The amendments require that all residential rental units be equipped witheither a hard wired 120 volt AC powered smoke alarm or a ten year lithium powered non-tamper smoke alarm that is acceptable to the fire department nolater than March 24, 2000.The changes to the By-law result from an investigation conducted by the Winnipeg Emergency Response Service which found that while most residential rental units had smoke alarms, there was a high incidence of cases where battery powered alarms were rendered inoperable, usually due to the removal of the batteries.In addressing the Committee on Protection during the public consultation process, the PPMA commanded the Chief of the Emergency Response Service on a fine job of research and stated that we supported the recommendations contained in his report.PPMA President Richard Morantz said that "we applaud the recommendation for ten year lithium powered, non-tamper, pause feature smoke detectors, as we believe they may be the most effective in reducing theincidence of tenant tampering".The Association also recommended that City Council provide the Emergency Response Service with a full complement of fire prevention officers and that the Branch undertake to strictly enforce the fire safety By-law, including the prosecution of anyone found willfully tampering with a life safety device.
Now that the by-law has been passed, property
managers must begin the process of compliance
by installing either a hard wired alarm or an acceptable ten year lithium
powered non tamper smoke alarm in all residential rental units.
Only One Approved Model
To date only one lithium powered smoke alarm has been approved for installation by the Winnipeg Emergency Response Service. It is a new model manufactured by First Alert and is expected to be available for purchase by August of this year. The packages containing the acceptable alarms will be clearly identified in order that property managers will know that they meet the requirements of the by-law.
Bulk Purchase Being Pursued
Recognizing that there will be a significant demand for the new alarms once they are available, the Association has contacted the manufacturer to discuss the possibility of a bulk purchase for PPMA members. While negotiations are on going, present indications are that the manufacturer is prepared to bulk ship quantities of the new alarms to each PPMA member at a reduced price. Further information will be forthcoming to all PPMA members shortly.
Other Changes
The new by-law also requires that all smoke alarms, either hard wired or battery powered be replaced every ten years. There are also new location requirements for the alarms and property managers are advised to make themselves aware of these new requirements. In addition the Emergency Response Service will be providing a "Smoke Alarm Compliance Report" to all building owners and managers. These reports must be completed and submitted to the Fire Prevention Branch once the required smoke alarms have been installed.