Corporate NO: C438 Report COUNCIL DATE: March 22, 1999 COUNCIL-IN-COMMITTEE Mayor & Council April 10, 2000 Fire Chief

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1 Corporate NO: C438 Report COUNCIL DATE: March 22, 1999 COUNCIL-IN-COMMITTEE TO: Mayor & Council DATE: April 10, 2000 FROM: Fire Chief FILE: SUBJECT: Proposed Fire Limits By-law Amendment to Expand the Use of Fire Sprinkler Systems RECOMMENDATION The Fire Department recommends that Council: 1. Approve amendments to the Fire Limits By-law, No to provide for Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems in: A. All new Buildings except: II. I. Detached single family dwellings. Portable classrooms. III. Construction site offices, tool sheds and similar structures during the period of construction on any particular site. IV. Detached buildings under 50 m 2 in area and 140 m 3 in volume. V. Detached gasoline service station canopies. VI. Greenhouses. VII. Riding Arenas if of non-combustible construction. VIII. Farm Buildings defined by the British Columbia Building Code Regulations conforming with the following: a) Under 2000 m 2 in floor area. b) Over 2000 m 2 in floor area and of non-combustible construction. IX. Any other building that in the opinion of the Fire Chief is similar to a building referred to in Subsections I through VIII in terms of its fire safety characteristics. B. All renovated, repaired or altered buildings except those exempted in Subsections I through IX above

2 where such renovations, repairs or alterations exceed 75% of the building's assessed value above the foundation. 2. authorize the City Clerk to bring forward the appropriate Fire Limits Amendment By-law for the required readings; and 3. direct that the Fire Limits By-law amendments become effective on January 1 st, BACKGROUND Council passed a by-law in May 1990 requiring automatic sprinkler systems in all new high-rise buildings, based on recommendations contained in a report from the Fire Chief and Chief Building Inspector. The report identified an increased fire hazard in high-rise buildings, and recommended automatic sprinklers system installations in the interest of public safety. High-rise buildings are generally defined as any building over 5 stories. Other buildings were omitted from the by-law. The intent of amending the Fire Limits By-law to require automatic sprinkler systems in all new buildings (except single family dwellings and other buildings listed in the recommendations section), is to reduce the risk of life loss and property damage as a result of fire, by having an early intervention mechanism that will assist in providing a more cost effective fire service, and, provide to the property owners a means of significantly reducing their losses in the event of fire. DISCUSSION Traditional Fire Departments and Total Intervention Time The goal of Surrey's Fire Department is to suppress building fires before flashover occurs which is the point during a typical fire when extensive building damage, life loss and injury is most common. In order to suppress fires before flashover it is necessary to have a Total Intervention Time below 10 minutes. The average Total Intervention Time for North American fire departments including Surrey's, is approximately 15 minutes. Total Intervention Time is the amount of time between the start of the fire and the instant that water is applied and includes the time required for fire detection, reporting and response. Fighting fires after flashover is very difficult and cannot always prevent death or injuries. Most Fire Departments are considered traditional or defensive fire departments because they require a big-muscle approach to fire fighting that can be identified as follows: The fire department is 1st attack on fire. The fire usually spreads beyond room of origin and flashover frequently occurs. There is usually considerable fire & water damage after fire. Many fire fighter hours are spent at the fire site both in fighting the fire and in the post fire clean-up and investigation. A better approach to reducing loss of life and reducing property damage caused by fires is to employ an offensive fire department. Offensive fire departments work in conjunction with automatic sprinkler systems to allow a small-muscle approach to fighting fires: The fire department is 2nd attack on fire. The fire is most often suppressed or controlled in the room of fire origin by automatic sprinklers.

3 Most fires are extinguished before flashover has occurred. There is very little fire & water damage. Few fire fighter hours are spent at the fire. Offensive Fire Departments Offensive Fire Departments are not as concerned about Total Intervention Times or Response Times, as they are not the 1 st attack on the fire. An offensive Fire Department's role is to support the sprinkler system, assist the public, and provide salvage and overhaul operations. The dangerous job of preventing flashover, protecting lives and preventing building damage is performed by the automatic sprinkler system. Fire Behavior Figure 1 below was produced by the National Fire Protection Association and illustrates the effect that fire suppression activities have on fire growth within a residential suite. Figure 1 is significant in that it shows that if the Total Intervention Time exceeds 10 minutes, flashover is likely to occur. The term Total Intervention Time is not identified on the graph but is a combination of time measured activities starting with the detection of fire and ending with fighting fire. Although we strive for a 5 minute response to fire (response time), we cannot control times associated with the detection of fire or report of alarm, and therefore we are often fighting fires after flashover has occurred. Flashover is the transition from a growing fire to a fully developed fire in which all combustible items in the compartment are involved in fire. Such fires rapidly spread from the room of origin and are difficult and dangerous to control and cause extensive damage In Surrey we experienced 441 fires in unsprinklered commercial and industrial buildings between , 46% of these fires spread beyond the room of origin with an end result of approximately $28,300,000 loss. In contrast, of the 140 fires in sprinklered buildings only 31% spread beyond the room of origin with an end result of approximately $16,900,000 loss. Although the number of fires that spread out of the room of origin in

4 sprinklered buildings is not much less than in unsprinklered buildings the dollar loss associated with the difference is significant. If automatic fire sprinklers systems were installed in all new buildings, including those in rural areas, more fires would be controlled or extinguished completely before fire department arrival, or at a minimum, kept in check so that they could be quickly extinguished by the initial response crew. This translates to less time on scene for fighting personnel and will allow crews more time to perform other activities such as fire prevention inspections and public education activities. These activities will contribute to the prevention of fires occurring. Figure 2 below shows a comparison between the fire fighter hours spent at three similar sprinklered and unsprinklered buildings located in Surrey. The graph shows that the firefighter hours spent at the three unsprinklered building fires is 450% greater than the hours spent at the three sprinklered building fires. Further to this there may be as many as three times the number of fire apparatus at an unsprinklered building fire then at a sprinklered building fire. In addition, unsprinklered building fires often require specialized fire apparatus such as truck mounted aerial ladders and elevated platforms. These differences in firefighter and apparatus involvement translate into significant resources being unavailable when required to respond to other emergency incidents or non-emergency activities. In addition to the cost avoidance that sprinklers will bring the City there will be a significant reduction in business lost and property damage caused by fires in sprinklered buildings. Figure 3 illustrates fire deaths and injuries in unsprinklered and sprinklered commercial and industrial buildings in Surrey.

5 The graph shows that significantly more injuries and deaths occur at unsprinklered building fires than at sprinklered building fires. Although we have fewer fire incidents within sprinklered buildings this comparative is a significant indicator to the value of sprinklers. Other Sprinkler By-laws Thirty-three municipalities throughout the Province of British Columbia have implemented sprinkler by-laws that require sprinklers in new buildings (most have exceptions similar to those that are being recommended in this report). Six of these cities require sprinklers in single family dwellings. A list of the municipalities which require the installation of sprinkler systems in some or all buildings is included in Appendix A. Sprinkler System Installation Costs Sprinkler system installation costs vary considerably. Many sprinkler installation contractors estimate the cost of a commercial or industrial sprinkler system at a rate of approximately $10. per m 2 ($1. per sq. ft.) A sprinkler system in a typical 10,000 square foot commercial building would cost approximately $9000, not including the underground water main installation and city connection costs that could add $4000 to the total price. Sprinkler costs in large wood frame farm buildings over 2000 m 2 in area, such as livestock barns or processing facilities, can be calculated in the same manner as commercial and industrial buildings. However, these buildings are often in most circumstances unheated and are located in areas where the city water supply is not available and therefore require specially constructed water supplies. These water supplies usually consist of a fire pump and water reservoir located at the farm. Cost for such installations can exceed $50,000 for the water supply system. Fire sprinkler systems in unheated spaces are somewhat more expensive since they must remain dry except in the case of activation by a fire. An example of such a system can be found at the Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club at Street, where a fire pump and reservoir is installed to supply water to fire sprinklers protecting the Club House.

6 Fighting fires in large wood frame structures is difficult. However, large wood frame farm buildings are usually located in areas where the city water supply is not available and therefore the fire department must transport its own water to the fire scene in relatively small quantities, one water tanker at a time. Such operations require considerably more fire fighters and apparatus. For these reasons the proposed fire sprinkler regulations recommend a distinction between farm buildings under 2000 m 2 and over 2000 m 2 if of non-combustible construction. Proposed innovations in sprinkler design, and competition among the sprinkler installation contractors is expected to reduce the overall cost of installations. In the U.S. where competition is prevalent, costs have been reduced by as much as 50% in recent years. Benefits for the Building Owner Although there are benefits to the City to have sprinkler regulations, there are benefits to the building owners. These benefits include: Lower insurance premiums (all insurance companies charge lower rates for sprinklered buildings than for unsprinklered buildings). Reduced water damage to stock and equipment in the case where a fire occurs (sprinklers discharge far less water during fire suppression than fire department hoses). Increased life safety of occupants (marketable feature for attracting tenants). Reduced business interruption losses (Small fires are controlled before they cause excessive damage to property). Reduced Building Code requirements (The B.C. Building Code has less restrictive requirements for sprinklered buildings with respect to building size, construction type, fire access routes, fire separations, fireflows, and exiting). Cost avoidance due a lessened demand on the fire services. Future Savings to the City In-depth research into a municipality's savings when automatic fire sprinklers are installed only in multi-family residential, commercial and industrial buildings has not been conducted; however, a recent study completed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Research Division with respect to residential buildings determined that: The potential for municipal savings occurs where: There are significant opportunities for new "greenfield" residential development, The pattern of future growth in residential development extends the existing built up area beyond the areas presently served by the fire department from existing fire stations.

7 New buildings (residential and non-residential) in the future growth areas are sprinklered, Response times for the fire department to arrive at the fire scene can be lengthened for fire stations serving sprinklered areas, and The fire department's role is fire suppression, and only secondary support is provided for non-fire emergency services when requested. Although the study focussed on sprinkler installations in residential occupancies, the fire department feels that the benefits would parallel those that would be seen if multi-family residential, commercial and industrial buildings were sprinklered. Omega Series Sprinkler Re-call In March of 1998 the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission filed an administrative complaint against the Central Sprinkler Corporation alleging that Central's Omega series sprinklers present a substantial product hazard. The Complaint is based on Six fires in which an Omega Series Fire Sprinkler reportedly failed to operate, and in one instance the fire caused $3 million in property damage. Failures have been attributed to the fact that the Omega sprinkler fused due to the heat of the fire as expected, but did not fully operate due to sticking of an O-ring seal made of EPDM rubber. Testing has shown that there are various reasons why the O- ring assembly might stick, including swelling of the O-ring due to reaction with residual hydrocarbons from cutting oils used on the piping. In the case of copper tube systems or nonmetallic piping served by copper piping, there have been cases found in which dezincification of the brass sprinkler body has apparently permitted the formation of deposits that prevent O-ring from releasing freely. As a result of the mandatory recall approximately 10 million sprinklers in the United States are being replaced. This recall has recently been extended into Canada and the City Building Division is evaluating the effect that this recall will have on our community. The problem will not occur in new sprinkler installations as different technologies are now employed. Development Advisory Committee Comments The proposed sprinkler regulations were presented to the Development Advisory Committee at a meeting on November 26, After the presentation the committee members appointed a sub-committee to review the proposed sprinkler regulations and report back to the DAC. The Sub-Committee members included: Mr. Peter Simpson, Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association. (Chair) Mr. Jeremy Croll, Ancor Enterprises. (Industrial/Office/Commercial Developer) Mr. Hershey Porte, Porte Realty Ltd. (Residential Developer) Mr Graeme Silvera, BCR Properties. (Industrial/Office/Commercial Developer) Letters submitted by sub-committee members are attached as Appendixes B, C, and D, and a discussion of each follows. The text shown in italics is a quote from the letter.

8 Mr. Jeremy Croll, Ancor Enterprises Inc. Letter of February 22, I believe that structures of any type, that are of one storey only, should be granted greater exemptions for sprinklers, subject to two or [more] means of egress from the subject building. The primary value of a sprinkler system is to suppress or control a small fire in the room of origin before the fire department arrives and is faced with the task of suppressing a large fire. Fires start in small structures as often as in large buildings a)for Residential, One could argue though that once the occupants flee a smoking/burning building, a sprinkler system saves the occupants and the structure as well, and a smoke detector only protects the occupants. The Fire Department agrees that the intent of the sprinkler system is to suppress or control a small fire before the fire department must suppress a large fire. Smoke alarms have saved many lives; however, they do not suppress or control a fire and there is heavy reliance on the Fire Department to perform suppression activities. b) For Commercial/Industrial structures that continually deal with invitees and visitors on a daily basis who may not be familiar with the ingress/egress I believe that sprinklers and smoke detectors are probably the most prudent course for saving lives and property as the City of Surrey grows to rival the City of Vancouver over the next 25 years. The Fire Department agrees with the statement and suggests that the intent of the by-law is to provide a means to manage the growth of fire protection costs in our rapidly expanding city and allow building owners to take responsibility for fire intervention at the earliest possible stage.mr. Hershey Porte, Porte Realty Ltd. Letter of February 23, The Fire Department makes the statement that they believe that sprinkler systems are a cost effective and viable alternative to traditional fire services, therefore there should be cost savings available to the City Accordingly, if the City was to provide a reduction of DCCs for the installation of sprinklers, this would go a long way towards supporting the programme. The Municipal Act allows Development Cost Charges only for roads, water, sewers, and drainage. Such charges can not be applied to improvements to fire services and therefore it would not be appropriate to examine a reduction to existing DCCs. "Surrey" could institute a programme whereby they would provide up to 100% of the sprinkler installation cost, capped at a certain figure and during this period of time, monitor the actual savings to the City of Surrey as a result of the sprinkler installations. All of the benefits of sprinklers accrue whether directly or indirectly to the owner, and occupants of the buildings which are sprinklered as identified in Benefits for the Building Owner. As such they should be funded by the developer/occupants of those buildings. Mr Graeme Silvera, BCR Properties. Letter of February 23, While NAIOP is generally in support of Sprinkler systems in new industrial or commercial multi-tenant buildings we do not support the mandatory sprinkling of all new single-storey stand-alone structures.

9 The majority of new structures are constructed of concrete, either tilt-up or block and would comply with the non-combustible standard. We do not believe that sprinkling will increase the safety or costeffectiveness of fire-fighting in these types of structures. In fact, the cost versus benefit of sprinklering for this type of structure is not a positive gain. The Fire Department disagrees with the concept of building construction being used as a reason "not to sprinkler" a commercial or industrial building. In most cases the fire does not start in the building structure but actually in the contents. The contents are usually well involved in fire before the building structure begins to burn. CONCLUSION Timing of the Introduction of Sprinkler Regulations: City staff recognize, given the state of the land development economy in B.C., that it is not the optimum time to be introducing new cost items such as sprinklers in the land and building development process. However, it is also recognized that the benefits derived from the introduction of fire sprinklers as proposed will increase in proportion to the percentage of buildings protected by sprinklers in the City increases particularly if all of the buildings in some geographic areas of the City are sprinkler protected. As such, to delay the introduction of sprinkler protection until an upturn in the economy will simply delay the ultimate benefits which will accrue to the community from broadly-based sprinkler protection. Building owners, by installing a sprinkler system are taking responsibility for fire intervention at the earliest possible stage. In the case of fire, sprinkler suppression will reduce their losses and decrease the time required to re-occupy their building. Resumption of business or family activities is an important consideration in today's fast paced society. The Planning & Development Department and the City Solicitor have been consulted with respect to this report and concur with the recommendations. Sprinkler Systems are considered a cost effective and viable alternative to traditional fire services, and provide a means to manage the growth of fire protection costs in our rapidly expanding city. Automatic sprinklers, properly installed and maintained, provide a highly effective safeguard against the loss of life and property from fire, 2 JFS/JGB/add J.G. Bale Fire Chief

District of Sicamous. Fire Department Bylaw No. 126, Effective Date February 26, 1996

District of Sicamous. Fire Department Bylaw No. 126, Effective Date February 26, 1996 District of Sicamous Fire Department Bylaw No. 126, 1995 Effective Date February 26, 1996 Consolidated for Convenience Only This is a consolidated version of the parent bylaw that incorporates changes