If you are a commercial property owner in Vancouver, you are probably already aware that you are required to have a Fire Safety Plan Vancouver in place. The Fire Safety Plan for your building must follow the British Columbia fire codes and meet all necessary Canadian safety regulations. In addition to these national laws, the Fire Safety Plan must also meet the provincial requirements of the Vancouver Fire Department.
Those who are not in compliance not only puts their property at risk for damages due to fire but may also be levied fines until the building is up to code with a proper Fire Safety Plan for the building.
It is also necessary to meet with the Vancouver Fire Department to discuss your plan. If they deem that your Construction Fire Safety Plan meets the provincial fire code in place as well as any other city bylaws, your plan will be authorized.
For those who own buildings that need a Fire Safety plan, here are some tips on how to create an effective plan that will help protect your building, save lives, and meet the approval by your local Vancouver Fire Department.
What is a Fire Safety Plan and Why Do I Need One?
According to the government of Canada, the purpose of a Fire Safety Plan is to enhance and maintain the safety of a licensee’s operation with respect to potential fire threats. This is done by assessing a site for fire risks, developing measures to address potential fire issues, and formalizing responses to fire-related incidents.
Construction Fire Safety Plans are required by most of the local fire departments, including those in Vancouver. Fire Code laws require that all building projects, including construction, tenant improvement, and demolition have an approved Construction Fire Safety Plan. Officials in your Vancouver city permit department will need to ensure that your property’s plan meets all requirements before giving approval.
By documenting all procedures for a fire in a Fire Safety Plan, it allows owners, managers, and other personnel to quickly access the guidelines with no need to search for answers during an emergency situation. The necessary components for the Vancouver Fire Department’s approval of a fire plan are listed below.
When creating a Fire Safety Plan that will meet the approval of the Vancouver Fire Department, there are certain components it must contain. In addition, each section should include a description of what measures were taken to meet compliance. Here are the required Fire Safety Plan components that must be listed in your plan to ensure approval from your province.
Components of a Construction Fire Safety Plan
Licensee Information – A Fire Safety Plan is site specific and the information on the licensee must include the name of the company, the specific site location address, GPS coordinates, and the name and contact information of the person responsible for the Fire Safety Plan at that location.
Detailed Information of Risks and Procedures – The measures that will be put into place to minimize the occurrence and spread of a fire at the property are required in this section of your Fire Safety Plan. It should also include an assessment of potential fire hazards and procedures for addressing each of the hazards identified. Document a description of all fire measures that are established to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from a fire in your building.
Emergency Procedures in Case of a Fire – All procedures that will be utilized in the event of a fire as well as the persons responsible for conducting each of those procedures should be included in this section of your Fire Safety Plan. This includes all responses such as the activation of fire alarms and notification of fire department. In addition, it should include all evacuation procedures such as exit routes and where to meet after leaving the building, the name of the person responsible for each listed procedure, and the person ultimately in charge of maintaining and implementing the Fire Safety Plan Vancouver buildings require. Lastly, it should include all proper reporting procedures and any other company policies that are related to onsite fire safety.
How to Determine if a Fire Should be Fought – Company polices must be in place in order to determine whether a fire should be fought and the circumstances of each case. For example, any fire that involves explosives cannot be fought and instead, the appropriate emergency procedures, like evacuation, must be followed. Fires without the involvement of explosives may be fought. The Fire Safety Plan must differentiate the types of fires and cases where they need to be fought in this section.
Plans to Train Employees in the Event a Fire Occurs – Plans must be made to properly train all employees on the procedures and circumstances described in the Fire Safety Plan so they will know exactly what to do in case of an emergency.
Reporting the Fire – The Construction Fire Safety Plan should provide all of the necessary information about how to report the fire. This should include contact information of the person responsible for making the report. Agencies and authorities that may need to be contacted include police as well as provincial occupational health and safety.
Why Hire a Professional to Create a Fire Safety Plan Vancouver Fire Departments will Approve?
While you may not be familiar with everything it takes to make sure your property has an approved Construction Fire Safety Plan or Fire Safety Plan, no worries! This is exactly what the team at GetFirePlan.com is trained to do.
Work with our talented team to have a well-designed and easy to read Fire Safety Plan that is guaranteed to be in compliance with the fire codes and regulations in the Vancouver area. We will help you get a Fire Department approved Fire Safety Plan that is customized for your needs. Here is a page where you can find the Vancouver Fire Department Bulletin that addresses Fire Safet Plan design in the city of Vancouver. Link to Bulletin.
Get a FREE Consultation from GetFirePlan.com
The professionals at GetFirePlan.com are experts in creating fire safety plans for industrial and commercial buildings that are 100% up to code per the Vancouver Fire Department’s standards and regulations. Contact us today at (778) 574-2895 for a FREE consultation for your Fire Safety Plan needs.
Fire Safety Plan Vancouver Drawing sample
An evacuation plan sample for Fire Safety Plan