Date: April 19, 2017 Community Development and Recreation Committee Fire Chief and General Manager, Fire Services

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1 CD20.2 REPORT FOR ACTION Security of Fire Safety Boxes Date: April 19, 2017 To: Community Development and Recreation Committee From: Fire Chief and General Manager, Fire Services Wards: All SUMMARY Toronto Fire Services (TFS) is responding to a request from the Community Development and Recreation Committee to develop a process to select a vendor, or vendors, for the provision of fire safety boxes and lock boxes with alternative locking mechanisms for use within the City of Toronto. Under the Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 470, Fire Safety Boxes, all buildings that are required to prepare a Fire Safety Plan under section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code must install a fire safety box, or a fire safety box and lock box. While the majority of building owners locate and install a sufficiently secure fire safety box, a small number of property owners have faced issues of vandalism and the unauthorized removal of keys from fire safety boxes. This is a result of installing insecure fire safety boxes, and storing items that are not required under Chapter 470. Because it is a very small group of owners who are experiencing vandalism, TFS proposes that property owners facing vandalism can select a smaller lock box for keys that can be locked with a padlock and that a replacement lock be included (for instances when firefighters need to break the lock). Further, due to the potential impact on emergency response times, replacing fire safety boxes/lock boxes with alternative locking mechanisms is not recommended. To assist owners facing issues of vandalism, three options are available. Owners may: Install a secure fire safety box; or, Utilize a suitable lock box for the storage of the service room keys; and/or, Obtain approval from the Chief Fire Official to install the fire safety box/lock box in another location than the standard location required under Chapter 470. Security of Fire Safety Boxes Page 1 of 5

2 RECOMMENDATIONS The Fire Chief and General Manager, Toronto Fire Services, recommends that: 1. The Community Development and Recreation Committee receive this report for information. FINANCIAL IMPACT There is no financial impact associated with the report. The Deputy City Manager and Chief Financial Officer has reviewed this report and agrees with the financial impact information. DECISION HISTORY The Community Development and Recreation Committee requested the Fire Chief and General Manager of Fire Services, to report back to the Committee on the process to select a vendor, or vendors, for the provision of alternative fire safety boxes and lock boxes with alternative locking mechanisms. At its meeting of May 5, 2015, City Council adopted the recommendation from the Community Development and Recreation Committee, requesting Fire Chief and General Manager, Fire Services and the Chief and General Manager, Paramedic Services, in consultation with the Toronto Police Service, to explore improving the process of securing the keys located in fire safety boxes across the City of Toronto with a view to increasing public safety. COMMENTS Chapter 470, Fire Safety Boxes, requires all buildings that are obligated to prepare a Fire Safety Plan under section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code to install either a single fire safety box, or a fire safety box and lock box. A Fire Safety Plan is the emergency plan prepared by the owner of the building and approved by the Chief Fire Official, instructing occupants on procedures to be followed when the fire alarm sounds. A fire safety box is a metal cabinet or box (which we commonly see in buildings with white and red branding made of metal) that is used for the storage of only: a) the building's approved Fire Safety Plan; b) approved TFS building documentation; c) service room keys in the absence of a lock box; d) replacement padlocks for the fire safety box and lock box as applicable. Security of Fire Safety Boxes Page 2 of 5

3 A lock box is a small box that is used for the storage of service room keys. This smaller, more durable box is made of thick metal and is only large enough to hold keys and a replacement padlock. Under Chapter 470, a fire safety box and/or lock box is to be mounted on an interior wall within three metres of the main entrance to the building. Chapter 470 allows for individuals to locate a fire safety box and/or lock box in an alternative location upon receiving the approval of the Chief Fire Official. Alternative locations for fire safety boxes can be approved where necessary to address security concerns. Chapter 470 is intended to provide secure storage and ready access to these important resources so that firefighters can provide an effective and timely response. Access to the Fire Safety Plan and service room keys allows firefighters to review schematic diagrams describing the type, location and operation of building fire emergency systems and to manage utilities such as water, gas, hydro, and elevator services as part of the fire response. A small number of property owners have faced issues of vandalism and the unauthorized removal of keys from fire safety boxes. This is a result of installing insecure fire safety boxes, and storing items that are not required under Chapter 470, such as keys which open other elements of the building. Chapter 470 is flexible in the options available to an owner for fire safety box/lock box for the storage of the necessary items. Currently, fire safety boxes and/or lock boxes required under Chapter 470 are metal cabinets secured with a padlock that are appropriately sized to hold documents (e.g. Fire Safety Plan) and keys to the building service rooms. Under Chapter 470, owners may utilize a lock box for the stand-alone storage of the service room keys, or utilize a fire safety box for both the storage of the Fire Safety Plan and keys. The option for owners to use a lock box, can provide greater durability/security and minimizes costs. Owners are only required to store the keys for service rooms in the fire safety box and/or lock box. The potential for vandalism and unauthorized removal of keys could increase where owners store additional keys within the fire safety box and/or lock box. Further, a fire safety box and/or lock box must remain locked at all times, except when being accessed by TFS in response to an emergency, or when the owner is updating its contents. Recognizing that some properties may be vulnerable to damage or theft, Chapter 470 permits building owners to obtain approval to locate fire safety boxes/lock boxes in alternative locations. Review of fire safety box/lock box with alternative locking mechanisms As requested by the Community Development and Recreation Committee, TFS completed an initial review of alternative locking mechanism lock boxes that could potentially be used to store various building keys and which could be accessed with a master key. The use of these types of master-key equipped lock boxes would require Security of Fire Safety Boxes Page 3 of 5

4 TFS to carry and maintain a master key, which would place significant liability on the part of TFS and the City. Further, it would require TFS to carry a master key during emergency operations, which would create an increased chance of misplacing the master key during on scene emergency operations. Carrying a master key on every TFS apparatus could place significant liability on the City in the event of a lost key. The reports of vandalism, of which TFS is aware, are related to the overall structure of the metal cabinets selected by owners. TFS recommends that property owners facing vandalism select a smaller more durable lock box for keys that can be locked with a padlock and that they also include a replacement lock. The value of the current padlock requirement is that it allows TFS to make rapid entry in an emergency by cutting the padlock and the property owner can secure the keys immediately after the emergency incident using the replacement padlock. A padlock is the easiest and quickest kind of lock to be removed by a firefighter. Due to the potential impact on emergency response times (and the cost of replacing existing lock boxes where vandalism has not been an issue), replacing fire safety boxes/lock boxes with alternative locking mechanisms is not recommended. Options for building owners to reduce vandalism To address concerns of damage to the fire safety box and/or loss of its contents, there are options for owners, including purchasing a small, durable lock box which can be locked with a padlock. TFS recognizes that some property owners have faced issues of vandalism and theft. To further assist owners facing issues of vandalism, three options are available. Owners may: Install a secure fire safety box; or, Utilize a suitable lock box for the storage of the service room keys; and/or, Obtain approval from the Chief Fire Official to install the fire safety box/lock box in another location than the standard location required under Chapter 470. Conclusion Due to the potential impact on emergency response times, the locking mechanisms utilized on fire safety boxes/lock boxes must allow for timely access by TFS staff. Therefore, TFS recommends that the current provisions of Chapter 470 be upheld and that alternate locking mechanisms not be considered. Security of Fire Safety Boxes Page 4 of 5

5 CONTACT Jim Jessop Deputy Chief, Fire Prevention and Public Education Tel.: (416) SIGNATURE Matthew Pegg Fire Chief & General Manager (I) Toronto Fire Services Security of Fire Safety Boxes Page 5 of 5