Series GR-3576 - Fire safety appeals

The Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) is the senior fire services advisory authority in British Columbia and is responsible for administering and enforcing the Fire Services Act. Under this legislation, the functions of the office are established, which includes: appointing local assistants to the Fire Commissioner throughout the province, overseeing an order and appeal process, and adopting the model National Fire Code into provincial regulation.

For the purpose of fire prevention and suppression, the duties of the fire commissioner include: investigating fires; collecting and disseminating information about fires; investigating conditions under which fires are likely to occur; studying methods of fire prevention; consulting with and giving information and advice to fire chiefs and fire departments; establishing minimum standards for selection and training of fire services personnel; and giving advice and recommendations on the establishment of fire departments.

The OFC also gives advice and recommendations on matters including: provision of adequate water supplies; installation and maintenance of fire alarm systems and fire extinguishing equipment; enacting and enforcing municipal bylaws for fire prevention and protection; and the planning of municipal areas to protect against fire.

As of 2017, the OFC operates with the following regional offices: Vancouver Island (Victoria), Lower Mainland (Victoria), South East (Nelson), Thompson Okanagan (Kamloops), Northern (Prince George).

The office originated with its predecessor, the Office of the Fire Marshal, established by the Fire Marshal Act (“An Act respecting Fires and Fire-escapes”), approved November 9, 1921, in force January 1, 1922. The name of the Office of the Fire Marshal was changed on January 31, 1979 to Office of the Fire Commissioner.

Throughout its history, the functions of the Fire Marshal’s office included conducting building inspections; making orders to remove hazards; documenting appeals from orders; investigating fires and their causes; and compiling statistics and making annual reports. These reports included data on loss of life, total value of property damage, and the identification of fires by type. Other functions of the office included an educational role with regard to fire hazards and fire safety.

In 1926, regulations under the Moving-picture Theatres Act enabled the Fire Marshal to administer inspections and order changes to unsafe conditions in theatres. This included the requirement for the Fire Marshall to approve theatre equipment and check on the physical condition of all films in the province, with hazardous films being removed from circulation.

The functions of the Office of Fire Commissioner and its predecessor were not related with those of the Chief Fire Warden, who was appointed under the provisions of the Forest Fires Prevention Act.