Windsor Fire and Rescue Services wants to help the owners and managers of high-rise and mid-rise buildings meet their responsibilities under the Ontario Fire Code.
The service is offering a fire safety program that helps building owners and property managers understand their responsibilities when it comes to fire and life safety in the properties under their care.
The topics that will be covered include sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, fire safety plans, fire department and firefighter access, interior finishes, exiting, elevator use, stairwells, fire extinguishers, alarms, how to prepare for an inspection, and fire safety for residents.
Acting Chief Fire Prevention Officer John Smith says they have an estimated 4,200 multi-unit residential buildings in Windsor.
"It's like when you put 45 houses together, say, in a high-rise, and you stack them on top of each other; we have more hazards with the separations, and we have more hazards with exiting," he says.
Smith says they do have enforcement measures that they can apply when an owner or manager is not following the Ontario Fire Code.
"We do find managers will take over a building, and they're not very educated by the owner about what their responsibilities are, so we just want to bridge that gap," he says. "We would rather not have to go down to a procedure and into the court system. We'd rather front-end load it with education and keep people safe, and we can come in, and we don't have to apply any inspection orders."
Fire safety sessions are planned for Wednesday, September 24, at the Safety Village, 7911 Forest Glade Drive in Windsor.
Click here for more information, or to register for a course, please call the Windsor Fire and Rescue Services Fire Prevention Division at 519-253-3016 ext. 3776 or contact firesafety@citywindsor.ca by email.