Toronto Fire Standard Operating Guideline PDF

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES – NOTIFICATION OF TORONTO FIRE SERVICES FIRE INVESTIGATORS Date Issued: July 9, 2024 Rescinds: February 21, 2023 Section: Incident and Emergency Operations File Code: G-NOFM PURPOSE To provide all Toronto Fire Services (TFS) personnel with a g...

STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES – NOTIFICATION OF TORONTO FIRE SERVICES FIRE INVESTIGATORS Date Issued: July 9, 2024 Rescinds: February 21, 2023 Section: Incident and Emergency Operations File Code: G-NOFM PURPOSE To provide all Toronto Fire Services (TFS) personnel with a guideline of when they are required to notify the TFS Fire Investigations Division. RESPONSIBILITY Company Officers are responsible to record in the FireRMS if the TFS Fire Investigations Division attended the scene. TFS Communications Centre Captains are responsible to contact the TFS Fire Investigations Division when directed to by a Chief Officer. Division Chief of the TFS Fire Investigations Division or designate TFS Fire Investigator are responsible to attend scenes when required. Chief Officers are responsible to contact TFS Fire Investigations Division via TFS Communications Centre as required by this guideline. GUIDELINES 1. Incident Commander Identifies incidents that meet the notification criteria for a TFS Fire Investigator. Between 0700hrs and 2100hrs, notifies the standby TFS Fire Investigator of any fire that meets the notification criteria (see Guideline Part 1). Between 2100hrs and 0700hrs, notifies the standby TFS Fire Investigator of any fire that meets the overnight notification criteria (see Guideline Part 2). Between 2100hrs and 0700hrs, the Incident Commander shall make one (1) attempt to determine if a patient has been admitted to hospital. If admission is confirmed, TFS Fire Investigations Division should be notified. If the Incident Commander is unable to confirm patient status, an e-mail notification should be made to TFS Fire Investigations Division who will follow up with the hospital in the morning. For all other incidents between 2100hrs and 0700hrs, the Incident Commander is asked to make notifications through e-mail to File Code: G-NOFM Page 1 of 5  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE [email protected] providing details of the incident. Notifies Toronto Police Service (TPS) of all fires suspected of being intentionally set (see Guideline Part 3 – Cause Determination). Maintains control of the site for a reasonable period of time, or until it is turned over to TPS, or TFS Fire Investigations Division, or the scene is released. Requests TFS Fire Prevention Section within the Community Risk Reduction (CRR) Division assistance as required (see Guideline Part 4 – Community Risk Reduction Assistance). Collects information required in the Emergency Incident Report (EIR). 2. Division Chief of Investigations Division or Designate TFS Fire Investigator Attends fires scenes that require additional expertise to determine origin, cause and circumstance. Attends all scenes where a firefighter has been injured to determine the origin, cause and circumstance and evaluate if there are any Ontario Fire Code (OFC) violations present that may or may not have led to the firefighter injury. The TFS investigator will monitor the firefighter status of injury and notify the Ontario Fire Marshal (OFM) if the firefighter is admitted to hospital. Attends all scenes where a part or all of the buildings life safety system failed to operate, including potentially endangering responding firefighters. All violations noted on the buildings life safety systems will be secured (door locked, cabinet sealed with evidence label, etc.) until such time the system can be documented and photographed. TFS Fire Investigations Division is responsible for notifying the OFM per the Fire Marshals Communique 2023-01. Requests assistance of TFS resources to support the investigation (Command Post, HUSAR, Hazmat). Provides the TFS Communications Centre Captain, on a daily basis, with the name of the on-call TFS fire investigator. Enters information/data such as the cause, ignition source, first material ignited and area of origin into the FireRMS Investigations tab for any incidents they attend. 3. Operations Company Officer Records in the FireRMS to indicate a TFS fire investigator attended. In the FireRMS , a “TFS Investigations Attended” box has been added to the Basic/Agency tab. Checking this box will open an Investigation tab that is to File Code: G-NOFM Page 2 of 5  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE be utilized by the TFS Fire Investigations Division and will not have any impact on the Company Officers ability to complete their incident report. In the FireRMS, these fields should be filled out with the following codes: (a) Cause (possible), Object or Material First Ignited and Area of Origin; i. 990 – Under Investigation (b) Source of Ignition; i. 9990 – Under Investigation NOTE: The Company Officer shall only select these codes if a TFS fire investigator attends the incident. These codes should not be used when an investigator is consulted but does not attend. 4. TFS Communications Centre Captain At the request of the Incident Commander, contacts a TFS fire investigator for any fire that meets the notification criteria. Documents in the Event Chronology when the Division Chief of Fire Investigations Division or designate TFS fire investigator and/or the OFM is contacted. Endeavors to obtain an estimated time of arrival (ETA) of the TFS fire investigator that is notified for an event and notifies the Incident Commander of the ETA. 5. TFS Data Analytics Section Reports all required incident statistical information to the OFM. 6. Guidelines Guideline Part 1 – Notification Criteria 0700hrs to 2100hrs TFS Fire Investigations Division will be notified of the following incidents: (a) Fire or carbon monoxide poisonings resulting in a fatality; (b) Fires or carbon monoxide poisonings resulting in a person being transported to hospital; (c) Suspected arsons; (d) Explosions, where the explosion is the primary event; (e) Fires in vulnerable occupancies such as retirement homes, care and treatment occupancies; (f) Large loss fires (twice the current average residential value); (g) Fires resulting in unusual smoke spread; (h) Fires involving circumstances that may result in widespread public concern; File Code: G-NOFM Page 3 of 5  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE (i) Fires in multi-unit residential occupancies where fire spread beyond the unit of origin; (j) Fires with suspected Fire Code violations; (k) Fires involving clandestine drug operations or marijuana grow operations; (l) Fires at shelter housing and support hotels and shelters; (m)Any request from the Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, On-call Senior Officer or Division Chief of Fire Investigations Division. 7. Guideline Part 2 – Notification Criteria 2100hrs to 0700hrs At the discretion of the Incident Commander, all incidents from the previous notification criteria may be deferred until the following dayshift, except: (a) Fires or carbon monoxide poisonings resulting in a fatality; (b) Fires or carbon monoxide poisonings resulting in a serious injury requiring a person(s) to be admitted to a hospital; (c) Explosions where the explosion is the primary event; (d) Any request from the Fire Chief, a Deputy Chief, the On-call Senior Office or the Division Chief Fire Investigations Division. After 2100hrs, Chief Officers shall make one (1) attempt to determine if the patient has been admitted to hospital. If admission is confirmed, TFS Fire Investigations Division shall be notified. If Chief Officers are unable to confirm patient status, an email notification shall be made to TFS Fire Investigations Division who will follow up with the hospital in the morning. 8. Guideline Part 3 – Cause Determination Incendiary Cause Determination: (a) An incendiary fire is a fire that is deliberately set with the intent to cause the fire to occur in an area where fire should not be. (b) In the event an incendiary fire is evident or suspected, the Incident Commander is responsible for the following: i. Notifying the TFS Fire Investigations Division and requesting a fire investigator (this type of fire does not result in 24-hour response); ii. Limiting overhaul to preserve the scene; iii. Securing the scene and preservation of any evidence; iv. Ensuring notification of Toronto Police Service for scene and evidence protection; v. Ensuring statements from the initial suppression team(s) are completed. 9. Guideline Part 4 – Fire Prevention Section Assistance Incident Commanders shall notify the TFS Fire Prevention Section for assistance in the following: (a) Situations requiring an Order to Close; File Code: G-NOFM Page 4 of 5  STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINE (b) Situations considered Immediate Threat to Life (ITL) under Section 15 of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA). Referrals to the Fire Prevention Section should be sent to: [email protected] After hours, TFS Communications Centre shall be notified that an extremely high-risk situation has been identified. The On-call Senior Officer shall be notified. If necessary, the On-call Senior Officer may notify the standby TFS fire investigator and the Deputy Chief of CRR. 10. Guideline Part 5 – TFS Fire Investigator Unavailable If an On-call TFS fire investigator is not available between 2100hrs and 0700hrs due to unplanned absences, Chief Officers are only required to hold scenes involving: (a) Fatalities (b) Serious injuries where the patient has been admitted to the hospital for fire-related injuries. After 2100hrs, Chief Officers shall make one (1) attempt to determine if the patient has been admitted to the hospital. If admission is confirmed, the scene shall be held. If Chief Officers are unable to confirm patient status, an email notification shall be made to TFS Fire Investigations Division who will follow up with the hospital in the morning. All suspicious fires shall be reported to the Toronto Police Service and one (1) crew shall remain on scene until Toronto Police Service arrival. An email notification shall be sent to [email protected] with the incident details. TFS Fire Investigations Division is responsible for notifying the OFM per the Fire Marshals Communique 2023-01. ATTACHMENT(S) N/A RELATED SOGS Click here to enter text. File Code: G-NOFM Page 5 of 5