Lesson 1: Fire safety law in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia's main fire law is the Fire Safety Act. Under it, the Fire Safety Regulations adopt the National Fire Code of Canada 2020, with Nova Scotia's own changes, as the province's Fire Code. This edition has applied since April 1, 2025. It covers new and existing homes, apartments and commercial buildings.
Who does what
| Who | Role under the Fire Safety Act |
|---|---|
| Fire Marshal | Designated by the Minister. May enforce the Act, the regulations and the Fire Code, investigate fires and keep fire statistics (sections 9 and 13). |
| Fire Marshal, deputies and provincial inspectors | Have the powers of a peace officer under the Criminal Code while acting under the Act (section 11). |
| Municipality | Must set up a fire safety inspection system and appoint a municipal fire inspector (section 19). |
| Every owner and person | Must take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to achieve fire safety (section 17). |
Fire officials have strong powers. Under section 28, when there is an immediate threat to life, a fire official may enter without a warrant and take steps such as removing people or posting a fire watch.
Lesson 2: Nova Scotia's rule for shut-down systems
Nova Scotia rewrote Article 6.1.1.4 of the Fire Code (section 33 of the Fire Safety Regulations). This is the rule behind most fire watch posts in the province.
| Situación | What the owner must do |
|---|---|
| A fire protection system, or any part of it, is shut down for repairs or not working for more than 2 hours | Notify the fire department and provide a sufficient number of trained people to patrol the building until the system is restored |
| The fire alarm and detection system is shut down | Have procedures to alert occupants if a fire or other emergency happens |
| The sprinkler system, or part of it, is shut down for more than 6 hours | Have procedures to protect the building |
The 2-hour notice and patrol rule does not apply to industrial or manufacturing facilities that keep their own industrial fire brigade.
The rule does not set a number of minutes between rounds. It asks for enough trained people to patrol. The fire department, the owner's procedures and your post orders set how often you go round. Cover every affected area on each round.
Lesson 3: Patrolling and keeping the log
Fire department fire watch duties list equipment like this. Get it before your first round:
- An air horn or whistle to warn occupants
- A radio or phone to call for help
- A flashlight
- Keys or access codes for every area on your route
- The log sheets, a pen and a floor plan if one is available
On each round, check for
- Smoke, burning smells, heat or strange sounds
- Blocked exits and exit doors that will not open
- Fire doors wedged open
- Rubbish or other fuel stored near heat
- Smoking or hot work where it is not allowed
Under section 44 of the Fire Safety Act, it is an offence to tamper with a device meant to help people escape a fire, such as an exit door's hardware. If you find an exit tied or chained shut, report it at once so it can be fixed.
The log
Write each round in the log right after you finish it: the time, the areas checked, what you saw and your initials. Never fill in rounds you did not do. Section 44 also makes it an offence to give a fire official information you know is false or misleading.
Lesson 4: Chief fire wardens, sprinklers and hot work
Nova Scotia added Section 2.16 to its Fire Code. The owner must appoint a chief fire warden in buildings that contain:
- An assembly occupancy, such as a theatre or concert hall, with an occupant load over 200, other than a school, college or university assembly
- A detention occupancy with more than 50 occupants
- A care or treatment occupancy with more than 10 occupants
- A residential occupancy with more than 4 occupants licensed or regulated under the Homes for Special Care Act
The chief fire warden inspects the building for fire hazards at least every 6 months and gives the owner a written report on exits, the fire protection system and other fire safety conditions. The owner keeps each report for 7 years and shows it to a fire official on request.
When sprinklers go off
Under section 37 of the Fire Safety Act, the owner must notify the Fire Marshal within 48 hours when a sprinkler or fixed-pipe system discharges. Tell your supervisor about any discharge you see so the owner can report it.
Hot work
Hot work, such as welding, cutting and grinding, throws sparks that can smoulder for a long time. Hot work rules are in the Fire Code and in your site's hot work permit. Follow the permit for any fire watch during and after the work. If you see hot work starting in an area where the sprinklers are out, tell your supervisor before it goes ahead.
Lesson 5: If you find fire or smoke, and ending the watch
If the alarm is out of service, nobody else will warn the occupants. Act in this order:
- Warn the occupants with your air horn, whistle or other approved signal.
- Call 911 from a safe area. Give the address, what you see and where.
- Fight the fire only if it is small, you are trained and it is safe. If not, close the door and leave.
- Help people evacuate, especially those who need help.
- Meet the fire department at a safe spot and tell them what you know.
- Do not go back in until the fire department says it is safe.
The general flow of an evacuation that a fire watch guard helps start.
- Raise the alarm and warn everyone in the building.
- Help people who need assistance to leave.
- Leave by the nearest safe exit.
- Gather at the assembly point.
- Count people and report to the fire department.
Ending the watch
Nova Scotia's rule says the patrol continues until the system is restored. End your watch only when your supervisor confirms the system is back in full service. Record the time the watch ended and hand in your log.