FC FIRE RESOURCES
Fire Safety Plans in Ontario: Prepare, Implement and Maintain
A fire safety plan explains how a particular building manages fire prevention, emergency response and the maintenance of its fire protection systems. A template is a starting point; the finished plan must reflect the actual building, its occupants and the responsibilities of the people managing it.
Does your Ontario building need a plan?
Division B, Section 2.8 of the Ontario Fire Code sets out the applicable requirements. Many buildings with required fire alarm systems, assembly uses, care occupancies or other specified conditions need a fire safety plan. Confirm the requirements for your occupancy with the Code and local fire department before assuming that a general template applies.
What a useful plan addresses
- Emergency procedures: reporting a fire, responding to alarms, evacuation or other approved building-specific measures, and assistance for people who need it.
- Supervisory responsibilities: named roles, training, contact information and coverage when the regular manager is absent.
- Building information: relevant layouts, exits, fire protection equipment and information needed by responding firefighters.
- Fire prevention: controls for housekeeping, storage, cooking, hot work and the hazards present at that property.
- Maintenance and impairments: inspection and testing schedules, record keeping, outage procedures, required notifications and restoration arrangements.
- Training and drills: the applicable frequency, participants, records and process for correcting problems identified during practice.
Prepare, submit and implement
Start with accurate drawings, an equipment inventory, service records and an understanding of how the building is used. Involve the people who will carry out the procedures. Emergency arrangements must be realistic for staffing, accessibility needs and after-hours conditions.
Follow the local fire department’s submission and approval process where required. In Toronto, use Toronto Fire Services’ fire prevention information to identify the appropriate contact. Check current submission requirements and fees directly; an old fee quoted in a blog is not a reliable budget.
Once the plan is approved, train the responsible staff, distribute or post the required instructions and keep the plan available in the prescribed location. A document sitting in an office is not an implemented emergency procedure.
Keep the plan current
Review it at least annually as required by the Fire Code and whenever changes could affect its accuracy. Changes to occupancy, layouts, fire protection systems, emergency contacts or staff responsibilities may require revisions and further review by the fire department. Record changes and withdraw superseded copies.
Keep drill observations, maintenance reports and repair records organized. Coordinate alarm testing with authorized personnel and the monitoring service under the building’s procedures. Do not improvise system shutdowns or evacuation instructions.
Prepare for a fire safety plan discussion
Collect your current plan, available drawings, equipment inventory, supervisory contacts and a summary of changes to the building or its use. Review our Fire Safety Plan Development service for project preparation and handover information.
Contact FC Fire Prevention to discuss your property’s needs. The local authority determines approval requirements; a contractor cannot guarantee approval.
Prepare an owner information pack for an update
Start with the current plan, any available approval correspondence and the latest usable drawings. Note what has changed since that version rather than assuming every document needs to be recreated.
- Building and use: identify altered areas, new uses and any change in how different occupants share the property.
- Equipment and records: provide relevant system changes, recent reports and drawings that explain the current arrangement.
- People and responsibilities: check who carries out the assigned tasks, who provides backup and which contact information needs updating.
- Open questions: keep owner comments, authority requests and information still needed from another professional in one list.
Share building plans and operational contact details through the agreed private service channel. Our Fire Safety Plan Development service explains the information used to discuss scope, preparation and submission support.
Toronto Fire Safety Plan submission checklist
Submission contact checked September 26, 2026. The City of Toronto's current service page lists tfsinspections@toronto.ca. Check the current City submission instructions, request form and applicable fees before sending a package.
From our submission experience: Toronto Fire Services advised FC in July 2026 that the former Fire Safety Plan inbox was no longer in service. Some downloadable City guidance still shows an older address. This is why checking the current service page is part of preparing a submission, even when you already have an earlier guide.
- Prepare the complete package. Keep the plan, relevant drawings and completed request form together. Check the current City instructions for the documents and payment arrangements that apply.
- Match the details. Check the property, owner or applicant and contact information across the plan and application. Where an agent applies, the current request form asks for owner authorization.
- Keep a submission record. Retain what was sent, the version and date, correspondence received and any request for further information. Sending a package does not establish approval.
- Track review and implementation separately. Record comments, revisions, the approval received where required and the owner's remaining implementation tasks.
These are practical preparation checks informed by our correspondence. The City determines the requirements for the application. For multi-tenant houses, also check Toronto's current owner and operator guidance.
Our Fire Safety Plan Development service explains project scope and handover. Keep the resulting plan and approval correspondence with your building inspection and service records.