Just as the approved fire safety plan provides occupants with the necessary information and guidance to safely plan their escape from a building in the event of a fire, repairing fire separation openings and maintaining door hardware are vital to preventing the spread of fire in a building. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $2,000 per violation..

Keeping the tenants safe within a commercial building is the legal obligation of each landlord. Blocked emergency exits, combustible materials stored in halls or open areas and unfinished repairs that compromise fire containment may prevent the safe evacuation of the building occupants in an emergency. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $2,000 per violation.

For public assembly facilities, keeping fire department access routes clear of obstructions, performing maintenance on the fire suppression system of commercial cooking equipment and its exhaust system, and not exceeding the occupant load of the premises are to be fully implemented as outlined in the approved fire safety plan. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $30,000.

Building owners have a legal responsibility to ensure that their premises is in compliance by providing and maintaining portable fire extinguishers, exit fixture/emergency lighting units and the fire alarm system, along with smoke alarms in the individual apartment units. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $1,600.

Proper storage and identification of the combustible materials within public assembly areas is indicated in an approved fire safety plan, as is ensuring that no fire doors are wedged open, the posting of non-smoking signage, and providing training of the supervisory personnel roles for fire evacuations. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $12,000.

An approved building fire safety plan specifies the landlord's obligations to ensure occupant safety by conducting annual testing and maintenance of the fire alarm systems, the fire department connections, the sprinkler systems and the on-site private fire hydrant. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $8,000.

A fire alarm panel and its connected devices are to be kept operational 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. During any shutdowns of this early warning system, a fire watch is required to be implemented in addition to notification given to the fire officials. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $5,000.

It is the responsibility of building owners and their property management administrators to have an approved fire safety plan in place to increase fire safety awareness for all occupants of a building, and to minimize the occurrence of situations that may be life-threatening. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $5,000.

The requirement to implement an approved fire safety plan dramatically increases the speed of evacuation for the occupants and provides fire responders with the critical information on building facilities as they negotiate the premises during a fire emergency. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $3,000.

The intended purpose of fire route signage is to maintain clear passage for the fire trucks and other first responder vehicles as they enter into the property of the building in the event of an emergency. These are to be installed free of obstruction, with legible authorized wording in full view of traffic along this route. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $1,000.

Smoke alarms can give occupants the precious seconds needed to safely evacuate, and are to be kept operational at all time within each dwelling space by the landlord. Immediate corrective measures are to be taken upon false alarm reports, or awareness of any attempt to remove or disable the detectors. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $2,000.

Sprinkler and standpipe systems are designed to confine and control a fire and limit its spread within a building prior to the arrival of fire responders. There are mandatory clearance requirements which must be maintained between any stored items from the sprinkler heads and fire hose stations. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $3,000.

Upgrading fire alarm systems not only requires revision of the fire safety plan of the building, but also means that the Electrical Safety Authority must conduct an electrical inspection to ensure there are no hazards or deficiencies with respect to the Electrical Safety Code that could endanger the life or safety of occupants. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $2,000.

Means of egress from assembly buildings are designed for the evacuation of occupants during emergency situations. This includes a minimum number of egress doors, exits within prescribed maximum travel distances, corridors, exit signage and emergency lighting. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $10,000.

Fire extinguishers are to be present in buildings as outlined within the fire code. These are to be inspected and maintained in full working order at all times for possible use to extinguish or contain a small fire until the fire responders arrives. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $5,000.

Compliance for the installation of a fire-alarm system and the implementation of a fire safety plan for residential buildings with more than 10 people living in a space is a necessity to safe guard the occupants in the event a fire emergency arises within their premises. Failures to comply with such requirements have been known to carry penalties upwards of $30,000.