Eleven years ago fire claimed the lives of North Perth Deputy District Chief Ken Rea and Firefighter Ray Walter when the roof of the burning building expectedly collapsed. Crews were unaware the roof was made of lightweight consturction materials that can quickly give way during a fire.
MPP for Perth-Wellington Randy Pettapiece announced several steps the provincial government and Ontario Fire Marshall are taking to help firefighters stay as safe as possible in such circumstances.
The two new provincial policy changes include the tracking of new buildings constructed with lightweight construction systems through an ammending of the Ontario Building Code. It will require Chief Building Officials notify local departments when buildings other than houses are constructed or renoved using such systems.
For existing buildings built using lightweight construction, Ontario Fire Marshall Jon Pegg issed a directed on February 25th that requires municipalities to document them in their Community Risk Assessments, and use the information to plan fire suppression activites and help ensure firefighter safety.
The Province has also requested that lightweight construction identification be harmonized in building codes across Canada. These efforts are already underway through the National Research Council Canada the the Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes.
