Feasibility of Exemptions from Fees for False Fire Alarms for City

Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions

The Emergency and Protective Services Committee recommends:

 (1)the adoption of the report (May 21, 1998) from the Fire Chief and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services subject to Recommendation No. (2) contained therein being amended to read as follows:

"(2)staff of the Fire Department, the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department and the Corporate Services Department work together to develop and place on file with the Fire Chief an implementation plan for a phase-in during 1998 of the by-law in certain City operated sites which have a high rate of false alarms due to the vulnerable nature of their residents;" and

(2)the Corporate Services Committee also become involved in this process and work with the Fire Chief and the Commissioner of Corporate Services to reduce the number of calls to City-owned buildings.

The Emergency and Protective Services Committee submits the following report (May 21, 1998) from the Fire Chief and the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services:

Purpose:

To discuss whether it is appropriate or feasible to exempt the City's Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions from the by-law which has been established to charge fees for responses to false fire alarms.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications and Impact Statement:

In the report of April 16, 1998, the Fire Chief estimated that income generated from these fees would be between $500,000.00 - $700,000.00 with a declining annual income as the program proved to be effective in reducing false fire alarms.

It is estimated that the possible annualized costs to the operating divisions of the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department could be $400,000.00. This rise in expenses is related to the expansion of the by-law to the full City including the former City of Toronto, which has a significant number of City operated community services programs.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that:

(1)no blanket exemptions to the By-law to Establish a Fee Structure for Fire Prevention be granted to the City's Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions;

(2)staff of the Fire Department and the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department work together to develop an implementation plan for a phase-in of the by-law in certain City operated sites which have a high rate of false alarms due to the vulnerable nature of their residents; and

(3)the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.

Council Reference/Background/History:

On April 16, 1998, Council adopted the By-law to Establish a Fee Structure for Fire Prevention. At that time it was recommended that the Fire Chief, in consultation with the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services, submit a report on whether exemptions to the false alarm fee should be made for any of the City's Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions (specifically the City's Homes for the Aged, Hostels and Housing programs), and that additionally the Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services be requested to make recommendations regarding the special problems of false fire alarms within buildings operated by the Metro Toronto Housing Authority.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

Background:

In early 1996, three area municipalities, the City of Scarborough, the City of North York and the City of Etobicoke enacted by-laws or by-law amendments that allow fees to be charged to property owners when false fire alarms, and the required response by the fire department, exceed a certain level. The former City of Toronto was in the process of enacting a similar by-law when amalgamation took place. The new City of Toronto by-law which was recently approved is essentially a merging of the previous existing by-laws.

The purposes of the by-law are to reduce false fire alarms and to encourage property owners to better monitor their fire systems, and to upgrade them where required. The reduction of false alarms frees up the resources of the Fire Department for genuine emergencies, and the upgrading of systems provides a greater level of fire safety for building occupants. In all previous municipalities where the by-laws were enacted, the Fire Departments experienced a reduction in false alarms.

Impact of By-law on City Departments:

The greatest impact of the by-law has been and will be on the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department. The Divisions most affected are those which provide accommodation, whether on an emergency or a permanent basis: Homes for the Aged, Hostel Services, Metro Toronto Housing Company Ltd. (MTHCL), and City Home. Sources of false alarms in these Divisions are varied and include individuals who are confused or cognitively impaired and pull alarms without any willful intent, children who initiate alarms with no understanding of the consequences of their actions, and angry clients who may wish to disrupt the operation of a facility. Additionally, all Divisions experience false alarms where individuals truly believed an emergency existed or where fire systems malfunctioned.

In 1997, staff of the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto reviewed the by-laws, and while they were initially in favour of exemptions, protocols were established with the former local Fire Departments to address the payment of charges. Staff found that system upgrades and resident/staff education were effective in reducing the likelihood of false fire alarms. Actions which were taken by the various Divisions included replacement of smoke detectors and pull stations in Homes for the Aged, installation of tamper proof pull stations in MTHCL buildings, repairs to fire systems, tenant/client and staff education plans, and improved internal reporting regarding occurrence, location and source of false fire alarms. Additionally, after the by-laws had been in effect, the three municipalities began providing fee rebates when owners upgraded their systems and were successful in reducing the number of alarms.

The by-law is intended to prevent false alarms and the staff of Community and Neighbourhood Services recognize and support this aim. Nevertheless, the high proportion of vulnerable clients served by the Department results in certain facilities being disproportionately affected by the implementation of the by-law. A number of these facilities will be dealing with the by-law for the first time as it was not previously in place in all former area municipalities. Hostel Services will be particularly affected as will as the City Home properties.

Exemptions:

It could be argued that payment of fees by one City Department to another is simply a transfer of dollars from one budget line of the City to another and thus it would make sense to exempt the City's Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions from the by-law. The Fire Department, however, feels that despite good working relationships with City Departments, previous experience has indicated that the likelihood of a more rapid and effective operational response from a City Department is not better than from many private property owners.

For this reason, and because of the important preventative aspect of the by-law, it is not appropriate to provide any blanket exemptions. However, due to the significant financial and operational impact this by-law will have on certain facilities, there will need to be a phased-in approach in implementing the by-law for Hostel Services, specifically Seaton House and for certain specific City Home properties.

Financial Impact:

In 1997, the Community Services Department expended approximately $60,000.00 on fees for false fire alarms. Staff are now estimating that the potential annualized cost to Community and Neighbourhood Services could be up to $400,000.00. This projected increase in expenditures is related to the expansion of the by-law to the former City of Toronto, particularly to the false fire alarm rate at one of the City operated shelters located in the City core. This financial requirement is not included in the current operating budget.

Metro Toronto Housing Authority:

Staff from the Fire Department have indicated that the level of false fire alarms is high in MTHA buildings. More than ever, it is important that there be adherence to the prevention of false fire alarms by-law. The Commissioner of Community and Neighbourhood Services will be corresponding with the CEO of the Metro Toronto Housing Authority regarding the importance of meeting the objective of the by-law, and will provide information on the steps which have been taken by City Departments to reduce the occurrence of false fire alarms within their facilities.

Future Steps:

Staff of Community and Neighbourhood Services have already met with staff of the Fire Department to discuss ways to meet the intent of the by-law and minimize the financial impact on the operating Divisions. There is agreement that staff of the two Departments will continue to meet to work on a plan for a phased-in implementation of the by-law in sites that have high rates of alarms due to the vulnerable and frail nature of their residents.

Conclusions:

At this time blanket exemptions from the By-Law to Establish a Fee Structure for Fire Prevention should not be provided to Departments, Agencies, Boards and Commissions of the City of Toronto. However, a phased-in implementation of the by-law should be planned for certain City facilities. Staff of the Fire Department and the Community and Neighbourhood Services Department will continue to monitor the impact of the by-law, and will work together to address any operational or financial issues which may arise.

Contact Name:

Anne Longair, Hostel Services Division

Tel: (416) 392-5417

Fax: (416) 392-8876