News Release Archive
LABOUR--Deadline for Comments on Fire Prevention Act Review
----------------------------------------------------------------
Labour Minister Gerald O'Malley has extended to the end of
November the deadline for comments on the Fire Prevention Act
Review: Final Report.
The deadline had been set for the end of October, but Mr.
O'Malley said municipalities asked for an extension because of
recent elections. The deadline is now Nov. 30.
"While we are anxious to update the act and have it reflect
today's needs, it is important everyone who wants to comment on
the report has the opportunity," said the minister. "This is one
way to ensure we get as much input as possible."
This is the first time in 20 years the act has been completely
reviewed. The report by the Fire Prevention Advisory Council
contains recommendations to the minister for changes that will
clarify the roles and strengthen the powers of provincial and
municipal officials, and relate their activities to fire safety
standards and training.
Highlights of the suggested changes include:
- giving power to the fire marshal to provide and support public
fire safety education and to form partnerships with businesses to
deliver programs
- adopting the National Fire Code and related standards
- reducing the categories of building plans requiring review by
the Office of the Fire Marshal to certain categories with higher
fire risk
- reducing the frequency of required municipal fire inspections
to annually and adding some high-risk building categories
-transferring responsibility for school fire inspections to
school boards with monitoring and training assistance from the
Office of the Fire Marshal
- a separate board for training standards, certification and
accreditation for firefighters, fire inspectors and investigators
Copies of the report can be obtained by contacting the Fire
Prevention Act Review Project, Department of Labour, P.O. Box
679, Halifax, B3J 2T8; phone 902-424-5721 or toll-free 1-800-559-3473; fax 902-424-3239.
-30-
Contact: Robert Cormier
Fire Marshal
902-424-5721
Jill Shlossberg
Project Facilitator
Fire Prevention Act Review Project
902-424-8561
ngr Nov. 13, 1997 3:35 p.m.
