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THE MUNICIPALITY of
CHESTER
The Municipality of Chester
Community Development Dept. Office of the Fire Inspector
Annex Building
186 Central Street
PO Box 369,
Chester,NS BOJ 1J0
www.chester.ca FIRE SAFETY PLANNING GUIDE
Building and Fire Services
building@chester.ca
Phone:(902)275-3080
Fax:(902)275-2598
Planning and Development Section 2.8 of The National Fire Code of Canada 2015 requires that particular
Services
planning@chester.ca occupancies provide for specific fire emergency procedures. The planning is to include
Phone:(902)275-2599
Fax:(902)275-2598 items such as training for staff, fire evacuation plans, and fire drills. The Fire Code also
/ChesterMunicipality identifies several other responsibilities for owners and occupants. These involve regular
@chestermun inspection and maintenance of fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, portable fire
extinguishers and other fire and life safety systems.
This guide is designed to aid in preparing and implementing a fire safety plan. It is a
template that includes all the required aspects for a plan to meet the requirements of
the National Fire Code. A digital version of this template may be obtained by emailing a
request to: fireinspections@chester.ca
Yours in fire safety,
Erin Schurman-Kolb, QBO II, MFI-I
Fire Inspector/ Building Official
Municipality of Chester
151 King Street
Chester, NS BO1 1J0
PH (902) 275-3080
eschurmankolb@chester.ca
FIRE SAFETY PLANNING TEMPLATE
The following section is a template that may be used in the creation of your Fire Safety Plan. It
may be obtained from our office as a Word document for your convenience by emailing a
request to the Chester Municipal Fire Inspector at:
fireinspections@chester.ca
Include only those sections of the template that apply to your building. Forward a draft copy of
your plan either in hard copy or digital copy to the Fire Inspector for review and approval.
(Name of building)
(Civic address)
(Insert business logo or photo of facility here)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN
Date Prepared: Updated:
INTRODUCTION / FIRE SAFETY PLAN LOCATION
Section 2.8 of The National Fire Code of Canada 2015 requires that particular occupancies
provide for specific fire emergency procedures. The planning is to include items such as training
for staff, fire evacuation plans, and fire drills. As well, the Fire Code identifies several other
responsibilities for owners and occupants. These involve regular inspection and maintenance of
fire alarm systems, emergency lighting, portable fire extinguishers and other fire and life safety
systems.
The Nova Scotia Fire Safety Act, which adopts the National Fire Code, requires the
implementation of a Fire Safety Plan for this building/occupancy.
This plan is to be kept in the building in an approved location.
The Fire Safety Plan helps to ensure effective utilization of life safety features in a building to
protect people from fire and to assist with safe evacuation. The required Fire Safety Plan should
be designed to suit the resources of each individual building or complex of buildings. It is the
responsibility of the owner to ensure that the information contained within the Fire Safety Plan
is accurate and complete.
This official document is to be kept readily available at all times for use by staff and fire officials
in the event of an emergency.
At least one copy of fire emergency procedures shall be prominently posted on each floor area.
Where a fire alarm system has been installed with no provisions to transmit a signal to the fire
department, a sign shall be posted at each manually actuated signaling box indicating the fire
department shall be notified.
The Fire Safety Plan approved location is
(approved location)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
PART 1 —AUDIT OF BUILDING RESOURCES
1.1 DESCRIPTION OF BUILDING
(Facility Name)
(Facility Address, include full civic location and mailing address)
(Facility phone number)
(Facility fax number)
(Facility web address or email address)
(Give a brief description of the size and layout of the building, area& number of floors. Also, a
simple explanation of the type of construction as well as what sort of interior layout is in place.
Example:42'x 25'wood frame two storey building,first floor is an open shop area with offices
and meeting room on the second floor)
1.2 OCCUPANT LOAD
(Provide a brief breakdown of the occupant load for the major areas of the building. The fire
inspector will calculate occupant loads and provide signage for assembly occupancies with a
load greater than 60 persons.)
OCCUPANCY TYPE(S):
1.3 FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS
(Describe the exterior layout of the building as it applies to where fire department vehicles can
approach the facility. As well, there should be included a description of where the firefighting
personnel can access the building itself. A simple site plan showing fire lanes and building access
points may be included here to assist. it is recommended that building sketches use the same
system of building identification as the local fire department. With this system, the side of the
building facing the civic address street is side A, travelling clockwise around the building, the
next side is B, the rear is C and the final side before returning to A is side D.)
SAMPLE FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS SCHEMATIC
Fire Dept Access
G
Building
Access
B 123 Abed St. D
side A
Abed Street
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
LOCKBOX: (YES OR NO) LOCATION:
ELEVATORS: TOTAL NUMBER FLOORS SERVED:
1.4 EXITS
(If not shown on the above schematic, describe the number and type of exit facilities in the
building. The description of the exits may start with the exit on side A or at the main entrance
and travel clockwise around the building. The description of the exits should also include the
width and number of exit doors and type of egress hardware. Exit stairwells, both internal and
external should also be described and located on the sketch if applicable.)
1.5 BUILDING SYSTEMS
(Very briefly, describe the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in the building. A
description of the location, size and type of appliances should be included. Describe any external
or internal storage tanks for fuels as well as the location of any large electrical transformers
whether inside or outside of the building.)
PART 2 — FIRE SAFETY INSTALLATIONS
2.1 FIRE ALARM SYSTEM
(Very briefly, describe the fire alarm system in the building, if applicable. Include the location of
the main panel and annunciator, and a brief the description of the system's components.)
MAKE:
MODEL:
MANUFACTURER:
TYPE: SINGLE OR TWO STAGE
MAIN PANEL LOCATION:
ANNUNCIATOR LOCATION:
2.2 EMERGENCY POWER/LIGHTING
(Indicate whether or not the building has a back up power system and if so, briefly describe the
system's size, location, areas served and details of operation, including the location of the
switching gear. Identify and describe emergency lighting units that may be located in the
building.)
2.3 AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM
(Very briefly describe the automatic sprinkler system, if applicable. Include a description of the
location of the fire department connection, the location of the sprinkler room,fire pumps, and
the location of any shut-off valves not in the sprinkler room.)
TYPE: WET/ DRY/OTHER
2.4 PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
(Describe various portable extinguishers and their locations within the building. The description
should include the size and type of extinguishers. instead of a written description, the location of
extinguishers maybe included on the floor plans)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
2.5 SPECIAL SYSTEMS
(Describe any special fire safety installations that may be in your building. These may include
grease hood exhaust and fire extinguishing systems, special fixed pipe extinguishing systems,
standpipe water systems for firefighting, voice communication systems integrated with the fire
alarm systems, and individual smoke alarms located in dwelling units. If you have any of these
systems, describe their location, type and size. Briefly describe their operation and any
integration they may have with other systems.)
PART 3 —AUDIT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
3.1 OWNER INFORMATION
(Provide the name, address, phone and other contact information for the owners of the building,
if different than the occupants. Include any and all persons responsible for the building from the
owner's perspective.)
(Provide the name, address, phone and other contact information for the property manager, if
different than the owner.)
(Provide the name, address, phone and other contact information for any security personnel
and/or security alarm monitoring agency. This information should provide for 24-hour contact
and include any account numbers needed to obtain information in the event of an emergency.)
(Provide the name, address, phone and other contact information for any fire alarm monitoring
agency. This information should provide for 24-hour contact and include any account numbers
needed to obtain information in the event of an emergency.)
FIRE ALARM MONITORING COMPANY: (NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT INFO)
FIRE ALARM SERVICE COMPANY: (NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT INFO)
SPRINKLER MONITORING COMPANY: (NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT INFO)
SPRINKLER SERVICE COMPANY: (NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT INFO)
SECURITY SYSTEM COMPANY: (NAME, ADDRESS, CONTACT INFO)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
3.2 OCCUPANT INFORMATION
(Provide the name, address, phone and other contact information for the actual occupants of
the building if different from above. This should include key personnel such as supervisors,
department heads, shift supervisors or other persons of authority who may share some
responsibility for fire safety planning. In buildings containing multiple tenants, at least one
contact for each suite should be provided. For residential occupancies, a list of residents and
their suite number should be maintained and updated as required. This list should include any
special needs or requirements for the individual occupants such as mobility concerns, oxygen
use, hearing impairments, etc.)
TENANT PHONE APT/ FLOOR OCCUPANCY SPECIAL NEEDS
SUITE TYPE
Examples: xxx-xxx-xxxx 102 1 Residential Bedridden with
Bob& Lucy Smith oxygen tank
Bob's Accounting xxx-xxx-xxxx 6 3 Mercantile --
KEY PERSONNEL/SUPERVISORY STAFF &ALTERNATE(S):
(NAME/ADDRESS/TEL)
PART 4— RESPONSIBILITIES OF OCCUPANTS
(Describe the chain of command within the occupants of the building as it relates to fire safety
planning and emergency procedures. indicate the area of responsibility for each person involved
as it relates to both the maintenance of the fire safety plan, responsibilities for preventative
measures as well as their duties during an emergency. Ensure that provisions are made for
alternates in the event that certain individuals are not present. It should be clear and concise as
to who is responsible to carry out the various aspects of the fire safety plan and emergency
procedures.)
4.1 RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE OWNER/OCCUPANT
The building owner/occupant has numerous responsibilities related to fire safety and must
ensure that the following, but not limited to the following, measures are enacted:
• Establishment of emergency procedures to be followed at the time of an emergency.
• Appointment and organization of designated supervisory staff to carry out safety duties.
• Instruction of supervisory staff and other occupants so that they are aware of their
responsibilities for fire safety.
• Holding of fire drills in accordance with the Fire Code, incorporating Emergency Procedures
appropriate to the building.
• Control of fire hazards in the building.
• Maintenance of building facilities provided for safety of the occupants.
• Provisions of alternate measures for safety of occupants during shut down of fire protection
equipment.
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
• Assuring that checks, tests and inspections as required by the Nova Scotia Fire Safety Act
and National Fire Code are completed on schedule and that the records are retained for a
minimum period of two (2) years.
• Post and maintain at least one (1) copy of the fire emergency procedures on each Level.
• Keep a copy of the approved Fire Safety Plan on the premises in an approved location.
• Notification to the Fire Inspector regarding changes in the Fire Safety Plan.
• Ensure that the information in the Fire Safety Plan is current.
• Designate and train sufficient alternates to replace supervisory staff during any absence.
• The owner of a sprinkler system or a fixed-pipe extinguishing system shall, subject to the
regulations, notify the Fire Marshal of the activation of the system within forty-eight hours
of the discharge. Fire Safety Act— Fire Safety Regulations Section 37.
OCCUPANTS SHOULD:
• Know how to alarm occupants of the building.
• Know where exits are located.
• Know when to call 911.
• Know the correct address of the building.
• Know how to notify the building/property management if special assistance is required in
the event of an emergency.
• Know the fire alarm signals and the procedures established to implement safe evacuation.
• Know the supervisory staff in your building.
• Know how to report any fire hazard to supervisory staff.
• Know the stairwell designation.
• Know the location of the designated gathering area.
CHIEF FIRE WARDEN
Appointment (if applicable).
Every owner of a building shall appoint a chief fire warden if the building contains:
a) an assembly occupancy (Group A) with an occupant load greater than 200 persons,
except for an assembly occupancy in a school, college, or university,
a) a care or detention occupancy (Group B, Division 1) facility with more than 50
occupants,
b) a care or detention occupancy (Group B, Division 2) facility with more than 10
occupants, or
c) a residential occupancy facility with more than 4 occupants that is licensed or regulated
under the Homes for Special Care Act.
Section 2.15.1.2 Inspection
A chief fire warden appointed under Sentence 2.15.1.1(1) shall, at least every 6-months,
a) inspect the building and any related buildings containing the occupancies described
in Sentence 2.15.1.1 for fire hazards, and
b) provide a written report to the owner indicating
i. the condition of the means of egress
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
ii. the condition of the fire protection system, and
iii. any other conditions respecting fire safety in the building or related
buildings.
The owner shall keep a copy of the report referred to in Clause (1)(b) for 7 years and
shall make the report available to the fire official upon request.
PART 5 —TRAINING OF OCCUPANTS
(Outline any training that may be required for each of the various positions identified in this
plan. Some areas of training for occupants would include, the fire safety plan, the use of
portable extinguishers, the operation of fire alarm systems, and the basic understanding of the
use and operation of other fire safety systems. Allowances should be made for both initial
training for individuals as well as refresher training when required. It should be noted that
occupants must be trained in the fire emergency procedures before they are given any
responsibility for fire safety and that they must be given copies of the fire emergency procedures
and other duties for which they are responsible.)
5.1 TRAINING RECORDS
(Maintain up to date records of all training held. Ensure that the name of the trainer, subject
matter, date, and names of participants are included. In most cases, it is beneficial to require a
refresher within a certain time period which should also be identified in the records.)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
PART 6 — EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
6.1 GENERAL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
(Describe the procedures to be carried out in the event of afire or other emergency. The general
procedure should be one that applies to all occupants of the building and should be suited to the
specifics of the occupancy. These procedures shall be posted near each entrance to a floor area
or, if applicable, posted adjacent to each manual pull station. The procedures should be
customized to take into account the specifics of the fire alarm system. Below is a sample
procedure.)
IN CASE OF FIRE
UPON DISCOVERY OF FIRE
Leave the area immediately
Activate the nearest pull station
Ensure that the Fire Department has been alerted — CALL 911
Leave the Building via the nearest Exit
UPON HEARING THE FIRE ALARM
Leave the building via the nearest exit
Proceed to the appropriate muster point
6.2 EVACUATION ROUTES
(Create basic floor plans to illustrate the various evacuation routes from the different floor areas
of the building. Each floor area should have a primary and secondary route. Small sketches for
each floor area shall be posted adjacent to the General Emergency Procedures to help illustrate
the various egress routes. The floor plans may also contain items such as extinguisher locations,
fire alarm panel location, sprinkler room location or any other significant detail.)
PRIMARY DESIGNATED GATHERING LOCATION:
SECONDARY DESIGNATED GATHERING LOCATION:
6.3 ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
(Describe any specific procedures developed to deal with special conditions or events that may
take place. An example might be a special event during which the normal occupant load of the
building is exceeded. Contact the Fire Inspector to determine what extraordinary safeguards
may be required and develop a safe practice to follow. Document the procedure and maintain a
log of those occasions which it is used noting any difficulties for future review.)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
PART 7 — FIRE DRILLS
7.1 FIRE DRILL PROCEDURE
(Describe the frequency and procedure for holding fire drills. The Fire Inspector will identify
whether or not your occupancy is required to carry out fire drills. As a minimum, supervisory
staff will need to review the evacuation procedure during the annual fire safety plan review.)
7.2 FIRE DRILL RECORDS
(Maintain a record of all fire drills or evacuation procedure reviews held. The records should
include the date and time of the drill, what persons participated in the drill, how the alarm was
initiated, the total evacuation time, and any special problems or concerns that arose. Any items
of concern must be addressed and corrected, and documentation kept.)
PART 8 — PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE
8.1 FIRE SAFETY PLAN
(Describe the process by which the fire safety plan is maintained. A specific time each year
should be set aside to review and revise the plan. Owners, supervisors, and senior staff may all
be involved in the review. Quite often this may be carried out in conjunction with the
Occupational Health and Safety Committee. Proper documentation of the review and
alterations to the plan shall be kept and each copy of the plan must be properly updated.
Changes in staff plans and procedures must be forwarded to the individuals involved and further
training may be required if necessary.)
8.2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
(Maintain records for only those systems that are contained in your occupancy)
Fire Alarm System: (Maintain records of all activity related to the fire alarm system. Copies of
regular maintenance, inspection reports, work orders renovations etc., should be kept within the
fire safety plan.)
Automatic Sprinkler System: (Maintain records of a//activity related to the automatic sprinkler
system. Copies of regular maintenance, inspection reports, work orders renovations etc., should
be kept within the fire safety plan.)
Portable Fire Extinguishers: (Maintain records of all activity related to the portable fire
extinguishers. Copies of regular maintenance, inspection reports, work orders renovations etc.,
should be kept within the fire safety plan.)
Emergency Power System: (Maintain records of all activity related to the back-up power system
Copies of regular maintenance, inspection reports, work orders renovations etc., should be kept
within the fire safety plan.)
Emergency Lighting: (Maintain records of all activity related to the emergency lighting system.
Copies of regular maintenance, inspection reports, work orders renovations etc., should be kept
within the fire safety plan.)
FIRE SAFETY PLAN (Building name and civic address)
Special Systems: (Maintain records of all activity related to any special fire protection systems.
Copies of regular maintenance, inspection reports, work orders renovations etc., should be kept
within the fire safety plan.)
8.3 GENERAL FIRE SAFETY RULES
(Develop your own list of general fire safety rules that you wish for your occupants to be aware
of. They should be items of particular concern to your occupancy. The rules may include items
such as: Keeping combustibles to a minimum in certain areas, maintaining exits clear of
obstructions, keeping exterior walks and stairs free of ice and snow, safe use of electrical
equipment, etc.,. Maintain the list in the fire safety plan and post copies throughout the
building.)
NOTES
Monthly Premises Checklist
Date of Inspection:
Name of person conducting inspection:
Item Yes No Action Taken
Check all exit doors for ease of Are they hard to open,is there anything blocking the
operation door?Make sure they work as intended.
Check exit signs Are they lit and clearly visible?Are they on during a
function?
Check emergency lighting Do the emergency lights come on when unplugged?
Leave battery drain down and recharge.
Check Heating system Are there any oil leaks or damage to the heating unit?
Check Fire Extinguishers Do they have an up to date inspection tag,are they up to
pressure and is the tag and pin in place?
Check interior and exterior lighting Is there adequate lighting in and around the building?
Check washroom and plumbing Are there any leaks and problems?
fixtures
Check electrical panel/room for Can you access the panels;are there items in front of the
storage panel?
Check furnace room for storage Are there any items stored in the room that have not
been previously permitted?
Check exterior stairs and ramps for Is the snow cleared, is the roof cleared above,are there
access any icicles or what condition is the stairs or ramp in?
Quarterly water tests Keep test results for department of Health
Check all doors and shutters within Make sure all doors close properly,the door latches and
a fire separation.This includes fire the door closer works properly. Remove all non-
dampers and shutters. approved hold open devices and wedges.
Check fire plan Ensure it is where it should be and is up to date.
Check occupant load sign is visible. If you do not have one contact the fire inspector.
Check fire alarm system Is the power on, is the key available or with the fire
plan?
Check sprinkler system for access Can you access the system valves and header and is the
and system pressurized and monitored?
Fire drill Have you done a fire drill at least annually?
Yearly Premises Checklist
Date of inspection:
Name of Person conduction the inspection:
Item Yes No Action Taken
Fire Extinguishers
inspected
Fire Alarm Inspected
Heating system
inspection, cleaning and
annual maintenance
Conduct Fire drill
Update Fire Safety Plan
Sprinkler system annual
inspection
Emergency lights tested to
ensure they remain
lighted for 30-minutes
Commercial cooking
equipment inspected and
tested
Commercial cooking
equipment cleaned at
least annually
Chimneys are inspected
and cleaned