by Alexa D’Addario
Carleton has been Ottawa’s largest source of false fire alarms, sending fire trucks racing across the city in vain 56 times in the past year.
Forty-five of those calls were caused by malfunctioning equipment, while 11 were attributed to ‘malicious activity’, according to the Ottawa Citizen.
According to Rick Percival, fire prevention officer at Carleton, malfunctioning equipment was part of the problem.
“We ran into an issue that some of our devices, smoke and heat, were overly sensitive,” Percival said.
According to Percival, an ‘extensive retrofit’ was implemented, including upgrading Glengarry House fire detection systems to the same as the newly renovated Residence Commons, upgrading Mackenzie Building fire detection systems, and implementing fire detection systems into the River and Canal Building (having just been built).
“We have been able to turn this into a positive opportunity to work with [the Ottawa Fire Service] to critically examine how we manage our activities. This dialogue has been critically important not only to our improvements, but to their relationship with Carleton,” said Nancy Delcellier, assistant director of Carleton’s Environmental Health and Safety department.
Delcellier said the department’s strategy includes having strong communications with the contractors to remove any issues and ensure safety and protocol are maintained, informing students and housing about proper procedure in fire risk situations, and having a third party inspect the sensors regularly to ensure proper function.
