A recent application to build an eight-storey building in West Kelowna highlights the need for a plan to deal with high-rise fires for one city councillor.
Rick de Jong was adamant such a proposal needed to be part of the Official Community Plan (OCP) when it was adopted by council on Sep 12.
sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檇 like to get a handle on what that plan looks like and what the cost of that plan is going to be over time before I start creating expectations from the development community that wesa国际传媒檙e ready for a taller building,sa国际传媒� he told Black Press.
de Jong noted that while the OCP is an excellent document, it still needs the high-rise firefighting component.
At its Sep. 20 meeting, the citysa国际传媒檚 Advisory Planning Commission (APC) recommended against forwarding the proposed residential/commercial building (at Hoskins and Dobbin roads) to council.
Although the structure includes a level of underground parking and rooftop amenities, it is considered an eight-storey building according to city staff.
sa国际传媒淐urrently, West Kelowna is not equipped to defend against a fire of any building over six storeys,sa国际传媒� said Joe Gluska, APC member. sa国际传媒淐urrently, there is no provision in the OCP for equipment, or a plan, that will bring this into play to fight fires.sa国际传媒�
Council expects to have that plan from Fire Chief Jason Brolund by December.
APC member Melissa Smith noted that the city wonsa国际传媒檛 require additional firefighting equipment and personnel until a structure taller than six storeys is actually built.
sa国际传媒淪o to keep saying no to all these developments because we donsa国际传媒檛 have that yet is not the right answer,sa国际传媒� she added.
Although the application was turned down, de Jong stressed that council needs to be prepared for any similar future applications, especially as the OCP allows up to 19-storey buildings.
sa国际传媒淐learly wesa国际传媒檙e not going to get there overnight. Itsa国际传媒檚 going to be a multi-pronged, multi-year plan to get to defending these taller structures and there is going to be a dollar value attached to that which in some part dictates how fast wesa国际传媒檙e going to get there.sa国际传媒�
John Martin, who ran for city council in the 2022 municipal election, is a 31-year veteran of the Toronto Fire Department and retired to West Kelowna a few years ago.
He shares de Jongsa国际传媒檚 concerns.
sa国际传媒淚 would say stay away from high-rises,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淟arge density, high-rise apartments demand swift-fire knock-down, swift-evacuation and the toxic fumes controlled, hence the need for the 43 firefighters.sa国际传媒�
Martin referred to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 1710 which requires 43 firefighters to respond to a potential high-rise fire within 10 minutes and 10 seconds.
sa国际传媒淭here is no way they (council) can accommodate NFPA 1710, so whatever plan they are making is going to be substandard and is going to jeopardize firefighter and public safety.sa国际传媒�
However, municipalities are not required to follow NFPA standards, he added.
Martin was involved with 60 high-rise fires during his career and said following NFPA standards would help protect a municipality if it were to be sued by an insurance company trying to recoup payouts.
sa国际传媒淚f yousa国际传媒檙e trying to formulate a plan that counters NFPA 1710 for high-rises, yousa国际传媒檙e moving into dangerous water because yousa国际传媒檙e putting yourself up for, basically, legal action.sa国际传媒�
de Jong, who has been asking for a high-rise firefighting plan for the past six months, said he feels the OCP was pushed through.
sa国际传媒淎gain, I donsa国际传媒檛 want to take away from the good work thatsa国际传媒檚 been done, but itsa国际传媒檚 taken this long already letsa国际传媒檚 make sure we cross the finish line properly.sa国际传媒�
He added that he doesnsa国际传媒檛 believe many residents are aware of the potential risks of not having a fully-fledged plan.
sa国际传媒淲e need to have a plan in place and we need to be publicly out there with that plan so that everybody is aware of what wesa国际传媒檙e going to be able to do and when wesa国际传媒檙e going to be able to do it.sa国际传媒�
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