Ontario Fire Code

Consumer fireworks are designed for recreational use by the general public. Fireworks must be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and general safety precautions.

Fireworks Safety Tips:

• Should be stored in a cool, dry and well ventilated place away from children.
• Firing site should have plenty of clear space with no obstacles.
• A good firing base, such as a pail of sand should be used, and never use fireworks in windy conditions.
• Use recommended safety equipment.
• Keep water nearby
• Sparklers can easily reach temperatures of upto 1500 degrees Celsius and can cause severe burns. Consider safe alternatives – such as glow sticks.
• Noise generated from the detonation of fireworks may cause fear-stress-anxiety to people, pets and wildlife.

Watch this video on Fireworks Safety: 

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/our-natural-resources/minerals-mining/mining/explosive-regulations/fireworks-safety-video/17617

Fire Inspections

The Fire Chief of the municipality and members of the Fire Prevention Office are assistants to the Fire Marshal and as such are authorized to enter and inspect any building or premises in the municipality of North Grenville for the purposes of assessing fire safety. Inspections shall be conducted upon request or complaint and at frequencies mandated by the province of Ontario.

Types of Inspections

Request Inspection

A comprehensive fire safety inspection conducted upon the request of the building owner.

Complaint Inspection

A comprehensive fire safety inspection conducted upon receipt of a formal complaint regarding the fire and life safety conditions of the affected occupancy.

Maintenance Inspection

A standardized inspection focused on a specified life safety component to ensure it is maintained in such condition that it may be continuously utilized as per its original design for its intended purpose with respect to fire safety.

Schedule an Inspection

To schedule a fire inspection, please contact the North Grenville Fire Services

Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone : 613-258-9569 ext. 205. 

Complete the Online form

Provincial penalties can be in the form of a ticket or a summons. The fine for not complying with Ontario Fire Code requirements can result in a ticket under Schedule 17.4 Ontario Regulation 213/07 under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997.  The Provincial Offences Act also contains provisions for serving a summons for instances where there is short form wording and an approved set fine and where there is no established short form wording or set fine, and where it would not be appropriate for the defendant to pay out of court.

A Fire Safety Plan helps to ensure effective utilization of fire safety systems, equipment, and procedures in a building to protect people from fire.

The Ontario Fire Code O. Reg 213/07 as amended requires a Fire Safety Plan (Division B Section 2.8) for many properties and businesses. The Ontario Fire Code requires every Fire Safety Plan to be reviewed and approved by the Chief Fire Official of your local Fire Department. The plan is required to be reviewed annually by the building owner and any changes made be submitted to the North Grenville Fire Service.

For a list of when a Fire Safety Plan is required, please review Ontario Fire Code O. Reg 213/07 as amended Division B Article 2.8.1.1.

Fire Safety Plan carefully and ensure all applicable items for your building/business are filled out. Additionally, ensure any Appendices that apply to your building/business are completed and submitted with your Fire Safety Plan.

Submitting your completed form 

When you have completed your plan, you may submit it in WORD format via e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Schematic drawings, Appendices and any other applicable documents may be scanned and sent with this Fire Safety Plan.

Ontario law requires that working smoke alarms be located on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas. 

The law applies to all single-family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owned or rented. It is also recommended that smoke alarms be checked regularly and replaced in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations.

The fine for not complying with the Ontario Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a ticket for $295 or a fine of up to $50,000 for homeowners, tenants and individual landlords.

As part of our Emergency Preparedness initiatives, Central York Fire Services recommends that everyone in your household knows what to do in case of an emergency such as a fire. The best way to prepare your family is to develop a home emergency escape plan and practice it with the entire household.

For more information on the new legislation, fire safety and emergency preparedness, please visit the links below:

Ontario Fire Marshal

Most fatal fires happen at night when people are sleeping. A working smoke alarm can detect smoke and sound to alert you.

Because smoke rises, it is recommended that you place the alarms on the ceiling. Avoid installing smoke alarms in or adjacent to kitchens and bathrooms, or near air vents, windows and ceiling fans.

Test your alarm:

Test your smoke alarms monthly by pressing the test button.

Replace batteries regularly:

Install a new battery in each alarm once a year. When warning beeps sound, replace your battery immediately. Never wait. A good way to remember is to change your batteries when you change your clocks in the Spring and Fall.

Cleaning your smoke alarm:

Dust can damage your alarm's sensitivity. Most units need to be cleaned at least once a year, just use your vacuum cleaner to clean dust out of unit. Read the manufacturer's instruction manual.

Types of Smoke Alarms:

There are two main types of smoke alarms: ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. A smoke alarm uses one or both methods, sometimes plus a heat detector, to warn of a fire. The devices may be powered by a 9-volt battery, lithium battery, or 120-volt house wiring. Battery back-up for your hardwired smoke alarm helps ensure your alarm will operate even if the power supply is lost.

Ionization Alarms:

Ionization alarms have an ionization chamber and a source of ionizing radiation. The source of ionizing radiation is a minute quantity of americium-241 (perhaps 1/5000th of a gram), which is a source of alpha particles (helium nuclei). The ionization chamber consists of two plates separated by about a centimetre. The battery applies a voltage to the plates, charging one plate positive and the other plate negative. Alpha particles constantly released by the americium knock electrons off of the atoms in the air, ionizing the oxygen and nitrogen atoms in the chamber. The positively-charged oxygen and nitrogen atoms are attracted to the negative plate and the electrons are attracted to the positive plate, generating a small, continuous electric current. When smoke enters the ionization chamber, the smoke particles attach to the ions and neutralize them, so they do not reach the plate. The drop in current between the plates triggers the alarm.

Photoelectric Alarms:

In one type of photoelectric device, smoke can block a light beam. In this case, the reduction in light reaching a photocell sets off the alarm. In the most common type of photoelectric unit, however, light is scattered by smoke particles onto a photocell, initiating an alarm. In this type of detector there is a T-shaped chamber with a light-emitting diode (LED) that shoots a beam of light across the horizontal bar of the "T". A photocell, positioned at the bottom of the vertical base of the "T", generates a current when it is exposed to light. Under smoke-free conditions, the light beam crosses the top of the "T" in an uninterrupted straight line, not striking the photocell positioned at a right angle below the beam. When smoke is present, the light is scattered by smoke particles, and some of the light is directed down the vertical part of the "T" to strike the photocell. When sufficient light hits the cell, the current triggers the alarm.

Which Method is Better?

Both ionization and photoelectric alarms are effective smoke sensors. Both types of smoke alarms must pass the same test to be certified as ULC smoke alarms. Ionization alarms respond more quickly to flaming fires with smaller combustion particles; photoelectric alarms respond more quickly to smoldering fires. In either type of alarm, steam or high humidity can lead to condensation on the circuit board and sensor, causing the alarm to sound. Ionization alarms are less expensive than photoelectric alarms, but some users purposely disable them because they are more likely to sound an alarm from normal cooking due to their sensitivity to minute smoke particles. However, ionization detectors have a degree of built-in security not inherent to photoelectric alarms. When the battery starts to fail in an ionization alarm, the ion current falls and the alarm sounds, warning that it is time to change the battery before the alarm becomes ineffective. Back-up batteries may be used for photoelectric alarms.

Selecting Features:​

• Test Button - Test your alarms circuitry
• Hush Button - Quickly silences nuisance alarms caused by cooking, steam, etc.
• Safety Light - Illuminates an area near the smoke alarm
• Ten year lithium battery - needs no replacement batteries over the life of the alarm

Disposal:

Homeowners should dispose of smoke alarms that are at the end of their useful life with their regular waste. This is in line with the provisions of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's (CNSC) Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations and the Ministry of the Environment's Regulation 347 General - Waste Management.

The following information is taken fro mthe Ontario Fire Code (e-laws) 

Note: On October 15, 2014, Part 2 is amended by adding the following Section: (See: O. Reg.194/14, ss. 6, 12)

Section 2.16  Installation of Carbon Monoxide Fire Alarms 

Subsection 2.16.1.  Application and Responsibility

Application​

2.16.1.1.  

(1)  Subject to Sentence (2), this Section applies to every building that contains a residential occupancy and

1.  a fuel-burning appliance,
2.  a fireplace, or
3.  a storage garage.

(2)  This Section applies

1. as of April 15, 2015, in the case of buildings that contain no more than six suites of residential occupancy, and
2. as of October 15, 2015, in the case of buildings that contain more than six suites of residential occupancy.

Landlord is responsible​

2.16.1.2.  
Despite the definition of owner in Article 1.4.1.2. of Division A, in the case of a rental dwelling unit, including a rental dwelling unit subject to Section 9.8, only the landlord shall be considered to be the owner for the purpose of applying Article 1.2.1.1. of Division A to this Section.

Subsection 2.16.2.  Installation Requirements

Installation requirements

2.16.2.1.  

(1)  If a fuel-burning appliance or a fireplace is installed in a suite of residential occupancy, a carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed adjacent to each sleeping area in the suite.

(2)  If a fuel-burning appliance is installed in a service room that is not in a suite of residential occupancy, a carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed

1. in the service room, and
2. adjacent to each sleeping area in each suite of residential occupancy that has a common wall or common floor/ceiling assembly with the service room.

(3)  If a building contains a storage garage, a carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed adjacent to each sleeping area in each suite of residential occupancy that has a common wall or common floor/ceiling assembly with the storage garage.

(4)  A carbon monoxide alarm shall

1. be permanently connected to an electrical circuit with no disconnect switch between the overcurrent device and the carbon monoxide alarm,
2. be battery-operated, or
3. be plugged into an electrical receptacle.

(5)  A carbon monoxide alarm shall meet the requirements of CAN/CSA-6.19, "Residential Carbon Monoxide Alarming Devices" or UL 2034, "Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms".

(6)  A carbon monoxide alarm shall be mechanically fixed, attached, plugged in or placed at the manufacturer's recommended height or, if the manufacturer has not recommended a height, on or near the ceiling.

(7)  A carbon monoxide alarm that is installed adjacent to a sleeping area shall be equipped with an alarm that is audible throughout the sleeping area, even if any doors between the carbon monoxide alarm and any parts of the sleeping area are closed.

Subsection 6.3.4.  Carbon Monoxide Alarm​s — Maintenance and testing

Application

6.3.4.1.  
This Subsection applies to carbon monoxide alarms in buildings containing a residential occupancy.

Landlord is responsible

6.3.4.2.  
Despite the definition of owner in Article 1.4.1.2. of Division A, in the case of a rental dwelling unit, including a rental dwelling unit subject to Section 9.8, only the landlord shall be considered to be the owner for the purpose of applying Article 1.2.1.1. of Division A to this Subsection.

Duty to maintain in operating condition

6.3.4.3.  
(1)  Carbon monoxide alarms shall be maintained in operating condition.

(2)  Primary and secondary power supplies that serve carbon monoxide alarms shall be maintained in operating condition.

Maintenance instructions to be given to tenant

6.3.4.4.  
The landlord of each rental dwelling unit, including a rental dwelling unit subject to Section 9.8, shall give the tenant a copy of the carbon monoxide alarm manufacturer's maintenance instructions or approved alternative maintenance instructions.

Tenant to notify landlord

6.3.4.5.
(1)  A tenant of a rental dwelling unit, including a rental dwelling unit subject to Section 9.8, shall notify the landlord as soon as the tenant becomes aware that

1. a carbon monoxide alarm in the unit is disconnected,
2. a carbon monoxide alarm in the unit is not operating, or
3. the operation of a carbon monoxide alarm in the unit is impaired.

Disabling prohibited

6.3.4.6.  
No person shall disable a carbon monoxide alarm.

Replacement in certain buildings

6.3.4.7.  
(1)  Subject to Sentence (2), this Article applies to every building that contains a residential occupancy and

1. a fuel-burning appliance,
2. a fireplace, or
3. a storage garage.

(2)  This Article applies

1. as of April 15, 2015, in the case of buildings that contain no more than six suites of residential occupancy, and
2. as of October 15, 2015, in the case of buildings that contain more than six suites of residential occupancy.

(3)  A carbon monoxide alarm shall be replaced within the time frame indicated in the manufacturer's instructions.

(4)  Despite Section 2.16, when a carbon monoxide alarm is replaced in a suite of residential occupancy constructed on or after August 6, 2001, the replacement

1. shall not provide a lower level or type of carbon monoxide protection than that required by the building Code as it read on the day the suite was constructed, and
2. shall comply with CAN/CSA-6.19, "Residential Carbon Monoxide Alarming Devices" or UL 2034, "Single and Multiple Station Carbon Monoxide Alarms".

(5)  When a carbon monoxide alarm is replaced in a suite of residential occupancy constructed before August 6, 2001, the replacement carbon monoxide alarm shall meet the requirements of Article 2.16.2.1.

(6) The Chief Fire Official may approve an alternative to a requirement of Sentence (4) or (5) if, in the opinion of the Chief Fire Official, the alternative provides life safety protection equivalent to or greater than the life safety protection that would be provided by the requirement.

Testing

6.3.4.8.  
(1)  This Article applies to rental dwelling units, including rental dwelling units subject to Section 9.8.

(2)  The landlord shall test carbon monoxide alarms annually and after every change in tenancy.

(3)  The landlord shall test battery-operated carbon monoxide alarms after the battery is replaced.

(4)  The landlord shall test carbon monoxide alarms that are connected to an electrical circuit after any change is made to the electrical circuit.

(5)  For the purposes of Sentences (2), (3) and (4), carbon monoxide alarms shall be tested by activating the carbon monoxide alarm test feature.