Programs and Services

Administration of Fire Protection Services Act and legislated responsibilities including:

Certification

The department is accredited by the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC) to provide certification testing services to emergency responders in a number of program areas meeting internationally recognized and accepted standards. Fire Services provides testing and certification to all eligible municipal and industrial firefighters in the province as well as students in the fire and rescue programs at the Marine Institute and Safety Emergency Response Training (SERT) Center.

Visit Certification Page

Public Education in Fire Safety

The Fire Services Division is a source for a wide variety of fire prevention and life safety information and resources. The department has developed partnerships with the provincial fire service, the private sector and national organizations to provide educational programs that target high risk groups such as young children and seniors.

Visit Public Education in Fire Safety Page

Fire Department Organization and Management

The department provides advice to municipalities and fire departments on operational, emergency management, and technical issues. In addition, the Fire Services Division conducts a comprehensive review of the fire protection service offered by the municipality, local service district, or regional service board unitizing the Municipal Fire Protection Services Assessment process. View the most recent Municipal Fire Protection Services Summary Report.

The sharing of fire protection services enables more than one municipality or local service district to combine efforts to enhance current service levels or to maintain effective fire protection services. The Fire Services Division supports fire departments that voluntarily share fire protection services by providing technical advice and support to help interested communities identify the best model to fit their unique needs and circumstances.

Fire and Life Safety Inspections

The Fire Services Division assists local fire departments and other government agencies such as the Department of Health and Community Services and the Department of Education, in conducting ongoing fire and life safety inspection programs by providing fire inspector training, technical advice and issuing a number of code interpretation bulletins. Staff also conduct fire and life safety inspections when there is an immediate safety issue or when the local fire department has been unable to get compliance to code requirements from building owners for routine fire and life safety issues.

Regulatory Control

  • The department has number of responsibilities related to requirements under the Fire Protection Act (Fire Protection Services Act) and associated regulations:
  • Licences for the installation and maintenance of fire alarm and fire protection systems;
  • Permits for the sale of family fireworks, aerial and pyrotechnical displays;
  • The department provides approval of all plans for new construction and substantial renovations through an MOU with the Department of Service NL;
  • The department issues Orders to ensure compliance with adopted codes and standards such as building upgrades, building closure, and fire lane designation. The department also issues capacity Orders for public assembly occupancies and all establishments that operate with a liquor license. These Orders are often referred to as Immediate Orders or Standing Orders depending upon circumstance.

Fire Investigation

The Fire Services Division designates members of both police forces (RNC and RCMP) as Local Assistants under the Fire Protection Act (Fire Protection Services Act)) to provide fire investigation of all fires in the province. The division attends fire scenes when loss of life, injury or loss of significant financial value has occurred or when requested by police forces for technical support. The division also assists the police agencies by conducting a number of fire investigator training courses and continuing education programs.

Fire Protection Services Funding

The department conducts assessments and provides recommendations to the Minister on possible funding projects for (1) firefighting trucks/vehicles under the Fire Protection Vehicle Program and (2) firefighting equipment and other initiatives such as regional training programs, emergency response outside municipal boundaries, and hazardous materials (HazMat) response under the Firefighting Equipment Program.

The department provides support services in the following areas:

  • Provincial Long Service Awards/Medals: The department administers the provincial long service awards program for volunteer firefighters. Medals are awarded with certificates signed by the Premier and Minister;
  • Firefighter License Plates: The department provides verification of eligibility for firefighter license plates to the Department of Digital Government and Service NL; Digital Government and Service NL then issues a license plate to eligible firefighters;
  • HazMat Response Initiative: The department provides coordination and compensation for response under the Provincial HazMat Response Initiative. Nine host fire departments participate in this province-wide service; and
  • Emergency Response Outside Municipal Boundaries: The department administers special assistance funding to fire departments for emergency response outside municipal boundaries.