Fire Department issues tickets, orders to ensure life & fire safety at Lighthouse

The Saskatoon Fire Department (SFD) has been closely monitoring life and fire safety at the Lighthouse Supported Living Facility. As a result, ongoing inspections dating to April 2021 have revealed a number of deficiencies that must be remedied to make sure work and living conditions at the facility do not deteriorate.

“Our focus at the Lighthouse is community safety,” says Assistant Chief Yvonne Raymer. “We want to ensure all life safety measures are in place so that any concerns or deficiencies can be easily rectified. We don’t want the issues to compound like we have seen elsewhere, so we’re keeping a close eye on the building and staying on top of inspections at the Lighthouse.”

Inspections and results:

• One fire inspection in April 2021 and four re-inspections since (three in December 2021 and one in January 2022)
• Four Property Maintenance Nuisance Abatement Bylaw inspections (September, November and January)
• 42 Fire Safety Act contraventions pertaining to failing to maintain life safety systems and building systems (i.e. electrical, sprinklers, fire alarm system, lack of records, failing to maintain means of egress, failing to maintain fire separations)
• One Fire Safety Act Order to Remedy related to 42 contraventions
• Two Bylaw Orders to Remedy (one for structural assessment-December; one for various property maintenance issues-January)
• Fire investigation December 10 revealed careless disposal of smoking materials
• 14 tickets related to the 42 Fire Safety Act contraventions (issued December 10 & January 6)
• One ticket related to junk/garbage under the Property Maintenance Nuisance Abatement Bylaw (January)

There are outstanding issues arising from inspections that remain under investigation.

SFD will not be closing the Lighthouse; inspectors determine the risks in the building are less than the risk posed by displacing occupants. Instead, SFD has issued Orders to Remedy. The Lighthouse has been ordered to fix the hazards by the end of January. If the hazards are not remedied by then, SFD may contract the work, bill the Lighthouse for the repairs and then discuss payment terms.

Following the most recent visit to the Lighthouse on January 4, that inspection identified:

• Two sinks removed in a bathroom off the dining room, which is currently converted into a temporary shelter area due to COVID-19
• One water heater not working; multiple other water heaters remained fully functional
• A small water and sewer backup in the service room with slight wet staining around the drain

Since the January 4 inspection, the water heater has been fixed. Showers and sinks with hot water remained intact for all other suites and bathrooms. The deficiencies identified by SFD are considered to be minor and can be rectified by a plumber.

“We are not aware of the current financial situation of the Lighthouse, but it is our view that the repairs required to complete the orders are relatively minor,” notes Assistant Chief Raymer. “However, if the Lighthouse requires assistance in completing these repairs, we would invite them to reach out to the Saskatoon Fire Department to discuss their various options.”

Other deficiencies can be fixed by hiring qualified tradespeople or other service contractors that would be able to ensure the Lighthouse is a safe facility for staff and residents.