HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-077THE CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF CLARINGTON
BY-LAW 2010-077
Being a By-law to update the By-law Governing the Emergency and Fire Services, and the
Provision of Mutual Aid and Automatic Response, and to Repeal By-law 2007-134 (Governing
By-Law) and 80-9 (Regional Mutual Aid By-law).
WHEREAS the purpose is to repeal the existing Governing By-law and update the Provision of
Mutual Aid and Automatic Response, and to Repeal By-law 2007-134 (Governing By-Law) and
80-9 (Regional Mutual Aid By-law);
WHEREAS the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, (FPPA) 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4, as amended,
requires every municipality to establish a program in the municipality which must include public
education with respect to fire safety and certain components of fire prevention and to provide
such other Fire Protection Services as it determines may be necessary in accordance with its
needs and circumstances;
WHEREAS the FPPA permits a municipality, in discharging these responsibilities, to establish a
Fire Department;
WHEREAS the FPPA permits a Council of a municipality to establish, maintain and operate a
Fire Department for all or any part of the municipality; and
WHEREAS the FPPA requires a Fire Department to provide fire suppression services and
permits the Fire Department to provide Prevention and other Fire Protection Services in the
municipality;
NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington enacts as
follows:
PART 1
DEFINITIONS
In this by-law, unless the context otherwise requires;
1.1 "Approved" means approved by the Council;
1.2 "Automatic Aid" means a municipality agrees where possible the provision of an initial
or supplemental response to fires, rescues, and emergencies that may occur in a part of
another municipality where a fire department in the municipality is capable of responding
more quickly than any fire department situated in the other municipality with services
invoiced as or if appropriate;
1.3 "CAO" means the Chief Administrative Officer appointed by Council to act as Chief
Administrative Officer for the Corporation;
1.4 "Confined Space" means a fully or partially enclosed space in accordance with Health
and Safety regulations;
1.5 "Corporation" means The Corporation of the Municipality of Clarington;
1.6 "Council" means the Council of the Municipality of Clarington;
1.7 "Chief' means the person appointed by the Council or designate to act as Fire Chief for
the Corporation and is ultimately responsible tc Council as defined in the FPPA;
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1.8 "Deputy Fire Chief(s)" means the person(s) with that title who may act on behalf of the
Fire Chief in the case of any absence of the Fire Chief or a vacancy in the office of the
Fire Chief. (If the title changes the responsibility will reside with the person taking on the
duties);
1.9 "Division" means a Division of the Municipality of Clarington Fire Department;
1.10 "Fire Department" means the Municipality of Clarington Emergency & Fire Services;
1.11 "Firefighter" means a fire chief and any other person employed in, or appointed to, a fire
department and assigned to undertake fire protection services, and includes a volunteer
firefighter.
1.12 "Emergency" defined to include an unforeseen event that involves imminent danger to
the life, health and safety of any person and includes medical assistance or non-fire
emergency such as a storm, flood or another Act of God;
1.13 "Emergency Response Plan' means an emergency plan formulated under the prevailing
Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act or any other related Act which
specifies procedures to be taken for the safety or evacuation of persons in an emergency
area, provide for obtaining and distributing materials, equipment and supplies during an
emergency and provide for such other matters as are considered necessary of advisable
for the implementation of the emergency plan during an emergency;
1.14 "FPPA" means the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O., c 4, as maybe
amended from time to time, or any successor legislation, and any regulation made
thereunder;
1.15 "Fire Protection Services" includes fire suppression, fire prevention, fire safety
education, communications, training of persons involved in the provision of Fire
Protection Services, rescue and emergency services and the delivery of all those services;
1.16 "High Angle" means an environment in which the load is predominately supported by a
rope rescue system;
1.17 "HUSAR" means Heavy Urban Search And Rescue;
1.18 "Member" means any person employed in or appointed to the Fire Department and
assigned to undertake Fire Protection Services;
1.19 "Mutual Aid" means where the Council of the Municipality has made an agreement or
plan with another municipality or Region; or at the discretion of the Chief as provided for
herein, for the provision of any personnel, service, equipment or material during an
emergency as defined herein;
1.20 "Tiered Response" means the process of dispatching police, fire and ambulance to what
is determined to be a life threatening situation. Tiered response endeavors to send the
closest appropriate emergency response agency, based on time, to render assistance at the
scene of an emergency incident until the primary response agency can arrive.
1.21 "Volunteer Firefighter" means a firefighter who provides fire protection services either
voluntarily or for a nominal consideration, honorarium, training or activity allowance.
PART2
ESTABLISHMENT
2.1 The Fire Department was established by By-law #84-68 and 94-172 which was repealed
in By-law # 2007-134 for the purpose of updating references to reflect current
terminology and practice. Despite repeal of past By-laws, the Emergency and Fire
Services Department will continue with services and organization as has been and as may
be amended and approved by Council from time to time.
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2.2 The Fire Department is continued under this By-law to provide Fire Protection Services
and any other service as approved by Council for the Corporation and shall be known as
the Clarington Emergency & Fire Services. (Department name maybe amended by
Council from time to time).
PART 3
3.1 For the purposes of this By-law core services provided by the Fire Department will be as
per Appendix "A" forming part of this By-law.
3.2 Nothing in the By-law will restrict the Fire Department to providing only core services or
limit the provisions of Fire Protection services, as set out/covered under appointing by-
law, as approved by Council.
PART 4
PROPERTY/APPARATUSE USE
4.1 No person shall supply any apparatus, equipment, or other property of the Fire
Department for any personal or private use.
4.2 No person shall willfully damage or render ineffective or inoperative any apparatus,
equipment or other property belonging to or used by the Fire Department.
PART 5
FIRE SUPPRESSION
5.1 The Fire Department may suppress any fire or suspected other hazardous condition by
extinguishing it or by other reasonable action and, for this purpose, may enter private
property, if necessary or deemed necessary to do so.
5.2 The Fire Department may pull down or demolish any building or structure, with the
assistance of the municipal or other equipment and services available; when considered
necessary to prevent the spread of fire, or other hazardous situation.
PART 6
MUTUAL AND AUTOMATIC AID RESPONSE OUTSIDE THE LIMITS OF THE
MUNICIPALITY (Automatic and Mutual Aid Agreements)
A) Aid to the Municipality of Clarington (requested by the Municipality)
The Fire Department may request other municipalities to provide mutual aid and other
qualified persons to assist in;
6.A.1 Extinguishing fires;
6.A.2 Pulling down or demolishing any structure;
6.A.3 Crowd and traffic control;
6.A.4 Suppression of fires or other hazardous conditions in other reasonable
Ways; or
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6.A.5 Determining the origin, cause or circumstances of any fire or explosion, if it is
deemed necessary to retain a private contractor, rent/lease heavy equipment or
specialized equipment, specialized services, and associated persons then those
costs may be billed to the property owner and collected by the Municipality by
means as determined in this by-law.
B) By the Municipality of Clarin¢ton to others (response outside the limits)
The Fire Department shall respond where possible, to a call with respect to a fire or
emergency outside the territorial limits of the Corporation with respect to a fire or
emergency including non-fire emergencies under the following conditions;
6.B.1 In the opinion of the Fire Chief or designate of the Fire Department, conditions
threaten property outside the territorial limits of the Corporation that is owned or
occupied by the Corporation;
6.B.2 In a municipality with which an approved automatic aid or mutual aid agreement
has been entered into to provide Fire Protection Service or other emergency
assistance, including Oshawa and Port Hope prevailing By-laws as established;
6.B.3 At the discretion of the Fire Chief, to a municipality participating in any regional
or Municipal mutual aid plan established by a Fire Co-ordinator appointed by the
Fire Mazshal or any similar reciprocal plan or program, or as determined
necessary by the Fire Chief;
6.B.4 As directed by the Province under Emergency Management Act and Civil
Protection Act or any other prevailing government directive, or legislation as
determined appropriate by the Fire Chief;
6.B.5 Coverage/ability when asked to respond and when requesting response from
Municipalities with no formal program or plan is at the discretion of the Fire
Chief, or designate;
6.B.6 The Fire Department is not required to respond to requests by private companies;
non government; or incorrect assigned calls;
6.B.7 On property beyond the territorial limits of the Corporation where the Fire Chief
or designate determines immediate action is necessary to preserve life or property
and the appropriate fire department is notified to respond and assume command or
establish alternative measures, acceptable to the Fire Chief or designate, provided
it does not compromise our own Municipality level of service or commitments
with the right to withdraw at any time to service home Municipality's needs; and
6.B.8 Any other existing response agreements will continue to operate on Automatic
and Mutual Aid response. Agreements maybe amended and approved by
Council from time to time.
PART 7
MUTUAL AID OR AUTOMATIC AID OR OTHER RELATED EXPENSES
7.1 If as a result of Fire and Emergency Services (i) response to an emergency
including a motor vehicle incident, (ii) under a Mutual or Automatic Aid agreement or
(iii) carrying out any of its duties or functions the Fire Chief or Deputy Fire Chief
determines that it is necessary to incur additional expenses, retain a private contractor,
rent special equipment not normally carried on a fire apparatus or use more materials than
are carried on a fire apparatus in order to suppress or extinguish a fire, preserve property,
prevent a fire from spreading, control and eliminate an emergency, carry out or prevent
damage to equipment owned by the Corporation or otherwise carry out the duties and
functions of Fire and Emergency Services, the owner of the property requiring or causing
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the need for any additional service shall be charged, if appropriate, the costs to provide
the additional service including all applicable taxes. Property shall mean personal and
real property.
7.2 Cost recovery under Automatic and Mutual Aid response agreement will be as per the
Province direction unless otherwise specified. To the extent reasonably possible
materials/supplies will be replaced or cost recovered excluding cost of manpower and
excluding something out of the ordinary unless determined appropriate to recover. The
cost recovery provision should be incorporated into Automatic and Mutual Aid
agreements, where possible.
PART 8
8.1 No person shall impede or interfere with or hinder the Fire Department in the
performance of its duties.
8.2 No person present at a fire shall refuse to leave the immediate vicinity when required to
do so by the Fire Department.
8.3 During a fire and for the time after it has been extinguished that is required to remove the
apparatus and equipment of the Fire Department and render the location and vicinity safe
from fire, no person, either on foot or with a vehicle of any kind, shall enter or remain
upon or within;
8.3.1 The portion of any street or lane upon which the site of the fire abuts or upon any
street or lane for a distance of fifteen (15) metres on each side of the property
damaged by fire; or
8.3.2 Any additional street or lane or part of a street or lane or any additional limits in
the vicinity of the fire as may be prescribed by the Fire Chief or the next ranking
officer present at the fire.
8.4 The provisions of section 8.3 shall not apply to a resident of any street or lane or within
any prescribed additional limit or any person so authorized to enter or remain by an
officer of the Fire Department or by a police officer.
8.5 No person shall prevent, obstruct or interfere in any manner whatsoever with the
communication of a fire alarm to the Fire Department or with the Fire Department
respondmg to a fire alarm that has been activated.
PART 9
OFFENCES
9.1 Every person who contravenes any provisions of the By-law is guilty of an offence and
on conviction is liable to the penalty established by the Provincial Offences Act, or any
other prevailing By-law or legislation, as maybe amended or replaced from time to time,
inclusive of costs.
PART 10
CONFLICT
10.1 Where this By-law may conflict with any other By-law of the Corporation, this
By-law shall supersede and prevail over that By-law to the extent of the
conflict.
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PART 11
SEVERABILITY
1 I.1 If any section or part of this By-law is found to be illegal or beyond the power of the
Corporation, such section or part of item shall be deemed to be severable and all other
sections or parts of this By-law shall be deemed to be separate and independent therefrom
and to be enacted as such.
PART 12
ENFORCEMENT AND ENACTMENT
EFFECTIVE DATE OF BY-LAW
12.1 This By-law comes into effect the day it is passed by Council.
REPEAL OF EXISTING BY-LAW
12.2 By-law Number #2007-134 and #80-9 are hereby repealed.
BY-LAW read a first and second time this 28th day of June, 2010
BY-LAW read a third time and finally passed this 28th day of June, 2010
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APPENDIX"A"
1. FIRE SUPPRESSION AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
1.1 Fire suppression services shall be delivered in both an offensive and
defensive mode and shall include search. and rescue operations, forcible
entry, ventilation, protecting exposures, salvage and overhaul as
appropriate.
1.2 Emergency pre-hospital care responses and medical acts such as
defibrillation, standard first aid, CPR, and the Emergency Medical
Responder Program shall be maintained to Base Hospital protocols as
agreed.
1.3 Special rescue services shall include performing extrication using hand
tools, air bags and heavy hydraulic tools as required. Full time firefighters
will be trained in level 1 Basic Rope Rescue Techniques as determined by
the Fire Chief. Water/ice rescue services shall be provided by those
firefighters who are competently trained to perform the requested level of
service as determined by the Fire Chief (up to level III if so trained):
1.4 Highly technical and specialized rescue services such as Trench Rescue,
Confined Space, HUSAR and Structural Collapse shall not be provided by
Clarington Emergency & Fire Services. Awareness training in these areas
may be provided where possible.
1.5 Defensive hazardous material emergency response shall be conducted to
the operations level by the fulltime firefighters and awareness level by the
part time firefighters. In addition to operations level response, the
capability for rescue and emergency decontamination shall be maintained
where resources permit.
1.6 The Ontario Firefighters Curriculum, International Fire Service Training
Association "Essentials of Fire Fighting", Ontario Fire Service Standards
and other related industry training standards and reference materials may
be used as reference guides for CEFS training as approved by the Fire
Chief All training will comply with the Occupational Health and Safety
Act and any other applicable provincial legislation.
2. FIRE PREVENTION
2.1 Inspections arising from complaint, request, retrofit, or self initiated and
fire investigations shall be provided in, accordance with the FPPA and
policies of the fire prevention division.
2.2 New construction inspections and plan reviews of buildings under
construction in matters respective of fire protection systems within
buildings shall be conducted in accordance with the applicable By-law and
operating procedures.
2.3 The Ontario Fire Service Standard for Fire Prevention Officers shall be
used as a reference guide for fire prevention training.
3. FIRE SAFETY EDUCATION
3.1 Distribution of fire and life safety information and public education
programs shall be administered in accordance with the FPPA and policies
of the departments Fire Prevention & Public Safety Division.
3.2 A residential Smoke Alarm awareness program shall be ongoing.
3.3 The department shall maintain at least one public fire and life safety
educator certified to the Ontario Fire Service Standard.
4. EMERGENCY DISPATCHING AND COMMUNICATIONS
4.1 The Ontario Fire Service Communications Standard shall be used as a
reference guide for emergency dispatching and communications and shall
provide the following minimum services;
4.1.1 Provide emergency call taking and dispatching of emergency vehicles.
4.1.2 Provide after hour's emergency and non-emergency call taking for
Operations, By-law Services, and other agencies as required.