B.C. Crest

INTERPRETATION BULLETIN

Office of the Fire Commissioner






  

  

    

      
 
November 18, 1996
    
    
      
 				 No.IB 012  

  

  







Maintenance of Voluntarily Installed Fire Protection Equipment







We have recently received inquiries regarding the maintenance of building fire protection
equipment that has either been installed voluntarily or through a local agreement. An
example of this may be standpipe hose and cabinets previously installed either through an
agreement between the building owner and the authority having jurisdiction or required by
a local bylaw.




Clauses 6.1.1.1.(1)(a) & (b) of the BC Fire Code provide for the installation, inspection,
testing, maintenance and operation of automatic sprinkler systems, special extinguishing
systems, and portable extinguishers, and the inspection, testing, maintenance and operation of
water supplies for fire protection, fire alarm systems, standpipe and hose systems, and
emergency power installations.






Article  6.1.1.2. of the BC Fire Code requires that all fire protection installations as
described in Clauses 6.1.1.1.(1)(a) & (b) shall be maintained in operating condition. The Fire
Code also makes reference to Appendix - 6.1.1.2 .  




Appendix - 6.1.1.2. states that both the B.C. Building Code and the B.C. Fire Code assume
that all fire protection features of a building, whether required by Code or voluntarily
installed, will be designed in conformance with good fire protection engineering practice and
will meet the appropriate installation requirements in relevant standards. Such good design is
necessary to ensure that the level of public safety established by the Code requirements is not
reduced by a voluntary installation. Thus a voluntary installed system should be maintained in
operating condition, at least to the extent that it was originally intended to function, in
conformance with the applicable standards.




The Office of the Fire Commissioner interprets that voluntarily installed fire protection
equipment must be maintained in operating condition, in accordance with the relevant
standards at the time of the installation. If voluntarily installed fire protection equipment is not
continually maintained then it should be ordered to be removed.









    
Interpretation Bulletins are distributed by the Office of the Fire Commissioner, in order to provide direction for the application and interpretation of the Fire Services Act, and pursuant regulations.  Where applicable, the Fire Commissioner will issue accompanying approval or interpretative Orders, under the authority of Part 1 of the BC Fire Code.
    
 For further information contact: Office of the Fire Commissioner, Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General,

  Mailing address - PO Box 9491, Stn Prov Govt, Victoria BC, V8W 9N7 / Location - Suite 200, 645 Tyee Road, Victoria B.C. Telephone (250) 356-9000, Facsimile (250) 356-9019, E-mail: OFC@gov.bc.ca, Internet: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/firecom





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