Municipal Affairs
Health and Community Services
April 18, 2008

Following a fire and life safety review of 10 unsprinklered provincial health facilities, the Office of the Fire Commissioner has presented a report identifying findings to the Honourable Dave Denine, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister Responsible for Fire and Emergency Services � Newfoundland and Labrador.

"The Fire Commissioner�s report identifies a number of fire protection and life safety issues of varying degrees of seriousness within the health facilities," said Minister Denine. "The Fire Commissioner has briefed officials with the Department of Health and Community Services and provided correspondence to regional health authorities and municipalities where issues have been identified, and will require corrective action of all noted deficiencies within 60 to 90 days. Issues that required immediate action such as fire alarm repairs and clearing of fire exits were instituted immediately at the facility level. In addition, with respect to sprinkler installations and associated fire alarm system upgrades, work is expected to be completed within 24 months of receipt of the facility report."

"I have reviewed the report of the Fire Commissioner and my department is now reviewing the recommendations," said the Honourable Ross Wiseman, Minister of Health and Community Services. "Our government will ensure the recommendations are implemented by the regional health authorities. Residents of this province can be confident in our commitment to ensuring the delivery of quality health care programs and services in safe environments."

"This review was an important effort to ensure publicly owned health facilities are upholding important fire and life safety standards," said Minister Denine. "During the site visits, the Fire Commissioner and his officials met with facility managers and staff and conveyed the need for a renewed focus on education and training, and strengthening procedures and standards to ensure public health facilities are safe."

As a result of the fire prevention and life safety health facility review, several generic items applicable to all facilities have been revealed:

• All health authorities are to initiate a complete review of the fire safety/disaster plans in all facilities, with a view to ensuring that information contained in these plans is up-to-date and correct. Fire and Emergency Services � Newfoundland and Labrador will assist the review process by providing each health authority a seminar on fire safety and disaster planning;
• A recommendation that all facilities with emergency standby generators initiate actions to ensure appropriate compliance with the National Fire Code of Canada, Section 6.7, for emergency power generators and the assurance of fresh fuel supply;
• A review of all locking devices and time-delay fire doors within the health facilities to ensure they work in an appropriate and proficient manner consistent with fire codes;
• Reassessment to determine how notification is given to a fire department when a fire alarm is activated. It is recommended all facilities be made compliant with the details identified in the National Building Code of Canada, 2005 and the National Fire Code of Canada, 2005; and,
• A reminder concerning code awareness to maintenance directors and key facility managers. These individuals must be aware of and have an understanding of fire and life safety codes.

The facility assessments were conducted by the Fire Commissioner and Fire Protection Officers from Fire and Emergency Services � Newfoundland and Labrador. The assessments included a site visit and reviews of compartmentalization (smoke and fire barriers), accessibility of fire exits, detection and suppression systems (fire alarms and sprinklers), and staff awareness and training. The areas reviewed were graded in each category for each health facility and are noted in the attached chart.

The Fire Commissioner will focus on addressing the lessons that have been learned from the inspections, including inspection protocols and auditing procedures. Due to varying fire alarm concerns identified throughout the assessments, the Fire Commissioner has also expanded his initial review to include a full fire alarm test at the remaining 61 health facilities throughout the province.

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The following chart depicts the categorization of facilities based upon the findings of the Fire Commissioner during the assessments. The chart outlines three specific action items � those facilities where no action is required (NAR), those where corrective action is required (RCA), and those that require immediate corrective action (RCA-I).