The life safety systems of your building are critical for your building.  They protect the occupants in an emergency situation when there aren’t second chances.  Life safety systems include fire alarms, generators, sprinkler systems, emergency lighting, kitchen hood fire suppression systems and maglocks.  It is critical that they work properly together as well.  You want to know before a fire happens that your smoke exhaust fan works and can be controlled from the fire alarm panel.

While the Ontario Building Code (OBC) has required testing of fire alarm systems for some time, the requirements have changed in 2020.  The OBC now requires testing to the standard CAN/ULC S1001, Integrated Systems Testing Of Fire Protection And Life Safety Systems.  This standard outlines specific requirements for the testing of systems that are interconnected and defines a process for documenting the plan and the outcomes.

Municipal building departments have been working diligently over the past months to determine how they are going to interpret this requirement.  Some municipalities were already requiring similar documentation and so have had little change.

• The City of London has taken the approach that an Integrated Testing Coordinator [ITC] must be identified at the building permit application stage of the project.  The ITC must submit an integrated testing plan before the full building permit will be released.  This applies to projects where there are more than one life safety system that integrate together.
• At this time the City of Kingston is still determining their approach to this requirement.
• The City of Guelph had been requiring these reports prior to the changes in the OBC and their process has adapted slightly to suit the requirements of the ULC document.

It can be frustrating to go through the long process of getting a building ready for permit application only to find out that there is another step required.  We can help you avoid unnecessary delays and work out these details ahead of your submission, so you can get your permit and move on with your project. If you need help navigating this bump or you want some information to help you with your next project, contact Callidus today.