Automatic Fire Alarm Systems
39. (1) Every nursing home shall be provided with a fire alarm system. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (1). (2) Every fire alarm system in a nursing home shall be an electrically supervised system, the components of which have been tested and listed by the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada or The Canadian Standards Association Testing Laboratories. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (2). (3) Fire alarm stations shall be installed on every floor in a nursing home, (a) at every stairwell; and (b) at every exit to the outdoors, (i) from a corridor or lobby, and (ii) from a room that has accommodation for more than sixty persons. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (3). (4) Despite subsection (3), no manual fire alarm is required to be closer than 9.14 metres to any other manual fire alarm station on the same floor. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (4). (5) Heat or smoke actuated fire detection devices shall be installed in every area in a nursing home except washrooms. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (5). (6) A heat or smoke actuated fire detection device referred to in subsection (5) shall be installed in accordance with the conditions of its listing with the Underwriters’ Laboratories of Canada. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (6). (7) For the purpose of this section, a sprinkler head shall be deemed to be a heat actuated fire detection device. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (7). (8) Fire alarm sounding devices shall have a sound that is readily distinguishable from the sound produced by any other sounding device used in the nursing home and shall be installed in locations that enable them to be easily heard throughout the nursing home. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (8). (9) Two independent sources of electrical power shall be provided for the fire alarm system in a nursing home and each source of electrical power shall be capable of, (a) supplying adequate electrical power to operate the fire alarm system for a period of twenty-four hours under maximum normal operating conditions; and (b) sounding the fire alarm signals throughout the nursing home for a period of five consecutive minutes immediately after the twenty-four-hour period set out in clause (a). R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (9). (10) Where batteries are used as a source of electrical power for the fire alarm system in a nursing home, the batteries shall be, (a) the secondary source of the electrical power; and (b) rechargeable batteries that are recharged by means of a trickle charger connected to the primary source of the electrical power for the fire alarm system, but shall not be automotive type batteries. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (10). (11) The fire alarm system shall be electrically supervised in such a manner that, (a) a loss of primary power; (b) a broken conductor; or (c) a leak to ground that prevents the operation of part of the system, will be indicated by the sounding of an audible trouble signal located in a main nurses station. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (11). (12) The trouble signal referred to in subsection (11) shall, when in operation, be continuous and its sound shall be clearly distinguishable from the fire alarm signal. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (12). (13) Subject to subsection (14), a switch for silencing the trouble signal referred to in subsection (11) may be provided if the switch transfers the trouble indication to a trouble light adjacent to the switch and both the switch and the trouble light are located on a control panel in the main nurses station. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (13). (14) The switch referred to in subsection (13) may be located in an area other than the main nursing station if, (a) the switch is so installed that when closed it will transfer the trouble indication to, (i) a trouble lamp on the control panel in the main nurses station, and (ii) a trouble lamp adjacent to the switch; and (b) the switch and the trouble lamp adjacent to it are installed in a location that is under continuous supervision. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (14). (15) Every fire alarm trouble light shall be so installed that when activated it will remain lighted until the trouble indicated by the light is corrected. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (15). (16) Every fire alarm trouble light shall be conspicuously marked to indicate that when it is lighted there is a fault that requires correction in the fire alarm system. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (16). (17) The main or primary source of electrical power for a fire alarm system, (a) shall consist of alternating current power provided by an individual electrical circuit that is not used for any other purpose; (b) shall be connected as close as is practical to and on the load side of the main electrical service panel in the nursing home; and (c) shall not be connected to a secondary lighting panel. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (17). (18) Every control panel for the fire alarm system in a nursing home shall be equipped with a glowing light, (a) that ceases to glow when the fire alarm system is shut off; and (b) that is conspicuously marked to indicate that the fire alarm system is inactive when the light is not glowing. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (18). (19) The sprinkler system and the fire alarm system in a nursing home shall be so installed that the sprinkler system is supervised by the fire alarm system. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (19). (20) Despite the Building Code, made under the Building Code Act, in addition to the requirements of this section, a remote audio visual fire alarm trouble signal shall be located at the main nursing station in every nursing home. R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 832, s. 39 (20). Fire Protection Equipment