Regulation - Minister
2023 Ontario Fire Code
Regulation Number(s):
Amendments to O.Reg. 213/07
Instrument Type:
Regulation - Minister
Bill or Act:
Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997
Summary of Proposal:
The Ministry of the Solicitor General (the Ministry) is seeking input on proposed amendments to O. Reg. 213/07 (Ontario Fire Code) made under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA). The Ontario Fire Code (OFC) establishes minimum requirements for fire safety within and around existing buildings and facilities. The owner of a building is responsible for complying with the OFC, except where otherwise specified. Municipal fire departments enforce the OFC.
The proposed updates to the 2023 OFC focus primarily on changes that:
• Improve harmonization with the National Fire Code of Canada (NFC) and the codes of other provinces and territories, in accordance with Ontario's commitments towards regulatory reconciliation and cooperation.
• Align with recent changes to the Ontario Building Code (OBC), which is a companion regulation to the OFC. As the OBC sets requirements for new construction, and the OFC applies to existing buildings, changes to the OFC typically follow changes to the OBC.
• Strengthen fire safety in response to Coroner's Inquest recommendations, regulatory changes, and specific fire service stakeholder requests.
• Address minor technical, administrative, and consequential amendments within the code.
The 2023 OFC will be the first update since the government ratified the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Reconciliation Agreement on Construction Codes (RACC) in 2020. The Ministry's work to harmonize with the NFC has been guided by the following principles:
• Public Safety: Harmonize where doing so is aligned with leading fire safety practices and encourage the adoption of Ontario's leading practices nationally.
• Reducing Red Tape and Barriers: Improve the efficiency of compliance and enforcement efforts, where possible, through standardized requirements and more predictable code development cycles, and reduce duplication through coordinated code development at the federal and provincial/territorial levels.
While harmonization has been a key driver in the development of proposed changes, others are based on requests received by the Ministry from a broad group of stakeholders, such as other provincial ministries, municipalities, fire services, and industry stakeholders.
For additional details on the proposed amendments and to submit feedback on specific code change proposals, please visit the following site: https://one.ofmem.ca/firecodeapp
The proposed updates to the 2023 OFC focus primarily on changes that:
• Improve harmonization with the National Fire Code of Canada (NFC) and the codes of other provinces and territories, in accordance with Ontario's commitments towards regulatory reconciliation and cooperation.
• Align with recent changes to the Ontario Building Code (OBC), which is a companion regulation to the OFC. As the OBC sets requirements for new construction, and the OFC applies to existing buildings, changes to the OFC typically follow changes to the OBC.
• Strengthen fire safety in response to Coroner's Inquest recommendations, regulatory changes, and specific fire service stakeholder requests.
• Address minor technical, administrative, and consequential amendments within the code.
The 2023 OFC will be the first update since the government ratified the Federal/Provincial/Territorial Reconciliation Agreement on Construction Codes (RACC) in 2020. The Ministry's work to harmonize with the NFC has been guided by the following principles:
• Public Safety: Harmonize where doing so is aligned with leading fire safety practices and encourage the adoption of Ontario's leading practices nationally.
• Reducing Red Tape and Barriers: Improve the efficiency of compliance and enforcement efforts, where possible, through standardized requirements and more predictable code development cycles, and reduce duplication through coordinated code development at the federal and provincial/territorial levels.
While harmonization has been a key driver in the development of proposed changes, others are based on requests received by the Ministry from a broad group of stakeholders, such as other provincial ministries, municipalities, fire services, and industry stakeholders.
For additional details on the proposed amendments and to submit feedback on specific code change proposals, please visit the following site: https://one.ofmem.ca/firecodeapp
Analysis of Regulatory Impact:
Please see attached document for a preliminary analysis of potential costs. The ministry is seeking feedback on potential costs to inform the regulatory impact assessment that is underway.
Further Information:
Review Proposed Changes to the Ontario Fire Code and Submit Feedback
Ontario Fire Code (O. Reg. 213/07)
National Fire Code of Canada: 2020
Proposed 2023 OFC Amendments Analysis of Regulatory Impact
(Download Adobe Reader)
Proposal Number:
23-SOLGEN011
Posting Date:
May 29, 2023
Comments Due Date:
July 13, 2023
Contact Address:
Ministry of the Solicitor General
Office of the Fire Marshal
25 Morton Shulman Ave.
Toronto, ON M3M 0B1
Office of the Fire Marshal
25 Morton Shulman Ave.
Toronto, ON M3M 0B1