Who is responsible for fire alarm inspections in a commercial building?

What the Ontario Fire Code requires

Under the Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07), fire alarm systems must be inspected and tested in conformance with CAN/ULC-S536 (Sentence 6.3.2.2.(1)). Ontario has adopted the 2019 edition of that standard.

As the owner, you must:

• Make sure the fire alarm system is inspected and tested as the standard requires.
• Ensure the person doing the annual tests and inspections meets the Fire Code's qualification requirements.
• Keep a current description of the fire alarm system in the building.
• Keep records of the devices that were inspected and tested.

Who is responsible for fire alarm inspections in practice

In most commercial buildings, three parties are involved. It helps to be clear about what each one does.

• The owner holds the legal responsibility. For a condominium, this is typically the condo corporation, acting through its board.
• The property manager usually arranges the work: hiring the contractor, scheduling tests, giving notice to occupants, and keeping records.
• The fire alarm contractor performs the inspection and testing and produces the report. Many owners use contractors with CFAA-certified technicians.

How to choose and oversee a fire alarm contractor

Because you must ensure the technician is qualified, it is worth checking credentials before the work starts, not after. Many property managers ask fire alarm contractors for:

1. Proof of the technicians' qualifications, such as CFAA certification, for the people who will actually attend.
2. A certificate of insurance. Commercial general liability of $5M is common for fire protection work, with the owner and property manager named as additional insured.
3. A current WSIB clearance certificate. Clearances are valid for up to 90 days, so check it before each visit.
4. A sample inspection report, so you know what you will receive.
5. Confirmation of how deficiencies are reported and quoted.

If the contractor sends a different technician than expected, ask for that person's credentials too.

What to do with the inspection report

The report is where your oversight matters most. When you receive it:

• Check that it covers the whole system and lists the devices inspected and tested.
• Confirm the technician's name and qualifications appear on it.
• Review the list of deficiencies and assign each one an owner and a target date.
• Get repairs quoted and approved promptly, and keep proof they were completed.
• File the report with your building's fire alarm records.

A report with open deficiencies is not the end of the process. Unresolved items are what tend to cause problems during a fire inspection.

Records to keep in the building

The Fire Code requires a current description of the fire alarm system to be kept in the building, along with records of inspected and tested devices. In practice, many owners also keep:

• Annual inspection reports and any interim test records.
• Deficiency lists and proof of repairs.
• The contractor's insurance, WSIB clearance and technician credentials for each visit.

Keeping contractor documents with the reports makes it easy to show that a qualified person did the work. For portable extinguishers, see how often fire extinguishers should be inspected in Ontario.

How to put this into practice

1. Confirm in writing who arranges fire alarm inspections: the owner directly or the property manager.
2. Check your contractor's technician qualifications, insurance and WSIB clearance before each annual inspection.
3. Review each report and track deficiencies to completion.
4. Keep the system description and inspection records in the building and up to date.

This is general guidance, so confirm specific requirements for your building with your fire alarm contractor or local fire department. Vendorpass can help you keep your fire alarm contractor's credentials and clearances current between visits.