Fire Protection System(s) Performance in the Residential Building Environment: Examining the Relationship between Civilian and Firefighter Injuries: A Retrospective Evaluation of Residential and Residential Apartment Fires, 2005 to 2015

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This paper summarizes the findings from an analysis of the fire protection performance of sprinkler systems and smoke alarms in residential and multi-level residential buildings in the Provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and New Brunswick between 2005 and 2015 inclusive. The primary focus is on the relationship between the presence of protective … Read more

The Influence of Electrical Fires in Residential Homes: Geospatial Analysis Pointing to Vulnerable Locations and Equipment Failures

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Secondary suites are becoming more common as a way to relieve the burden of rising housing prices in British Columbia and basements are often converted for this purpose. However, home owners often circumvent the permission and inspection requirements for these conversions in order to save on expensive upgrades for compliance. As a result, there are … Read more

Supporting Children with Incarcerated Parents

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This guide is designed to help your community take a leadership role in supporting your most at-risk children to experience more stable childhoods, meet their developmental milestones, and build the skills they need to enjoy brighter futures as active members of society. In Canada, children who experience parental incarceration are statistically more likely than any … Read more

Enhancing the Protective Environment for Children of Parents in Conflict with the Law or Incarcerated: A Framework for Action

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We offer the present framework to help communities and local organizations in contact with children of parents in conflict with the law cooperate with each other and develop a coherent approach to protecting and supporting these children, especially when their parents are imprisoned. Together, they can strengthen the protective environment around these children and help … Read more

Anti-Idling Technology on Fire Service Vehicles: An Evaluation of the Benefits

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This study was designed to support the anti-idling policies of Surrey Fire Service. Two major components were the adoption of fire trucks with Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and changing behavioural attitudes towards turning off the main fire truck engine whenever possible. As such, the first component of the study aimed to determine the value APUs. … Read more

Smoke Alarm Response Time: Examining the Relationship Between Working Smoke Alarms, Fire Service Response Times and Fire Outcomes

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This report examines 868 residential fire incidents that were responded to by Surrey Fire Services between March 2008 and April 2018, inclusive, and reported to the British Columbia (BC) Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC). At a high-level, this research was intended to examine the relationship between a working fire safety system, fire service response … Read more

Targeted Residential Fire Risk Reduction A Summary of At-Risk Areas in the United Kingdom

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Reducing fires and saving lives is a mandate for all Fire Services. Globally, many departments have implemented door-to-door campaigns to educate their citizens on fire reduction and safety (TriData, 2009). However, focusing on an entire community is expensive, time consuming, and overall, an inefficient use of limited resources. A 2007 TriData report on best practices … Read more

GREAT EXPECTATIONS? PERCEPTIONS OF CANNABIS REGULATION IN ABBOTSFORD, BRITISH COLUMBIA

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On October 17th, 2018, Canada will become the first G7 country, and second country worldwide, to legalize recreational cannabis on the federal level. Given that few nations have taken this step, the impact on municipalities and communities is still unknown. The main objective of this report is to provide insight into the expectations around and unintended consequences of … Read more

Assessing the Safety of Smart Meter Installations in British Columbia: Analysis of Residential Structure Fires in BC between July 2010 and June 2018

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In June 2011, BC Hydro commenced implementation of its Smart Metering Program, which involved converting every residential property in British Columbia (BC) from legacy metering to wireless technology smart meters. This Smart Metering Program involves replacing existing electrical meters that are now becoming obsolete, with a comprehensive wireless smart metering system. In total, BC Hydro … Read more