Agenda Item # Page f BILL 141 -THE HOME FIRE SPRINKLER ACT, 2004 RECOMMENDATION

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1 il Agenda Item # Page f mm I I CHAIR AND MEMBERS II To COMMUNITY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES COMMITTEE SEPTEMBER 12,25 FROM JOHNKOBARDA FIRE CHIEF AND DIRECTOR OF PARAMEDIC SERVICES /ISUBJECT I BILL 141 -THE HOME FIRE SPRINKLER ACT, 24 RECOMMENDATION That on the recommendation of the Fire Chief and Director of Paramedic Services, the Council of the Corporation of the City of London EXPRESS its support for the Private Member's Bill 141, The Home Sprinkler Act, 24 and a letter BE SENT from the Mayor to the Honourable John Phillip Gerretsen, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on behalf of City of London Council in support of this bill PREVIOUS REPORTS PERTINENT TO THIS MATTER Written communication dated May 24, 25 to CPSC on meeting June 2, 25 from L Jeffrey, MPP Brampton 1 BACKGROUND I On October 25, 24, Linda Jeffrey, MPP for Brampton Centre, introduced a Private Member's Bill, The Home Fire Sprinkler Act, 24 The goal of the legislation is to "require fire sprinkler installation in all new residential, apartment and condominium construction in Ontario" If passed, this Act will place Ontario among the leaders in North America regarding fire and life safety concerns Ontario will also become the first province in Canada to require these fire safety systems Currently, 22 jurisdictions throughout North America mandate the installation of residential sprinkler systems Through correspondence dated May 24, 25, Ms Jeffrey requests that the City of London join other municipalities in supporting this legislation Working smoke alarms and practiced fire escape plans remain the primary line of in-home defence and, when properly functioning, smoke alarms represent a very cost effective means of early detection Smoke alarms can reduce fire deaths by reducing the time to detection, thereby providing occupants valuable extra seconds to escape Nevertheless, the OFM reports that of 52,99 residential fires studied from 1995 to 24 only 37% of the homes had working smoke alarms The reasons for inoperative alarms include dead or missing batteries, no power, improper installation, mechanical or electrical failures, separated from the area of the fire, tampering, etc Unlike sprinkler systems, which are active devices that can actually keep a fire from growing and spreading or extinguish it fully, smoke alarms are passive devices that only provide a warning to evacuate Fire Sprinkler Alliance for Everyone (Fire SAFE Ontario) led by Alan Speed, the former Fire Chief of the City of Toronto, claims that "installing a residential fire sprinkler system and smoke alarm in your home reduces the risk for death by 82 per cent" The combined efforts of the Fire Service and Ontarians have contributed to reduced fire related deaths; nevertheless, fire related deaths, especially in residences, remains a significant issue Despite changes to legislation, enhanced fire prevention and public education initiatives and the efforts of the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office and fire departments across the province, more than 533 people still perished in fires between 1999 to 23, with over 8% dying in residential fires Alarmingly, these statistics represent an all time provincial low

2 A research paper written by John R Waters, CFPS, EFO, concluded that fire service experts consider the point where a structure fire becomes the most deadly is the point of flashover NFPA 555, the National Fire Protection Association standard which specifically deals with flashover, defines flashover as A stage in the development of a contained fire in which all exposed surfaces reach ignition temperatures more or less simultaneously and fire spreads rapidly throughout the space, thereby making the room no longer tenable for occupants In layperson s terms, almost instantaneously the entire room bursts into flame Ceiling temperatures at the point of flashover range around 9 F to 12 F Even firefighters with protective equipment can survive no more than about 5 seconds in such an environment It is important to note that previously, experts estimated that flashover occurred in the range of 7 to 1 minutes; however, recent studies suggest that the average time to flashover is now somewhere around 4 minutes Increased fuel loads created by a higher use of human-made materials are one of the main contributors to the dramatic reduction in time to flashover Reduced times to flashover are presenting significant challenges to the fire service The rapid growth of fires results in firefighters entering potentially more hostile and dangerous environments, an increased risk of fire related deaths and higher fire losses Figure 1 illustrates how a fire evolves; keeping in mind that the time from ignition to detection, as well as from detection to notification of emergency services remain unknown Recognizing the absence of these two critical times, even under ideal situations the first arriving crew are entering buildings to rescue and/or apply water approximately 6 to 8 minutes into an emergency event, well beyond the point of flashover Applicable Stanoam 1 NFPA 1221 hfpa 171 NFPA L L L L r, _, m r, h Event Time Unknown Unlcnown 1 minute 1 mnu1e 4 minutes 2 minutes Fire sprinklers are simple devices that are individually operated directly from the heat of a fire They are activated when a fire starts, typically at approximately 74 C, well below the flashover point Noted earlier, organizations such as Fire SAFE Ontario claim that 22 jurisdictions in North America mandate the installation of residential sprinklers in new homes Two cities showcased by the organization are the City of Vancouver, which required all new residential homes built after 1992 to include fire sprinklers, as well as Scottsdale, Arizona, which passed a similar Ordinance in 1985 Recognizing that a small percentage of homes are so equipped, it stands to reason that only a small percentage of fires occur in such homes Nevertheless, both cities report no fire deaths have occurred in a sprinklered single-family residence where a resident was not in direct contact with the fire In July 25, POLLARA conducted a telephone survey using a representative sample of 1,26 adult Ontarians, 18 years of age and older, to identify Ontarian s attitudes and perceptions about fire safety and residential fire sprinkler systems POLLARA claims that the research results are accurate within f 28 per cent, 19 times out of 2 The organization reports it summary of findings as follows: Fire safety in the home is important to seventy-nine (79) per cent of Ontarians Ontarians see residential fire sprinkler systems as the best way to save lives and property second to only smoke alarms Sixty-seven (67) per cent of Ontarians would support making residential fire sprinkler systems mandatory in new residences and high rise dwellings

3 mm 3 When it comes to home renovations, Ontarians are two times more likely to install a residential fire sprinkler system than upgrade a kitchen and three times more likely to install a residential fire sprinkler than a home theater system Three-quarters of Ontarians (74 per cent) considering buying a new home in the next five years support making residential fire sprinkler systems mandatory On average, Ontarians would be willing to pay 46 per cent of their home s cost for a residential fire sprinkler system (systems cost approximately one to one and a half per cent of the total building cost of new construction) Sixty-two (62) per cent of Ontarians feel it is the Province s responsibility to create laws, making residential fire sprinkler systems mandatory The US Fire Administration s (USFA) webpage (httd://wusfafemaaov/safetv/sdrinklers/ ) dedicated to residential sprinklers notes that sprinkler technology is not new, in fact it has been in existence for around for a century Schools, office buildings, factories, and other commercial buildings have benefited from fire protection sprinkler systems for over a century To prevent investments in buildings and machinery, the textile mills in New England began using sprinkler systems over 1 years ago following a series of devastating fires which claimed many lives and destroyed entire businesses Since 1976, the USFA has promoted research studies, development and testing, and demonstrations of residential sprinkler systems and has joined private industry and the fire service to advance the development of residential sprinklers In addition to the USFA, Fire SAFE Ontario identifies other supports for residential sprinkler systems, and specifically draws support from many prominent safety organizations including: Canadian Association of Retired Persons Canadian Automatic Sprinkler Association Canadian Fire Safety Association Canadian Home Sprinkler Coalition Fire Marshal s Public Fire Safety Council Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition Independent Plumbing and Heating Contractors Association International Association of Fire Chiefs National Fire Protection Association Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs Ontario Fire & Life Safety Educators Association Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association Society of Fire Protection Engineers Toronto Fire Services A residential fire sprinkler system fact sheet found in Appendix A is an excerpt from the Fire Safe Campaign announcement found the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs website httd://wwwoafconca/articles etc/articles/firesafe CamDaianhtml Appendix B are common myths and misconceptions surrounding residential fire sprinkler systems taken from the Toronto Fire Services website httd://wwwcitvtorontoonca/fire/drevention/sdrinklershtm)

4 SUMMARY While smoke alarms remain the primary line of defence, particularly in existing homes, the probability of survival is greatly increased in homes equipped with both a smoke alarm and a residential sprinkler system Fire departments across North America are being challenged by reduced times to flashover, the point at which experts deem the room no longer tenable Keeping in mind that two key elements of time are unknown, it appears that even in ideal situations fire department arrive on scene and commence emergency activities somewhere between 6 to 8 minutes, whereas recent research suggests that flashover occurs on average around 4 minutes Bill 141, The Home Fire Sprinkler Act, 24, will not reduce fire deaths in existing residential structures, as it seeks to mandate "fire sprinkler installation in all new residential, apartment and condominium construction in Ontario" However, without such progressive legislation, the issues will remain the same, if not increase into the future, as Ontario's municipalities grow This is our opportunity as leaders to provide the vision and set the course for the future The enactment of Bill 141 will greatly assist to make all new residential occupancies in Ontario safer places to live This report was prepared with the assistance of Gwen Francis, and Deputy Fire Chiefs Dan Oldridge and David Kitterman RECOMMENDEDBY a& d& -3- &s&?t+ddwgo- JOHN W KOBARDA FIRE CHIEF AND DIRECTOR OF PARAMEDIC SERVICES c J Fielding

5 Agenda Item # Page II II 5 APPENDIX A The following information is taken from the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs website announcing the launch of the Fire Safe Campaign httd://wwwoafconca/articles etc/articles/firesafe CamDaianhtml Residential Fire Sprinkler System Fact Sheet More than 22 North American jurisdictions currently have legislation in place making residential fire sprinkler systems mandatory Residential fire sprinkler systems save lives, reduce property loss and lower home owner insurance premiums Residential fire sprinkler systems complement the early warning capability of smoke alarms by adding fire suppression Installing both smoke alarms and a residential fire sprinkler system reduces the risk for death in a home fire by 82 per cent In Vancouver, where such systems have been mandatory for 1 years, there has not been a single accidental fire fatality in a home where there is a fire sprinkler system Sprinklers respond independently to each other so only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate Ninety per cent of fires are contained by the operation of just on sprinkler The likelihood of a sprinkler malfunction is one in 16 million The average insurance claim in a home tire where there is a sprinkler is $1 and it is $15, when there is no sprinkler system Residential sprinklers use as little as 1 to 18 gallons of water per minute as compared to the 15 gallons per minute needed by firefighters to put out a small house fire On average, residential fire sprinkler systems cost one to one and a half per cent of the total building cost of new construction

6 APPENDIX B The following information is taken from the City Of Toronto Fire Services website (httd://wwwcitvtorontoonca/fire/drevention/sorinklershtm) Myths and facts about automatic home fire sprinklers Automatic sprinklers systems have enjoyed an enviable record of protecting life and property for over 1 years Statistics demonstrate that there has never been a multiple loss of life in a fully sprinklered building where the system operated as designed Sprinklers are a cost-effective technology that provides for a high level of life safety Residential fire sprinkler technology is proving both reliable and effective Property losses are 85% less in residences with fire sprinklers compared to those without As positive as this information is however, there are still common misunderstandings about the operation and effectiveness of home fire sprinkler systems The following are some of the more common myths: Myth 1: "Water damage from a sprinkler system will be more extensive than fire damage" Fact: Water damage from a home sprinkler system will be much less severe than the damage caused by water from fire-fighting hose lines or smoke and fire damage if the fire goes unabated Quick response sprinklers release approximately 3-9 litres (8-24 gallons) of water per minute compared to litres (5-125 gallons) per minute released by a fire hose Myth 2: "When a fire activates one sprinkler head, all sprinkler heads will activate" Fact: Residential sprinklers respond independently to a rated temperature setting of approximately 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit) Usually, only one sprinkler is activated to extinguish or limit the fire to its room of origin Myth 3: "Sprinklers might activate by accident" Fact: The odds of accidental discharge due to a manufacturing defect are 1 in 16 million per year Myth 4: "A sprinkler system might freeze in winter and cause water damage" Fact: Much like your plumbing system, your sprinkler system piping is installed on inside walls adjacent to the ceiling framing and then insulated to entrap the available heat lost from the living area below Myth 5: "A smoke alarm on its own offers adequate protection" Fact: Smoke alarms will save lives by providing a much-needed early warning system However, smoke alarms do nothing to extinguish a growing fire Too often, battery operated smoke alarms fail to function because of dead or missing batteries In order for smoke alarms to be effective in saving lives, they must be working and they must be maintained on a regular basis Myth 6: "I can't afford a sprinkler system" Fact: This is generally a statement of priority We rarely hesitate when buying a more comfortable couch, plusher carpet, the latest stereo equipment or an upgraded computer A sprinkler system can be installed in a new home for as little as $15 per square foot which, in many cases, would represent less than 2% of the total construction cost System installation in existing homes is simple but more expensive Since your family, irreplaceable possessions and home are a precious part of your life, you can't afford not to have a sprinkler system Myth 7: "Sprinkler Systems are unattractive" Fact: Fire damage is unattractive Quick response residential sprinkler systems are designed to save your life by providing attractive ceiling and side-mount sprinkler heads that blend unobtrusively into your room d6cor Sprinklers, cover plates, and escutcheons can be custom painted by the manufacturer to match any decor