Fire Protection Services and Regulation Bylaw No. 988, 2014
This page was last reviewed on November 28, 2023.
THE CORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE OF CUMBERLAND
A bylaw to provide for fire protection, prevention and suppression.
The Council of the Corporation of the Village of Cumberland in open meeting assembled enacts as follows:
1. This Bylaw may be cited as “Fire Protection Services and Regulation Bylaw No. 988, 2014”.
2. In this Bylaw:
“animal organic waste” means solid organic waste material of animal origin and includes flesh, carcasses, offal, hides, and feathers;
“construction waste” means woodcuttings, sawdust, packaging, building materials, and other waste items or discarded materials produced in the construction, repair, renovation or demolition of a building or structure;
“equipment” means any apparatus, vehicles, tools, devices or materials used by the fire department;
“false alarm” means the activation of a fire alarm system resulting in the direct or indirect notification of the fire department to attend at real property where the fire department finds no evidence or indication of any fire condition, unlawful activity, or unauthorized entry;
“fire alarm system” means a device or devices installed on real property and intended to warn of a fire condition by activating an audible alarm signal or alerting a monitoring facility but does not include a fire alarm system on real property that is intended to alert only the occupants of the dwelling unit in which it is installed;
“fire department” means the fire department of the Corporation of the Village of Cumberland, including all officers, employees and volunteers engaged by the fire department;
“incident” means a fire or situation which requires the services of the fire department;
“manager of protective services” means the person appointed as manager of the fire department, and, in his or her absence, an assistant chief designed in writing by the manager of the fire department, and a person acting under the authority of the manager of the fire department;
“member” means any person appointed by the manager of protective services as a member of the fire department;
“open air fire” means any burning of any kind, of any material, for any purpose that takes place in the open air outdoors;
“private managed forest land” means private managed forest land as defined by the Private Managed Forest Land Act;
“unauthorized open air fire” means an open air fire ignited and maintained without the authorization of the manager of protective services by written permit and not authorized by the owner of the real property on which the fire is located;
“vegetative matter” includes wood, leaves, tree and shrub prunings, branches, cuttings and other like material;
“Village” means the Corporation of the Village of Cumberland.
3. Where applicable, all other words and phrases shall be construed in accordance with the meaning assigned to them by the British Columbia Building Code, the British Columbia Fire Code or the Fire Services Act (British Columbia) as amended or re-enacted from time to time. In the event of a conflict between this bylaw and the Fire Services Act and any regulations thereunder, the provisions of the Act and its regulations prevail.
Adoption of Fire Code and Other Standards
4. The substantive regulations (but not the procedural or remedial provisions) of the British Columbia Fire Code as amended or re-enacted from time to time are hereby adopted and made part of this bylaw such that every provision of the Fire Code shall be considered a provision of this bylaw.
5. Standards of the National Fire Protection Association as issued from time to time are made part of this bylaw such that every provision shall be considered a provision of this bylaw.
PART 1- Fire Department and Authority of the Manager of Protective Services
6. The fire department of the Corporation of the Village of Cumberland, as established and known as Cumberland Fire Rescue, is hereby continued.
Authority of the Manager of Protective Services
7. The manager of protective services is authorized to administer this bylaw.
8. The manager of protective services may appoint assistant chiefs to act as manager of protective services on his or her behalf.
9. The manager of protective services is authorized to:
(a) enter on property and inspect premises for conditions that may cause a fire, increase the danger of a fire or increase the danger to persons or property from a fire;
(b) take measures to prevent and suppress fires, including the demolition of buildings and other structures to prevent the spreading of fire; and
(c) require an owner or occupier of real property to undertake any actions directed by the manager of protective services for the purpose of removing or reducing any thing or condition the manager of protective services considers is a fire hazard or increases the danger of fire.
Immediate Removal of Hazard or Risk
10.
(a) If an emergency arising from a fire hazard or from a risk of explosion causes the manager of protective services to be apprehensive of imminent and serious danger to life or property, or of a panic, the manager of protective services may immediately take the steps he or she thinks advisable to remove the hazard or risk.
(b) For the purposes of subsection (a), the manager of protective services may evacuate a building or area, and may call on the police and fire prevention authorities who have jurisdiction to provide assistance.
Hotels and Public Buildings
11.
(a) If the manager of protective services believes that conditions exist in or near a hotel or public building, that, in the event of a fire, might seriously endanger life or property, the manager of protective services may immediately take the action he or she believes advisable to remedy the conditions to eliminate the danger and may evacuate and close the hotel or public building.
(b) For the purposes this section, the manager of protective services may call on the assistance of peace officers and fire prevention authorities.
Forest Fire Hazard
12. Where, in the opinion of the manager of protective services, the safety of forest, woodland, timber or other property is endangered by debris caused by lumbering, land clearing or industrial operations, the manager of protective services may require a person carrying on lumbering, land clearing or industrial operations, or a person who has carried on the operation, or the owner or occupier of the land on which the debris exists:
(a) to dispose of the debris by removal or other methods acceptable to the manager of protective services;
(b) to cut down all dead standing trees and stumps within the area affected; and
(c) to take precautions to prevent the occurrence or escape of fire or damage to property.
13. The manager of protective services may, for the purpose of preventing forest fires, order the temporary closure of public use of outdoor trails, camping areas, and other facilities located in or near forested areas, on public and private land.
Authority to Impose Requirements
14. If the manager of protective services or a member observes that a person is required under this bylaw to do something and the person has failed to take the required action the manager of protective services may by notice in writing sent to the person, order the person to take the required action and:
(a) notify the person of the particular requirement and indicating what is required to be done in order to meet the requirement;
(b) state that, after the expiration of 30 days, the Village, by its officers, employees, contractors or agents, may fulfill the requirement at the expense of the person and recover the costs incurred from that person as a debt.
Establish Barricade
15. The manager of protective services or the member in charge at an incident may establish boundaries or limits and keep persons from entering the area within the prescribed boundaries or limits unless authorized to enter by the manager of protective services or the member in charge.
PART 2 – Fire Protection Services and Regulations
16. In this part, definitions of different types of fire protection services are included in order to provide a general description of the types of services provided and also to identify when additional fees will be charged for firefighting and fire suppression services to certain service areas, so as to ensure the recovery of monies spent in providing such service.
“assistance response” means assistance in response to
(i) medical emergencies, and
(ii) accidents, natural or man-made disasters, escapes of hazardous materials or other circumstances that have caused or may cause harm to persons or property.
“extraordinary fire protection” means fire protection and suppression for an incident that is beyond the financial, equipment, and human resources of the Village of Cumberland and that is subject to fire protection service fees imposed by this bylaw.
industrial fire protection” means
(i) incident assessment, and
(ii) firefighting and fire suppression services for a fire provided by the fire department for no more than six hours from the time of dispatch.
“initial attack fire protection” means
(i) incident assessment, and
(ii) firefighting and suppression services for a fire provided by the fire department for no more than four hours from the time of dispatch.
“public services” means pre-fire planning, fire prevention, fire investigation, training, staff development and advising on fire safety matters, public information, education and prevention programs, as they relate to fire safety, public safety, and emergency preparedness.
“standard fire protection” means
(i) incident assessment, and
(ii) firefighting and suppression services for a fire that is within what is typically required to respond to a fire on property within the boundary of the Village used for residential or commercial purposes.
Purpose of Designation of Service Areas
17. Due to the limited equipment, financial and human resources of the Village to provide fire protection services, the Village establishes the policy of designating fire protection service areas.
18. The fire protection priority of the fire department is to provide fire suppression services to the Village Centre residential and commercial core and to defend this area from wildfire.
Extraordinary Fire Protection
19. Where the Village provided extraordinary fire protection to real property, the applicable services fees set out in Schedule C shall be payable by the owner of such real property.
20. Where, at the request of the manager of protective services, fire protection services or assistance of any kind from the British Columbia Wildfire Management Branch, BC Environmental Emergency Program, any other fire protection agency, and from any private business or contractor, under an agreement or otherwise, are provided to real property, the applicable fees set out in Schedule C shall be imposed upon and payable by the owner of such real property.
Service Area A – Forest Lands
21. Service area A is established as the land and improvements thereon shown shaded and outlined in black in Schedule A to this bylaw.
22. Service area A receives the following services:
(a) initial attack fire protection;
(b) extraordinary fire protection;
(c) assistance response; and
(d) public services.
Service Area B – Industrial
23. Service area B is established as
(a) the parcels upon which the improvements thereon have been classified under the British Columbia Building Code by the building inspector as:
(i) low hazard industrial occupancy (Group F, Division 3);
(ii) medium-hazard industrial occupancy (Group F, Division 2), or
(iii) high-hazard industrial occupancy (Group F, Division 1);
(b) and includes the parcel(s) commonly known as the Comox Valley Waste Management Centre.
24. Service area B receives the following services:
(a) industrial fire protection;
(b) extraordinary fire protection;
(c) assistance response; and
(d) public services.
Service Area C – Village Centre Residential and Commercial Core
25. Service Area C is established as the land and improvements thereon not included in either service area A or B and shown shaded and outlined in black in Schedule A to this bylaw.
26. Service Area C receives the following services:
(a) standard fire protection;
(b) assistance response;
(c) extraordinary fire protection;
(d) public services.
Inspections of Hotels and Public Buildings
27. The regular system of inspection of hotels and public buildings set out in Schedule B to this bylaw is established.
28. All owners and occupiers of buildings or premises in the Village must cooperate fully with the fire department in connection with the completion of scheduled inspections.
29. The owner of a building that is inspected by the fire department must pay the applicable fees set out in Schedule C for the following services:
(a) inspection of a building that is not the regular inspection under section 27 of this Bylaw; and
(b) inspection of the building under section 27.
General Fire Regulations
30. No person shall obstruct or interfere with the manager of protective services or a member in the performance of his or her duties under this bylaw.
31. No person shall damage or destroy, or obstruct, impede or hinder the operation or any equipment of the fire department.
32. No person shall drive a vehicle over any equipment of the fire department without the permission of the manager of protective services or a member.
33. No person shall falsely represent themselves as a member of the fire department.
34. No person shall obstruct or otherwise interfere with access roads or streets or other approaches to any incident, fire hydrant, cistern or body of water designated for firefighting purposes.
35. No person shall tamper, obstruct, disengage, fail to maintain or interfere with an emergency exit, fire extinguisher, fire alarm, sprinkler, standpipe or other fire safeguard installed in a building.
36. No person shall wilfully make or cause to be made a false request for the fire department to respond to an incident.
37. No person shall enter the boundaries or limits of an area prescribed in accordance with section 15 unless that person has been authorized to enter by the manager of protective services or the member in charge at the incident.
38. Every owner or occupant of a building shall provide all information and shall render all assistance required by the manager of protective services or a member in connection with the inspection of the building.
39. No person may remove, deface or destroy a notice or sign, where a notice or sign has been posted under this bylaw.
40. Every owner and occupier of real property must remove or reduce or caused to be removed or reduced any thing or condition directed by the manager of protective services to be removed or reduced during the time stipulated in that requirement.
41. Every owner and occupier of real property must comply with any requirement made by the manager of protective services to comply with this bylaw.
Fire Safety Plans
42. Where the British Columbia Fire Code requires the owner of real property or a building to establish fire emergency procedures and prepare and maintain a building fire safety plan, the property owner must submit to the fire department a detailed fire safety plan and record of emergency systems installed within a building for review and approval prior to implementation of such plan.
Vacant Buildings
43. The owner of a vacant building must at all times ensure that the building and surrounding land are free from debris and flammable substances and must keep all openings in such a building securely closed and fastened so as to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons.
Fire Damaged Buildings
44. The owner of a fire damaged building must ensure that the building is guarded or that all openings in the building are kept securely closed and fastened so as to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons.
Access Routes
45. In order to receive any fire protection services, every owner of real property must provide the following as a minimum standard for fire department access:
(a) access routes must be constructed in accordance with applicable Village bylaws, policies and standards; and;
(b) without limiting paragraph (a), if an access route is provided by means of a private roadway or yard, the design and location of the roadway or yard for fire department use must
(i) have a clear width of at least 6 metres, unless it can be shown that lesser widths are satisfactory;
(ii) have a centreline radius of not less than 12 metres;
(iii) have an overhead clearance of at least 5 metres;
(iv) have a change of gradient of not more than 1 in 12.5 over a minimum distance of 15 metres;
(v) be designed to support the expected loads imposed by firefighting equipment and be surfaced with material designed to permit accessibility under all climatic conditions and have bridge load limit conspicuously posted at the bridge approach;
(vi) be sufficiently cleared of snow and any other debris to permit accessibility;
(vii) have turnaround facilities for any dead-end portion of the access route exceeding 90 meters;
(viii) be connected with a public thoroughfare; and
(ix) have key or code access provided to the fire department if a gate, bollard, or other similar means of security is utilized.
Private Fire Hydrants and Standpipes
46. Every owner of real property, with respect to fire hydrants and standpipes located on their real property, must
(a) service and maintain all hydrants and standpipes so as to be capable of providing the flow and pressure of water for which they were designed;
(b) cause all hydrants and standpipes to be inspected and maintained in accordance with Schedule D to this bylaw by a qualified fire protection technician certified by the Applied Science Technologists and Technicians of BC;
(c) retain and make available to the manager of protective services upon request records of inspection and maintenance required for at least 3 years;
(d) notify the fire department immediately of any condition of any fire hydrant or standpipe that affects fire safety and of any repairs to hydrants and stand pipes;
(e) wrap all hydrants and standpipes which are out of service for repair, or not yet in service, sufficiently to indicate that it is not in service;
(f) keep hydrants clear of ice, snow, shrubs, trees, structures and other obstructions and clearly identify their locations;
(g) paint hydrants the same colour scheme as Village hydrants; and
(h) ensure that no person places or leaves any vehicle, article, thing or matter in such manner as to interfere with free access or approach to any hydrant or other fire department connections.
Fire Suppression Costs Due to Fire Hazard
47. If firefighting and suppression services are provided to real property, the applicable fees under Schedule C to this bylaw are imposed upon and payable by the owner of such real property if any of the following occurs on the real property:
(a) a fire hazard for which an owner or occupier has failed to comply with any requirement imposed under this bylaw;
(b) the storage or use of dangerous goods in a building in quantities greater than permitted or in a manner prohibited under the British Columbia Fire Code as amended or re-enacted from time to time;
(c) the cultivation or production of marihuana plants, mushrooms, or amphetamines not authorized by Health Canada and the unauthorized alterations or repairs to structural, electrical, water or gas systems, equipment, appliances or other accessories of any kind for any of those purposes; and
(d) chemical or biological materials used in or produced by the trade or manufacture of a controlled substance as defined by the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, as amended or re-enacted from time to time.
Municipal Action to Remedy
48. If a person subject to a requirement to do something under this bylaw fails to take the required action within the time set out in the notice imposing the requirement, the Village may fulfill the requirement at the expense of the person and recover the costs incurred from that person as a debt.
49. If an amount recoverable under the previous section was incurred for work done or provided in relation to land or improvements, the amount:
(a) may be collected in the same manner and with the same remedies as property taxes, and
(b) if it is due and payable by December 31 and unpaid on that date, is deemed to be taxes in arrears.
PART 3 – Open Air Fires
Authority of the Manager of Protective Services
50. The manager of protective services may issue a written burning permit to a person for an open air fire:
(a) [Repealed by Bylaw 1052]
(b) for recreational purposes;
(c) for land clearing purposes; and
(d) for special public events.
51. The manager of protective services may impose terms and conditions under a burning permit relating to fire safety that are more restrictive than the restrictions and conditions set out in this bylaw, including, but not limited to
(a) the location of a fire;
(b) the dates and times a fire may be lit or maintained;
(c) the maximum area occupied by a fire;
(d) the materials to be burned in a fire;
(e) precautions to be taken in connection with a fire;
(f) the construction and supervision of a fire; and
(g) the expiry of a permit.
52. The manager of protective services may refuse to issue a burning permit if the manager of protective services considers that the issuance of a burning permit may result in a safety or health hazard to persons or public.
53. The manager of protective services may cancel or suspend a burning permit issued under this bylaw at any time
(a) if the manager of protective services considers that igniting or allowing a fire in any area may create a safety or health hazard to persons or property; or
(b) if the permit holder fails to comply with the provisions of this bylaw or a burning permit.
Requirement for Burning Permit
54. No person shall
(a) ignite, start or maintain an open air fire, or
(b) allow or cause to be ignited, started or maintained, an open air fire under this bylaw, except where the open air fire is authorized under a valid and subsisting burn permit issued under this bylaw.
55. An application for a burn permit under this bylaw must be
(a) signed by the applicant,
(b) signed by the owner of each parcel of land that is the subject of the application or by a person authorized in writing by the owner to act as his or her agent for the purpose of making the application,
(c) made on the application form prescribed by the manager of protective services,
(d) accompanied by the information required by the manager of protective services, and,
(e) accompanied by the fee, if any, imposed by this bylaw set out in Schedule C to this bylaw.
Exemptions from Permit
56. Despite section 54, a permit is not required for
(a) fires lit for municipal purposes, fire department training, and fire prevention purposes authorized by the manager of protective services or provincial government,
(b) outdoor fires in pits approved by the manager of protective services for use in designated campgrounds or tourist parks,
(c) a fire contained within a portable appliance or device that has been specifically designed and is used solely for the cooking and preparation of food and that is fuelled by propane, natural gas or charcoal briquettes, and
(d) burning of natural gas or propane in an appliance or device that is regulated by the gas regulatory authority.
General Burning Regulations
57. No person shall carry out open burning, except if all of the following requirements are satisfied at the applicable time
(a) under the authorization and subject to the conditions of a valid and subsisting burn permit issued under section 50 of this bylaw,
(b) when a burning ban established by the manager of protective services or the British Columbia Wildfire Management Branch is not in effect,
(c) if the fire is continually supervised by a competent person who is not less than 18 years of age until the fire is completely extinguished,
(d) if a garden hose or other immediate source of water, a shovel, hand tool, or other sufficient equipment to extinguish the fire is readily available at all times, and
(e) if reasonable precautions are taken to prevent smoke being generated or becoming a nuisance.
58. No person shall ignite or allow an open air fire to burn if the manager of protective services considers that igniting or allowing a fire in any area may create a hazard to persons or property.
59. No person may use any material other than dry wood, paper or cardboard as fuel to start, assist, or enhance the burning of an open air fire without specific permission from the manager of protective services.
60. No person may burn any material other than material comprised of vegetative matter that is dry and in a condition that provides for safe and rapid combustion.
Prohibited Material
61. No person shall burn any of the following material in an open air fire:
(a) the prohibited material set out in the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulation under the British Columbia Environmental Management Act as amended or re-enacted from time to time;
(b) petroleum products;
(c) materials generally referred to as garbage or refuse, including household material and food waste;
(d) construction waste;
(e) animal organic waste;
(f) any other material which may produce heavy black smoke that is liable to foul or contaminate the atmosphere or an odour that is liable to disturb the enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public.
Yard Waste Fires
62. [Repealed by Bylaw 1052]
Recreational Fires
63. A person may only ignite and maintain a recreational fire
(a) for recreational purposes, cooking purposes, or ceremonial purposes by a First Nation,
(b) in a fire ring, or another non-combustible material fitted with a screening device of 9.5 mm (3/8 inch) or smaller mesh to restrict any sparks or flying debris,
(c) no larger than 0.5 m in diameter,
(d) at least 3 m from any building,
(e) at least 1.5 m from any driftwood, vegetation, or any other combustible material, and
(f) not beneath the branches of any tree.
Land Clearing Fires – Private Managed Forest Land
64. A person may only ignite and maintain a land clearing fire
(a) for the burning of disturbed or undisturbed vegetative matter targeted for management or disposal by open burning,
(b) on the parcel of land from which the debris originated,
(c) in a burn pile not to exceed 170 cubic metres (6000 cu. ft.),
(d) at least 30 meters from standing timber, and
(e) for forestry management purposes on private managed forest land.
65. Every person who ignites or maintains a land clearing fire and to whom a permit is issued under this bylaw must
(a) provide, or cause to be provided at the site, the active patrol and prevention of escape of the fire, including a sufficient number of adult individuals equipped with equipment to effectively safeguard against the spread of fire until the fire or fires have been completely extinguished, and
(b) take extra precautions to prevent fire from escaping during windy periods.
Cost Recovery
66. (1) Every person who ignites, or permits, or allows an open air fire to be ignited is responsible for that fire.
(2) If an open air fire presents a safety or health hazard to persons or property in the opinion of the manager of protective services, has escaped or threatens to escape from a person’s control, or is prohibited under the terms of this bylaw, and the fire department is summoned to control or extinguish the fire, the fees set out in Schedule C to this bylaw are imposed upon and payable by the owner of property for the cost fire protection services.
Owner Responsibility For Trespass
67. (1) Every owner of real property must take measures to secure their property from trespass and the risk of unauthorized open air fires on their property and is responsible for
(a) taking measures to patrol the property,
(b) installing signage to protect the property from trespass, and
(c) extinguishing open air fires that do not pose an immediate danger to persons or property.
(2) Where the fire department extinguishes an unauthorized open air fire, the applicable fees set out in Schedule C to this bylaw for fire protection services are imposed upon and payable by the owner of the real property upon which the open air fire is located.
(3) If an unauthorized open air fire has escaped or threatens to escape from a person’s control and the fire department is summoned to control or extinguish the fire, the applicable fees set out in Schedule C to this bylaw are imposed upon and payable by the owner of the real property upon which the open air fire is located for the cost fire protection services.
PART 4 – Miscellaneous Fees
False Alarm Fees
68. If the fire department responds to more than two false alarms in a building in any calendar year the applicable fee set out in Schedule C is imposed upon and payable by the owner of the building for each subsequent response by the fire department to a false alarm in that building in that calendar year.
File Search Fees
69. Every person seeking documentation or file searches on occupancies for outstanding British Columbia Fire Code violations or infractions, copies of permits, or other related information shall, prior to receiving the documents or information, pay the fee imposed by this bylaw and set out in Schedule C to this bylaw.
Unpaid Fees
70. The fees imposed by this bylaw for work done or services provided to land or improvements may be collected in the same manner and with the same remedies as property taxes.
PART 5 – Enforcement
Offence and Penalties
71. (1) Any person who contravenes any provision of this bylaw is liable, upon summary conviction, to a minimum fine of $500 and a maximum fine of $10,000 and the cost of prosecution.
(2) Every day during which an infraction of this bylaw continues shall constitute a separate offence.
(3) The penalties hereunder shall be in addition to and not in substitution for any other penalty or remedy available under the bylaw, Provincial legislation or at law.
PART 6 – Severability and Repeal
Severability
72. If any provision of this bylaw is held to be invalid, it shall be severed and the remainder of the bylaw shall remain in effect.
Repeal
73. The following bylaws are repealed
(a) Village of Cumberland Volunteer Fire Department Establishment Bylaw No. 725, 1998; and
(b) The Corporation of the Village of Cumberland Fire Prevention & Control Bylaw No. 775, 2003.
READ A FIRST TIME THIS 24TH DAY OF MARCH 2014.
READ A SECOND TIME THIS 28TH DAY OF JULY 2014.
READ A THIRD TIME THIS 28TH DAY OF JULY 2014.
ADOPTED THIS 11TH DAY OF AUGUST 2014.
_______________________________ _____________________________
Mayor Corporate Officer
Schedule A
Service Areas Map
* Service Area B: There are additional industrial properties in other areas as noted in the text of the bylaw.
Schedule B
Regular Inspection of Hotels and Public Buildings
Occupancy* Group Minimum Frequency of Regular Inspection
High industrial hazard F1 6 months
Public assembly A1, A3, A4 12 months
Institutional B 12 months
Medium industrial hazard F2 12 months
Public assembly A2 24 months
Service industry D 24 months
Mercantile E 24 months
Low industrial hazard F3 24 months
* Group designations as per BC Building Code
Schedule C
1. Fire Protection Services Fees
(a) Engine with minimum of four firefighters $537 per hour or portion thereof
(b) Tender/tanker with a minimum of two firefighters $333 per hour
(c) Mini pump/ bush truck with a minimum of two firefighters $189 per hour
(d) Fireboat with a minimum of two firefighters $495 per hour
(e) Hazmat “B” trailer, tow vehicle and four firefighters $440 per hour
(f) Rescue vehicle with minimum of two firefighters $300 per hour
(g) Duty Officer and small vehicles $180 per hour
(h) Firefighter $34 per hour
(i) Fire Retardant Foam $200 per 10 litres
(j) Village of Cumberland Public Works Equipment As per the current BC Road Buildings & Heavy Construction Association Blue Book Equipment Rental Rate Guide
(k) Service Truck $ 40 per hour
(l) Public Works Employee/Operator $ 41.47 per hour
(m) Fire protection services provided by any other fire protection agency, including BC Wildfire Branch and BC Environmental Emergency Program At current agency charge out rates
(n) Contracted equipment, machinery, apparatus and labour At current contractor charge out rates
(o) Standby rate 50% of the equipment rate
(p) Fuel At current per liter fuel cost
2. Open Air Fires
(a) Land Clearing Fire Permit Fee: $50 per burn pile
3. Inspection Fees
(a) Non-routine inspection fee: $75
(b) Fee for subsequent inspection to regular inspection of hotel and public building: $75
4. False Alarms Response Fee: $75 per incident
5. File Search Fee: $25 per civic address
Schedule D
Fire hydrant and standpipe required inspections
After Each Use
1. The following minimum inspection must be conducted after each use:
(a) Examine the exterior for broken, cracked or missing parts.
(b) Check to ensure that the hydrant hose ports are the proper elevation and facing a direction for the most efficient use.
(c) Check to ensure that the hydrant is not obstructed by tall grass, shrubbery or other items.
(d) Check for worn, rusted or obstructed threads, which may hamper efficient use.
(e) Inspect hydrant barrels to determine if water has been accumulated as a result of leaking main valve, plugged or damaged drain valve.
Semi-Annually
2. The following minimum inspection must be conducted semi-annually:
(a) Examine the exterior for broken, cracked or missing parts.
(b) Check to ensure that the hydrant hose ports are the proper elevation and facing a direction for the most efficient use.
(c) Check to ensure that the hydrant is not obstructed by tall grass, shrubbery or other items.
(d) Check for worn, rusted or obstructed threads which may hamper efficient use.
(e) Inspect hydrant barrels to determine if water has been accumulated as a result of leaking main valve, plugged or damaged drain valve.
(f) Check for non-drainage of hydrant, leakage past valve seat, plugged drains.
(g) After winter, the hydrant should be checked for damage caused by frost, ground heave, snow, road salt or sand.
Annually
3. The following must be conducted annually:
(a) Hydrants shall be flushed with main valve and outlet valves fully open until the water runs clear of any visible debris.
(b) Check the operation of the main line valve by closing the isolating valve.
Every Three Years
4. The following must be conducted every three years:
(a) Disassemble the hydrant and check for worn or broken parts and leaks.
(b) Lubricate all external and internal working parts during reassembly.
(c) Check water pressure.
(d) Reopen main line valve and check to see if hydrant operates and close hydrant valve.