Mitigating the impacts of fire — and reducing the number of fires that start in the first place — is a primary goal of DNVFRS.

We pursue this objective by investigating fires to determine cause and origin and working with builders and developers to ensure that measures are in place to limit fire risk. We also regularly inspect commercial, industrial, and multi-family buildings to check for compliance with all fire codes and standards.

Here are highlights of our work in 2021 that helped minimize the risk of fire in the District.

Fire Investigations 

As Local Assistants to the BC Fire Commissioner, we are responsible for investigating fires in our municipality to determine whether the fire was due to accident, negligence, or design flaw.

In 2021, we investigated 84 structure, vehicle, and outdoor fires. DNVFRS recovered $2,500 for five of the billable fire investigations. Cost recovery is a Fire Bylaw requirement that provides direct costing for these investigations.

Pre-fire Planning and Mobile Inspections 

The mobile computers and digital devices on all fire engine apparatus have been linked to a new mobile software program. The program allows for real-time updates and access to pre-incident plans — a site plan of a building and property to be used by, and ensure the safety of our firefighters. For 2022, the pre-incident planning program will be expanded to include high-risk construction sites, and communities at greatest risk of wildfire. 

The new software program also provides us with access to pre-incident plans for our shared service partners in the District of West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. 

Energy Efficient Public Safety Fleet 

In 2021, the DNVFRS transitioned two additional gas-fueled public safety vehicles to alternative fuel vehicles. As a result, we now have seven environmentally friendly vehicle options for our staff to do their work in the community.

This switch has resulted in positive feedback from personnel and further reduces the District’s carbon footprint.

Community Risk Reduction

To increase public engagement, review and revise our programs, and identify new ways to reach at-risk groups, DNVFRS has a Captain of Public Safety and Community Risk Reduction.

This position helps DNVFRS build a comprehensive assessment of the specific risks to our community demographic and design and create a community risk-reduction plan. The goal is to make targeted public education programs for our community and stakeholders, including redesigning our traditional educational programs to meet current COVID-19 protocols.

Fire Inspections

Our Public Safety Officers routinely inspect public buildings, industrial, commercial and multi-residential buildings and lodging houses.

In 2021, we conducted 4,190 inspections, which generated $18,750 in cost recovery resulting from non-compliance and re-inspection fines. In early 2020, we paused regular inspections due to COVID-19. However, special inspections such as complaints, new occupancies and new businesses continued with new protocols in place allowing us to re-engage in this area for all of 2021.

As a result of the most recent upgrade of the Flexible Data Management (FDM) system, the Public Safety Division has shifted to a fully mobile inspection program that saves time, improves data entry and enhances our customer service to the community.

Fire Safety Plans

As part of fire inspection work, our staff also processes fire safety plans. In 2021, we processed 51 fire safety plans for buildings that meet these minimum requirements:

• Buildings that the BC Building Code requires to have a fire alarm
• Demolition and construction sites
• Storage areas
• Where flammable liquids are stored or handled
• Where hazardous processes or operations occur
• Buildings that have assembly, care, treatment, or detection uses

Construction Fire Safety Plan Reviews

Our Public Safety Division staff work directly with developers during a project’s design and build phase.

This process allows us to ensure that new buildings comply with the BC Building Code and the BC Fire Code and meet fire department operational requirements while under construction, during an occupancy inspection, and over the life of the building.

In 2021, our Public Safety members reviewed 21 detailed plans and collected 0.075% of the value of the work to offset the cost of staffing, which amounted to $125,064 last year.

During this time, we reviewed submissions for alterations, additions, demolitions, and new construction, including review and recommendation for potential new projects.

Pre-Incident Fire Plan Reviews

Our staff maintains a database of building details and plans for properties in the District, and we’re working on updating an online access program. The building database supports fire department operations with timely access to information during an emergency. In 2021, developers submitted 39 plans to DNVFRS personnel for review and implementation and paid $6,586 in review fees.

We also created 38 new building preplans, updated 138 buildings and added 5,659 images to updated building data sets.

Direct Fee/Cost Recovery

The Public Safety Division provides other services directly to the community, such as processing firework permits and information requests.

In 2021, our staff  issued 325 fireworks permits ($1,625 in service fees) and  processed 37 file searches and Freedom of Information Act inquiries ($7,239 in service fees).