fire Safety Plan?

Just a reminder, it is your responsibility to review your Fire Safety Plan at least once a year. Certain types of changes need to be submitted and reviewed by your local Fire Department for approval.

Your Fire Safety Plan needs to be available on-site, in a security box accessible to fire crews, as stated in the Security Box By-law.

Do you need to review your plan even if your building hasn’t seen any major changes or renovations that would impact your life safety system? Absolutely, yes. It’s the law. Even if your building hasn’t seen any recent changes, there may have been recent changes to the fire code that could alter your plan in some way.

If you would like to read about how we helped one client update their fire safety plan and avoid a notice of violation, click here.

2. “How Do I Keep My Staff Trained?”

It’s possible that this is the most underrated aspect of building and maintaining a safe and compliant fire safety culture. Your staff members are the ones on the front line every day, ensuring the necessary tasks and maintenance are carried out. They are also the ones who will set the tone during an actual emergency situation and ensure your residents are safe and organized.

How do you get them fully trained and keep them that way? Well, in terms of the actual fire code, you are legally required to:

• Train your staff on the fire emergency procedures as described in the fire safety plan before they are given any responsibility for fire safety.
• Carry out a fire drill with your staff at least once a year
• Document both of the above

Pro Tip: That point is particularly important. Your staff needs to record and document the checks they carry out. The fire department wants to see the proof that these inspections were carried out, and they won’t just take your word for it.

Think of the ‘tree falling alone in the middle of the woods’ philosophical question. If an employee carries out their checks and nobody records it, did it really happen? No, not in the eyes of the fire department.

Training needs to be specific to your building because every building is different and poses unique challenges. For example, not all buildings have an alarm and voice communication system for life safety, so there is no point in requiring voice comm training for all employees.

There is no need to handle this on your own! We can help! We take pride in our ability to create a specialized training program tailored to your building, your staff, and your needs. Most importantly, we teach your staff how they can train new employees, so your fire safety culture is self-sustaining.

Click here to learn more.

3. Should I Have Our Staff Manage Our Quarterly Part 7 Testing?

Over the last few years, we've seen an increased focus on quarterly testing for Part 7 of the Ontario Fire Code (OFC).

As a result, we are occasionally asked, “Is it okay to have our own staff manage our quarterly tests?” Our answer is basically the same as when people ask us if they should have their fire alarm company do their part 7 tests. “Well, you could. But that may not be as good of an idea as it seems.”

We understand that both of these questions come from the right place. People are looking to save money and simplify things. But, you could very easily end up making things far more expensive and complicated.

The truth of the matter is that it’s highly unlikely that the people on your team (or the people working for your fire alarm company) are truly qualified to determine if your smoke control system is safe and compliant.

Having the wrong people do your Part 7 opens you up to:

• Substantial “surprise” expenses when you’re told you have to fix things
• Falling out of compliance because things were missed
• Potential liability issues in the event of an emergency

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When we work with our clients on Part 7 testing, we typically recommend one of two solutions:

1. We handle all aspects of their quarterly testing so they have the peace of mind of knowing it’s done correctly.
2. Do one of their quarterly tests per year, and train their team to perform the other 3. Then retrain and visit the following year to make sure they’re still on track.

In either case, you’re setting your building up for success for the long term.

4. “How Do We Make Sure We’re Compliant/ Ready for an Inspection?”

Unfortunately, there is no short-cut for you to use to make sure your building is compliant and ready to be inspected.

Try thinking about it a different way: Compliance is an ongoing journey, not a final destination. It’s not something you worry about in the days or hours leading up to inspection and then forget about for the rest of the year.

The only way to truly ensure your building is safe, compliant, and ready for an inspection is to make fire safety a part of your day-to-day culture all year long.

It’s also incredibly important to remember that, yes, you have your yearly inspection from your fire alarm service company, but that only covers about 50% of the things you need to worry about to maintain compliance.

For example, a fire alarm company isn’t going to make sure your staff is trained.

We Want to Be Your Fire Safety Strategic Partner

We’ve formed hundreds of working relationships with property managers just like you, helping them simplify their building’s fire code safety and compliance.

Want to know how we can help you? You can click here to contact us or call us at 1 (800) 281-8863.