Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results — Continued

Goal 3: Loss of life, injury and property damage are minimized in the built environment.

Core Business Area:

Housing, Building and Safety.

The Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC) is the senior authority in the province with respect to fire safety and prevention. In 2001, the last year for which aggregate statistics are available, there were 6,900 fires resulting in 43 fatalities and $175.5 million in losses. The 2003 wild land fire season was the worst in 50 years and resulted in the declaration of a provincial state of emergency. The cost to the Province has been estimated at $500 million. It is expected that the 2004 summer fire season will also be extreme. Preparations are being undertaken to ensure an effective response to significant urban/wild land interface fires in 2004.

Objective 1:

Local governments are able to deliver effective fire prevention services for their communities.

Local governments are responsible for delivery of fire suppression and prevention services. The Office of the Fire Commissioner is the senior authority for setting fire prevention policy and legislation. It also provides training to Local Assistants to the Fire Commissioner to ensure that local governments are able to meet the above objective. The preponderance of control over providing effective fire prevention services rests with local government, thereby limiting the Ministry's ability to reduce injury, property damage and loss of life in the built environment.

Strategies:

1. Develop the BC Fire Code in an objective-based format.

2. Undertake legislative review of the Fire Service Act.

3. Provide training and public education on fire safety and prevention.

Objective 2:

Public safety is promoted with regard to regulated products and processes.⁸

With respect to regulated equipment and public safety, the Ministry is working to address the fragmentation that has occurred in the last few decades. This is due to the proliferation of new safety-related materials, technologies and services; the growth in discipline-specific changes; and the absence of a single body with a comprehensive safety mandate. The Province is responding to these pressures by establishing an independent BC Safety Authority, effective April 2004. The Safety Policy and Liaison Branch will manage the Province's relationship with the BC Safety Authority and works to establish a safety policy and legislative framework, including objective-based safety codes, and towards the harmonization of national safety standards.

Strategies:

1. Manage delegation agreement with the BC Safety Authority.⁹

2. Continue development of objective-based safety regulations.

3. Promote BC's interest in the harmonization of national technical standards.