Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal

Montréal, February 13, 2015 - Montréal Mayor Denis Coderre and Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) Director François Massé have announced the upcoming establishment of a subsidy program for owners of private seniors’ residences in the agglomeration of Montréal in order to encourage the installation of sprinkler systems in their establishments.

This announcement follows the drafting, by the SIM in late 2014, of the Règlement sur les subventions relatives à l’amélioration de la sécurité incendie des résidences privées pour aînés (By-law concerning subsidies to improve fire safety in seniors’ residences) and its adoption earlier this week by the Ville de Montréal executive committee.

The announcement comes on the same day that coroner Cyrille Delâge tabled his public inquiry report on the fatal fire that occurred at the Résidence du Havre in L’Isle-Verte on January 23, 2014. The tragedy claimed the lives of 32 seniors. The report states that automatic sprinklers are among the solutions that should be favoured in order to prevent a reoccurrence of such events.

“We all remember the terrible events that occurred at L’Isle-Verte. That’s why the Ville de Montréal and its fire department are introducing this new subsidy program whose chief objective is to improve the safety of our seniors,” said Mr. Coderre.

The program is geared to private seniors’ residences that are part of the provincial certification process, and it applies to all new installations of sprinkler systems or all partial sprinkler systems in need of completion. “The objective of the program is to reduce and even eliminate the loss of human life and materials in private seniors’ residences. The installation of a sprinkler system confines the fire to its original room, limiting its spread and allowing firefighters to intervene effectively,” said Mr. Massé.

With an investment of $2 million per year by the Ville de Montréal, this by-law will make the owners of these establishments eligible for financial assistance for purposes of installing sprinkler systems. About 110 private seniors’ residences in the agglomeration of Montréal will be eligible for the subsidy program.

The agglomeration council will adopt the by-law in March 2015, and the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal will begin accepting applications on May 15, 2015.

This program is aimed at improving fire safety in seniors’ residences and optimizing intervention by firefighters.