Fire Safety Act Amendments Introduced

Amendments to the Nova Scotia Fire Safety Act that will adopt the national fire code as the provincial standard have been introduced in the House of Assembly by David Morse, Minister of Environment and Labour Minister.

"This bill changes the fire safety system from a reactive to a proactive regulatory system that responds to the province's fire safety issues," said Mr. Morse today, April 2. "It was originally drafted in response to recommendations made by the Fire Prevention Advisory Council and its external stakeholder group."

The bill proposes adoption of the Canadian National Fire Code as the provincial standard. It also recommends harmonizing responsibilities of fire and building inspectors to clarify duties.

The new act will expand representation on the Fire Prevention Advisory Council to include municipalities and the insurance industry, among others.

"It will also allow the Fire Marshal's Office to co-ordinate and co-operate with other agencies to provide educational programs and training for the fire service, fire inspectors and fire investigators," said Mr. Morse.

This bill expands the list of the types of buildings which municipalities must provide fire inspections for, while changing the frequency of inspections to a risk-based system. The Fire Marshal's Office will continue to monitor the system of inspections performed by municipalities.

Under the new legislation, the Fire Marshal's Office will continue to review building plans to ensure compliance with provincial fire safety regulations. This applies to both high- risk structures and other facilities, such as oil tanks and used- tire storage operations.

The bill also proposes standards for fire officials and personnel who install and service fire protection and control devices and systems.

"I thank the provincial Fire Marshal, Bob Cormier, and his team for their work on this important legislation," Mr. Morse said. "Thanks also to the Select Committee on Fire Safety, which the government established last fall. This committee has recently completed a thorough review of the act and provided some invaluable suggestions that helped to strengthen it."