A2: Retrofit legislation as described in Part 9 of the Fire Code addresses the upgrade of existing buildings. Under Part 9 of the Fire Code, alteration may require some construction, renovations or additions. A building permit may be required for some of this work. The buildings concerned include:

assembly occupancies, rooming houses, health-care facilities, and multi-unit residential buildings.Residential buildings with two dwelling units must also meet the retrofit safety regulations. They must have:
an electrical inspection by and subsequent approval from the Electrical Safety Authority,
smoke alarms, fire separations and adequate exits. Top

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A3: It is the legal responsibility of the building owner to install and maintain your smoke alarm. This includes condominiums. The condominium corporation the owner. We give away smoke alarms, preferably to people who cannot afford them. Top

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A4: Fire Prevention will do Special Occasion Calls, such as children's days, seniors’ lectures and school programs. Contact the office at 736-6500. Top

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A5: The Fire Code is written to protect the public from unsafe fire practices. The code reads: 2.6.3.4 Open air burning shall not be permitted unless approved, or unless such burning consists of a small, confined fire, supervised at all times, and used to cook food on a grill or a barbecue. Burning rubbish or using an outdoor fireplace for a purpose other than cooking food, in the manner described in the code, are violations of the Fire Code. In addition to the fire code regulations, Amherstburg has a burning by law, which includes provisions and limitations, such as no bar-bq’s on balconys of apartments. For a copy of the burning by law click HERE. Top

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A6: Homeowners should buy an extinguisher that can handle class A-B-C fires. They should be designed to extinguish fires that usually occur in homes; including wood, paper, flammable liquids and electrical fires. Check the fire prevention button on the home page for more information on extinguishers.Top

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A7: Smoke alarms should be placed outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. On floors without bedrooms, detectors should be installed in or near living areas such as dens, living rooms, or family rooms. We also recommend installing a smoke alarm in the bedrooms of pre-teens. For more information on smoke alarms click on the fire prevention button on home page. Top

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A8: No, they do not. You might contact the Humane Society or Erie wildlife rescue. Top

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A9: No. In our "Plan to Get Out Alive" program, we encourage everyone to plan their own escape in advance and to practice it regularly. The red heart program was ineffective because people were moving and leaving the stickers on the windows, using the stickers on all of their windows, and putting them on windows where their pets were being kept. This made the indicator a very unreliable source of information for the firefighters. Top

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A10: This is not a Fire Code issue. However, it may be an issue with the Ministry of the Environment. Top

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A11:The Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 and the Ontario Fire Code can be found on the E-laws website. They are also available for purchase from Publications Ontario. Top

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A12: The Fire Department does not sell exit signs or fire extinguishers, nor do we inspect extinguishers. Top

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A13: Duplex inspections under 9.8 of the Fire Code are required by law as of July 16, 1996. Most duplexes are affected and the Fire Prevention Division should be contacted to determine the Code requirements. This is a legal requirement of the owner to comply now and not just upon sale of the duplex, as many believe. Top

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A14: Be sure to follow the manufacturers' directions and the local building codes for proper installation, use, and maintenance of your wood-burning stove. A building permit is required to install a wood stove in your home. You can obtain local building code/permit information by calling 736-6500
Always start your fire using paper and small pieces of kindling. Never use accelerants to start a fire. Things can get out of hand in a hurry!
Burn only well-seasoned wood. Green or unseasoned wood burns cooler than well-seasoned wood, and can cause creosote to build up at a much faster rate.
Be sure to clean the ashes out of your wood-burning stove on a regular basis. Store the ashes in a covered metal container. Hot coals and discarded ashes can easily ignite grass, leaves, and trees if left uncovered. Keep the ash container at a safe distance away from the house and any other nearby buildings. Top

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A15: Proper placement of a CO detector is important. In general, the human body is most vulnerable to the effects of CO during sleeping hours, so a detector should be located in or as near as possible to the sleeping area of the home.
If only one detector is being installed, it should be located near the sleeping area, where it can wake you if you are asleep.
Where sleeping areas are located in separate parts of the home, a detector should be provided for each area.
Additional CO detectors should be placed on each level of a residence and in other rooms where combustion devices are located (such as in a room that contains a solid fuel-fired appliance, gas clothes dryer or natural gas furnace), or adjacent to potential sources of CO (such as in a teenager's room or granny suite located adjacent to an attached garage).
Unlike smoke, which rises to the ceiling, CO mixes with air. Recognizing this, a CO detector should be located at knee-height (which is about the same as prone sleeping height). Due to the possibility of tampering or damage by pets, children, vacuum cleaners and the like, it may be located up to chest height. To work properly, a detector should not be blocked by furniture, draperies or other obstructions to normal air flow.
If a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector is used, it should be located on the ceiling, to ensure that it will detect smoke effectively.
Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for additional information regarding proper use and maintenance. Top

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A16: Gasoline is a Class 1 flammable liquid. If it is being stored in the actual residence or dwelling unit, then Article 4.2.4.5. restricts the quantity that can be stored to not more than 10 L. If it is being stored in a garage or shed attached to a dwelling unit, then Article 4.2.4.6. restricts the quantity that can be stored to not more than 30 L.

The Fire Code does not have any requirements for the quantity of gasoline that can be stored in a garage or shed associated with a residence and is not attached to the dwelling unit. If you plan to store gasoline in such a structure, we recommend that it be located not less than 3m from any other building or property line.

Article 4.2.3.1. of the Fire Code states that containers for flammable or combustible liquids shall be built in conformance with one of the following:

a. the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations (Canada),

b. CSA-B376, "Portable Containers for Gasoline and Other Petroleum Fuels",

c. CSA-B306, "Portable Fuel Tanks for Marine Use",

d. ULC/ORD-C30, "Safety Containers", or

e. Section 6 of CSA-B620, "Highway Tanks and Portable Tanks for the Transportation of Dangerous Goods".

Note that Section 8 of the Gasoline Handling Code also has requirements for acceptable containers,

Subsection 4.1.7. of the Fire Code has requirements for ventilation which apply to all occupancies regardless of the quantity of flammable or combustible liquid being stored. However, Sentence 4.1.7.2.(2) states that ventilation is not required for the storage of Class 1 liquids provided that the storage consists only of closed containers and no dispensing operations are performed. This means the generator cannot be refueled in the room where the gasoline is stored. (Both for fire safety reasons and to reduce potential problems from carbon monoxide, the generator should be located outside unless it is located in a room or building specifically designed for a fuel-fired appliance.)

Subsection 4.1.6. of the Fire Code requires that means be provided to contain any spill of gasoline that might occur. To limit the size of a spill, we recommend that the gasoline be stored in containers that do not exceed 25 L in size. The containment could take the form of a noncombustible, liquid-tight floor with a curb. Alternatively, the gasoline containers can be placed in a noncombustible, liquid tight pan or tray of sufficient capacity to contain the contents of the largest container.

We recommend that a fire extinguisher with a rating of at least 10 BC be located within 9 m of the gasoline storage area.

Regardless of the quantity of gasoline stored, sources of ignition should be strictly controlled.

To deter vandalism (or theft) the gasoline should be stored in a building or other enclosure which can be secured against unauthorized entry.

Also note that if the quantity or method of storage of gasoline being stored outside a building is considered to constitute a hazard then Subsection 4.2.1 1. Outdoor Container Storage can be applied.

If the quantity or method of storage of gasoline being stored inside a building associated with a residence but not attached to the dwelling unit, is considered to constitute a hazard then the issuance of a Fire Marshals Order may be app. Top