Fire Prevention & Inspections

Fire Prevention offers a variety of community fire safety programs for various groups, agencies, and associations throughout the Puslinch area. Programs address fire safety at home and in workplaces such as schools, offices, factories, and stores. Public fire safety educators work closely with local community groups and are available to make presentations to the community. For timely assistance with Fire Public Education, please contact us.

One of the major duties of the fire prevention division is to help owners, tenants, and/or workers deal with fire-related problems in the buildings they own or occupy. Upgrading of properties, using primarily the Ontario Fire Code as a minimum standard, is done on a continual basis to ensure exiting, containment, annunciation (alarms), suppression equipment, and assemblies are present where required by code.

Anyone wishing to set off or discharge Consumer fireworks will also need to apply for a temporary permit through the Fire Department and will need to meet requirements such as minimum lot line distances and other safety factors that demonstrate that the display is being held in a safe manner. The use of sparklers is not considered as fireworks. A temporary permit from the Town is required to sell Consumer fireworks on specific days of the year. The Fire Department will inspect the retail site to ensure the vendor is in compliance with building and zoning requirements, Fire Code and with the Federal Explosives Act.

See the Firework Safety Tip Sheet for more details.

The Puslinch Fire and Rescue Service take the enforcement of the Fire Code and all of its regulations very seriously. It is the responsibility of a property owner to ensure that all applicable regulations and statues are complied with. Property owners who fail to ensure that their properties meet the minimum standards of fire and life safety will be charged under the Provincial Offences Act and are subject to penalties as outlined in the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997. These fines can be up to $50,000 for an individual or imprisonment for a term not more than one year, or both or $100,000 for a corporation.

The fire prevention division will assist or assume the lead role in determining the origin and cause of the fires of an unusual nature, arson, explosions, fatalities, and/or fires that the firefighting division is unsure of the origin. The members of the division have specialized training in the science of fire investigation, which they can use to determine the cause of the fire and if necessary, assist the police in ensuring a strong legal case in the instance of an intentionally set fire.

Fire prevention officers offer public fire safety education through lectures and demonstrations to schools, institutions, girl guides/boy scouts/cadets, babysitters, general public, and other groups and organizations. They conduct fire safety inspections in all businesses and institutions and ensure fire protection equipment is maintained. Fire-related by-law enforcement, business and liquor license approval inspections, property transfer fire inspections, and fire code interpretations are available on request. They are also qualified in fire origin and cause, determinations for fire investigations, courtesy home inspections, assistance in emergency planning, fire setters counsel, portable fire extinguisher training, etc.

The Ontario Fire Code requires a Fire Safety Plan for many properties or businesses. A Fire Safety Plan helps to ensure effective utilization of fire safety systems, equipment, and procedures in a building to protect people from fire. The Puslinch Fire and Rescue Services tests and evaluates whether these plans adhere to the required regulations.

A key box is a secure key safe that mounts on the wall of a building, dry hydrant pipe, or fence post. The only keys available to open the box are in the possession of the fire department. When there is a fire alarm or a fire, the fire department can access the key safe and use the water tank and gate keys to access the water tank and property rather than forcing locks and gates. This is particularly beneficial for incidents involving automatic alarms and fire events. There is a fee for the lock box.

For all new liquor licenses in Puslinch it is important that the establishments are in compliance with the fire code. Fire Prevention Division is commonly requested to set the occupant load for the establishments based on the provisions set out in both the Ontario Building Code and the Ontario Fire Code. We do charge a fee for this service.

Annual water tank (dry hydrant) inspections and testing is a significant component of our fire suppression water supply program. It is imperative that property owners with fire reservoirs test their water tanks (dry hydrants) annually and submit proof of inspection to the Fire Prevention division. 

Watch this video (Part 1 and Part 2) to learn more about Barn Fire Prevention.

Puslinch Fire and Rescue Service currently offer fire extinguisher training courses for groups and organizations in the Township who are seeking value-added professional training in fire extinguisher operation.