Following numerous fire safety inspections in 2018 at 1100 Birchmount Road and 77 and 99 Harbour Square, Toronto Fire Services discovered that fire protection companies and their employees were not inspecting, testing and repairing building fire safety systems as required by the Ontario Fire Code.
Advanced Detection Technologies Corporation and Rauf Ahmad, operating as York Fire Protection, pleaded guilty in Provincial Offences Court to multiple violations of the Ontario Fire Code on December 7, 2018 and January 31, 2019 respectively.
Rauf Ahmad (also known as Rauf Arain) was fined $7,500 and placed on probation for two years. Advanced Detection Technologies Corporation was fined $10,000 for the violations noted at 1100 Birchmount Road. Details of probation orders and fines are included within the Appendix.
Rauf Ahmad (operating as York Fire Protection) was fined $60,000 and placed on probation for two years for the violations noted at 77 and 99 Harbour Square. As a condition of the Probation Order, Rauf Ahmad is prohibited from operating any business offering fire protection installation, maintenance or consultation services in the province of Ontario for two years. He is also prohibited from directly or indirectly providing fire protection installation, maintenance or consultation services in Ontario for one year, and after may do so only under the direct supervision of a certified sprinkler and fire protection installer or registered fire alarm technician in good standing with the Ontario College of Trades and/or the Canadian Fire Alarm Association (CFAA).
Toronto Fire Services continues to work to reduce risk through fire prevention and enforcement strategies against owners who fail to meet the Ontario Fire Code and jeopardize the safety of individuals and responding firefighters. Fire Services is committed to ensuring that appropriate measures are taken by property owners to achieve fire safety through compliance with the Ontario Fire Code and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.
Quotes
“This investigation and resultant inspections represent the most labor intensive and technically involved fire safety inspection work in the City’s history. The violations that have been admitted to in Provincial Offences Court represent a serious breach of public fire safety and trust. Fire and life safety systems are required in buildings to protect both the occupants and responding fire fighters. Companies and people that intentionally do not test and maintain these systems place both occupants and responding fire fighters at risk. Toronto Fire Services is actively monitoring all fire protection companies that are hired by owners to perform this work in buildings across the city and we will use all available enforcement tools for the protection of the public and responding firefighters. ”
Jim Jessop, Deputy Fire Chief, City of Toronto
Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of about 2.8 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TorontoComms, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.
Appendix
The following summarizes the sentences imposed for the violations noted at 1100 Birchmount Road:
Rauf Ahmad (aka Rauf Arain) – fail to perform inspection/test/repair/alternation (of fire alarm) in accordance with s. 6.3.1.8/6.3.2. Division B, contrary to 1.2.1.2.(1)(c) of Division C of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to s. 28(1)(c) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act: fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge); six months to pay; plus two year probation order issued under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act;
Rauf Ahmad (aka Rauf Arain) – providing inspector with information on matters relevant to the inspection that the persons knows/ought to know to be false/misleading, contrary to s. 28(1)(b) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act: suspended sentence, plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act;
Advanced Detection Technologies Corp. – fail to perform inspection/test/repair/alternation (of fire alarm) in accordance with 6.3.1.8/6.3.2. Division B, contrary to 1.2.1.2.(1)(c) of Division C of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to s. 28(1)(c) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act: fine of $10,000, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge); six months to pay.
The following summarizes the sentences imposed for the violations noted at 77 and 99 Harbour Square:
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to prepare a written record of tests, corrective measures or operational procedures required by the Fire Code, contrary to s. 1.1.2.1.(1) of Division B the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, s. 28(1)(c): fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to unrack, unreel or unroll the standpipe fire hose at least annually and replace any worn hose or gaskets in the couplings at the hose valves, contrary to s. 6.4.2.5.(1) of Division B of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to s. 28(1)(c) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act– fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to test the sprinkler system water supply pressure annually, contrary to s. 6.5.5.5 of Division B of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to s. 28(1)(c) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act – fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to conduct an annual inspection of tanks for fire protection, contrary to s. 6.6.2.1 of Division B of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, s. 28(1)(c) – fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to conduct an annual inspection of hydrant water flow, contrary to s. 6.6.5.6 of Division B of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, s. 28(1)(c) – fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to conduct inspection, testing and maintenance of emergency power systems, contrary to s. 6.7.1.1.(1) of Division B of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to s. 28(1)(c) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act– fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – failure to ensure elevators are tested in conformance with s. 7.2.2 of Division B of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, s. 28(1)(c) – fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (court costs and 25% victim fine surcharge), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*;
Rauf Ahmad (o/a York Fire Protection) – fail to perform inspection/test/repair/alternation (of fire alarm) in accordance with s. 6.3.1.8/6.3.2. Division B, contrary to 1.2.1.2.(1)(c) of Division C of the Ontario Fire Code, contrary to s. 28(1)(c) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act– fine of $7,500, plus costs as per Regulation (victim fine surcharge and court costs), plus two year probation order under s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act*.
In addition to the statutory terms of the probation order as per s. 72 of the Provincial Offences Act, the Probation Order would also contain the following conditions:
1) For a period of one year, Rauf Ahmad shall not directly or indirectly be engaged in the provision of fire protection installation, maintenance or consultation services in the Province of Ontario, including but not limited to engaging in work as a sprinkler and fire protection installer or as a fire alarm technician.
2) For a period of two years, Rauf Ahmad shall not be engaged in directing, managing or operating any business or corporation offering fire protection installation, maintenance or consultation services in the Province of Ontario, including but not limited to Maf-Bar Conseil Ltee., 8281076 Canada Inc., York Fire Protection or Advance Fire Control.
3) Effective January 31, 2020 and for a period of one year thereafter, within the Province of Ontario, Rauf Ahmad shall only engage in the provision of fire protection installation, maintenance or consultation services, including but not limited to engaging in work as a sprinkler and fire protection installer or as a fire alarm technician, while under the direct supervision of a certified sprinkler and fire protection installer or registered fire alarm technician in good standing with the Ontario College of Trades and/or the Canadian Fire Alarm Association (CFAA) as the case may be.
4) Within 15 days of the making of this Order, Rauf Ahmad shall in writing advise both the Ontario College of Trades and the Canadian Fire Alarm Association (CFAA) of the conviction for these eight offences under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act and shall provide a copy of this Order to both the Ontario College of Trades and the Canadian Fire Alarm Association (CFAA).