
Just
how important is proper fire safety planning?
In addition to potential loss of life and property damage, lack of
proper Fire Safety Plans can land you with a hefty fine…or even potential jail
time!
Section
2.8 of the National Fire Code of Canada states that any building required by
the National Building Code to have a fire alarm must also have an approved Fire
Safety Plan. Halifax Regional Municipality By-law F100 also states that, “Every
person who contravenes or fails to comply with these regulations or fails to
carry out an order made under these regulations, is guilty of an offence and is
liable on summary conviction, to a fine of not more than $5000, or in default
of payment of the fine, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months”.
Concerned?
Turner Drake’s Lasercad® Division can prepare two types of Fire Plans to help
manage your properties’ fire safety concerns: Fire Emergency Plans and Fire
Exit Plans.
Pictured
below are examples of both types of plans prepared for a local client. Fire
Emergency Plans provide a detailed layout of each floor in a building,
showing the location of all demising walls, doors, windows, plumbing fixtures,
etc. In addition to providing a detailed layout of the space, Fire Emergency
Plans indicate the precise location of all implements relevant to fire safety. The
lower ground floor of a Halifax Heritage Building pictured below illustrates
the exact location of all fire safety devices on the floor, such as Fire
Extinguishers, Smoke Detectors, Exit Signs, Pull Stations, etc.

Fire Exit Plans are prepared to show the
general layout of a floor’s common area accessible to the general public, and indicate
key features necessary to ensure a safe evacuation in the event of a fire. Pictured
below is a Fire Exit plan prepared for the ground floor of the same
building. The plan clearly indicates the
location of the Fire Exit Plan, marked “You Are Here”. Additionally, it shows readers the location
of all Pull Stations in the event these must be activated to trigger the
building’s fire alarm. Most importantly, Fire Exit Plans guide readers to
safety via proper evacuation routes while also highlighting all emergency exits,
and applicable Muster Points for the assembly of building occupants at a safe
distance from the building.

If your
building exceeds 3 storeys and does not currently have Fire Emergency or Fire
Exit Plans please give us a call. Our Lasercad® team would be happy to discuss
how we can help improve your building’s Fire Safety while also answering any
questions you may have regarding local safety requirements.
Andrew Savoy is a consultant in our Valuation Division and is heavily involved in many of our Lasercad® projects. For more information about our range of Lasercad® services, including Fire Safety Plans, feel free to contact Andrew at (902) 429-1811 or asavoy@turnerdrake.com