The owner of a home says that the fire department is being too strict with the rules
The city’s fire chief says that a few people have decided to stay in a group home in Cornwall, Ontario, even though the building has been shut down because of fire safety concerns.
Matt Stephenson told CBC News on Saturday, “They shouldn’t be in there.” “We’re talking about things that are always going on with fire and safety.”
The City of Cornwall’s fire department said on Thursday that it had closed The Care Centre at 510 Second St. because of complaints about fire safety.
The city said that inspections had found “numerous serious fire safety violations of the Ontario Fire Code.”
Dan Orr is a co-owner and manager of the facility. He says that Cornwall Fire Services is being too strict with safety rules.
“They are looking for any reason they can think of to stop me. This has been going on for years, “Orr said.
Fire alarm issue
Before the order to leave, about 40 people were living in the building, which used to be the Cornwall General Hospital, according to Orr.
He said that they were given a place to stay and three meals a day, but no medical care.
“I need everyone here to be able to walk so that if there were an emergency, they could get to the stairwell on their own,” said Orr.
In the wake of the evacuation order, a notice has been put on the front doors of The Care Centre. It lists several problems with the building:
- The fire alarm in the building was not being kept in working order.
- The fire alarm panel on the third floor, where people live, wasn’t talking to the panel on the main floor, which the company that made it no longer supports.
- The fire panel on the main floor is too old to be fixed.
By September 1, repairs and replacements must be done.
Stephenson said, “All we’re talking about here is the lack of a working fire alarm system.” “This is the most important part of making sure people can get out of the building safely.”
A private security company is now keeping an eye on the building in case of a fire, he said, adding that not all of the people living there could walk on their own.
“You have a very different group of people with a lot of important needs and wants,” he said.
But Orr said that one resident “was able to make it down the stairs” during a recent fire drill, even though they were missing both legs.
“I have another woman who only has one leg. She got on her bottom, “he said.
Orr said that one person didn’t go down the stairs. This wasn’t because they couldn’t, but because they stay in bed all day and drink wine.
“Make me leave my own building.
Orr said he doesn’t agree with the idea that the fire alarm system isn’t working right.
“There are some mistakes and things that need to be fixed on it. But the bells ring when the smoke alarms go off, “he said.
He also wanted to know why the panel fixes had been ordered.
He said, “Just because a company stops supporting a panel doesn’t mean you can’t find someone to fix it.”
Orr said that Ontario’s Fire Safety Commission, which is an independent, quasi-judicial body that handles fire safety disputes, had told both sides to come to an agreement, but the fire department has refused to meet with him to talk about the fire code.
He said, “They will try to kick me out of my own building.”
“Laundry list” of concerns, says the fire chief
Stephenson said that he “completely” disagrees with Orr’s claim that the fire department did something wrong, and that everything they’ve done has been about “safety, operation, and care for the residents.”
Even though the fire alarm problem is what caused the order to evacuate, Stephenson said there has been a “laundry list” of problems with how the center works for many years.
Stephenson, for example, said that most of the building doesn’t have sprinklers, so the fire department told Orr’s company, 2416300 Ontario Inc., to put some in.
The owners of the building have appealed these orders, so the Fire Safety Commission will have to decide.
Orr said that the way he understands the law, he doesn’t have to install sprinklers, and he’s trying to keep the fees he charges residents low.
When CBC News asked Stephenson what the law says about sprinklers in older buildings, he said, “It’s always gray,” which is why an independent commission needs to weigh in.
People don’t want to be “warehoused.
Stephenson said that people who had to leave the building are being put up in “a domicilery or hotel based on their assessment and needs” and are being fed.
He said that as of Saturday morning, there were still six people in the building, including two residents and members of the group that owned the building.
Orr said that he didn’t go.
One of the two residents, Albert Gallagher, said he won’t move until he gets a two-bedroom apartment for himself, his wife, their dog and cat, and a packer and mover to help them move their things.
Gallagher told a group that included at least one police officer to bring the SWAT just in case. He said this in a video that was taken inside the center on Friday and sent to CBC News.
Later on Friday, Gallagher said in an interview that he doesn’t want to leave because he doesn’t want to be “warehoused.”
“They know how we talk. They know what we want, “he said.
Stephenson said that the decision to clear out the building was not made quickly and that the city is working with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s office to figure out what to do next.
“It is the absolute last resort to move elderly or sick people,” he said. “We did everything we could to find places for everyone to stay, and everyone did.”
