Surrey Fire Services Bylaw, 2026, No. 22020 (Prevention and Suppression of Fires)
Surrey, British Columbia
· adopted 2026-06-29
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CITY OF SURREY
BYLAW NO. 22020
A bylaw to provide for the prevention and suppression of fires.
..................................................................................................
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Surrey, in open meeting assembled,
ENACTS AS FOLLOWS:
Title
1.
This Bylaw may be cited as "Surrey Fire Services Bylaw, 2026, No. 22020"
Definitions
2.
In this Bylaw, the following expressions shall have the following meanings:
"Agricultural Purposes" - means purposes that contribute to a qualifying
agricultural use, as defined in the Classification of Land as a Farm Regulation, B.C.
Reg. 411/95, as amended.
"Apparatus" - means any vehicle providing a service by Surrey Fire Services.
"Authorized Designate" - means a Member provided with the written authority from the
Fire Chief to act on behalf of the Fire Chief;
"Building Code" - means the British Columbia Building Code established by the
order of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing numbered BA 2023 10 and
dated November 24, 2023, as may be amended or replaced from time to time.
"Code" - means the British Columbia Fire Code, as may be amended or
replaced from time to time.
"City" - means the City of Surrey.
"City Manager" - means the City Manager of the City of Surrey and any person authorized
by the City Manager to exercise authority on his behalf.
"Community Charter" - means the Community Charter, S.B.C. 2003, c. 26, as amended.
"Construction Fire Safety Plan" - has the meaning defined in the Code.
"Council" - means the Council of the City of Surrey.
"Equipment" - means any tools, machinery, devices, materials, or any other items
used or required by the Surrey Fire Services to combat an Incident.
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"Farm Property" - means any lot being used primarily as a farm for Agricultural
Purposes and is classified as a farm under the Classification of Land as a Farm
Regulation, B.C. Reg. 411/95, as amended.
"Fire Chief" - means the person appointed by the City Manager as the Fire Chief
of the Surrey Fire Services.
"Fire Inspection" - means an inspection of a premises by a Member either on
request of an Owner or Occupier, on notice to an Owner or Occupier, or in the
case of an emergency or other risk to personal property or public safety.
"Fire Inspector" - has the meaning defined in the Fire Safety Act.
"Fire Investigator" - has the meaning defined in the Fire Safety Act.
"Fire Investigation" - has the meaning defined in the Fire Safety Act.
"Fire Protection" - means all aspects of fire safety including but not limited to
the appointment of members of the Surrey Fire Services, the designation of Fire
Inspectors and Fire Investigators, compliance monitoring, Fire Safety Inspections,
Fire Inspections, Fire Safety Assessments, evacuations, fire prevention and related
inspections, fire fighting or suppression, pre-fire planning, Fire Investigations,
providing fire safety advice, public education and information, and staff training
and development.
"Fire Safety Act" - means the Fire Safety Act, SBC 2016, c 19, as amended.
"Fire Safety Assessment" - means a fire safety assessment pursuant to Section 21 of the
Fire Safety Act.
"Fire Safety Inspection" - means an inspection within the meaning of Section 9 of the
Fire Safety Act.
"Fire Safety Patrol" - a temporary monitoring measure requiring an Owner or Occupier
to assign one or more fire safety patrol persons, used for the purposes of identifying and
controlling fire hazards, detecting early signs of fire, raising an alarm for fire and notifying
Occupiers, the Surrey Fire Services, and other appropriate emergency agencies (including
by calling 9-1-1) in the event of an emergency.
"Fire Safety Plan" - means a fire safety plan as referenced and more particularly
described in the Code.
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"Incident" - means any occurrence, situation, or event to which the Surrey Fire Services
attends or is present at, including but not limited to:
(a)
fire, explosions or where a fire or explosion is imminent;
(b)
hazardous material releases or where dangerous or hazardous goods may
present a hazard
(c)
rescues;
(d)
medical emergencies;
(e)
motor vehicle accidents; and
(f)
any other emergency or non-emergency situation requiring the attendance of
Surrey Fire Services.
"Labourer" - means a person who performs work or services, including a Member, an
employee of the City, and a contractor or other person hired by or on behalf of the City to
perform work or services;
"Member" - means any employee of the City who is assigned to the operations division of
Surrey Fire Services or otherwise designated as a Member of Surrey Fire Services by the
Fire Chief. For certainty, the Fire Chief is also a Member.
"Occupier" - has the meaning as defined in the Community Charter.
"Owner" - has the meaning as defined in the Community Charter.
"Start" - means, in relation to a fire, to begin, ignite, kindle, light, set out or in any other
way cause a fire.
"Surrey Fire Services" - means the fire service of the City of Surrey.
Fire Chief and Fire Personnel
3.
The Fire Chief may appoint a Member of the Surrey Fire Services to act as Fire
Chief on their behalf.
Department Operations
4.
The Fire Chief has complete responsibility and authority over Surrey Fire Services,
subject to the direction and control of Council and the City Manager, and in
particular may carry out all Fire Protection activities deemed by the Fire Chief to
be in the interest of public safety including to protect persons or property, and
such other activities as Council directs.
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5.
The Fire Chief may designate, in writing, persons or a class of persons as:
(a)
Fire Inspectors to conduct Fire Safety Inspections; and .
(b)
Fire Investigators to conduct Fire Investigations,
provided that any such person appointed meets the applicable standards
established by the fire commissioner pursuant to the Fire Safety Act.
6.
The Fire Chief may establish rules, regulations, policies and committees necessary
for the proper organization and administration of the Surrey Fire Services
including but not limited to:
(a)
use, care and protection of Surrey Fire Services property;
(b)
the conduct and discipline of officers and members of the Surrey
Fire Services; and
(c)
efficient operations of the Surrey Fire Services.
Fire Chief Powers
7.
The Fire Chief and any Member, may:
(a)
enter on property and inspect premises for conditions that may cause a
fire, increase the danger of a fire, or increase the danger to persons or
property from a fire;
(b)
enter on property to inspect premises and determine whether all
regulations, prohibitions and requirements are being met under this
Bylaw;
(c)
take measures to prevent and suppress fires, including the demolition of
buildings and other structures to prevent the spreading of fire or
securing vacant buildings to prevent fires;
(d)
engage third-party contractors or service providers to assist with the
measures referenced in Section 7(c); and
(e)
require an Owner or Occupier of real property to undertake any actions
directed by the Fire Chief or a Member for the purpose of removing or
reducing any thing or condition that the Fire Chief or a Member
considers is a fire hazard or increases the danger of fire.
8.
None of the specific powers conferred by the other provisions of this Bylaw shall
be construed as limiting the generality of the authority conferred by Section 7.
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9.
The third-party contractors and service providers referenced in Section 7(d) are
authorized to enter onto private property to take measures to prevent and
suppress fires.
Entrance With or Without Notice
10.
The Fire Chief and any Member may, without notice of the entry in the case of
an emergency, or, on giving the Occupier no less than 24 hours' written notice of
the entry and the reasons for it where there is no emergency, enter into a place
that is occupied as a private dwelling, if they have reasonable grounds for
believing that a failure to enter may result in a significant risk to the health and
safety of the Occupier or other persons.
11.
No person shall prevent any Member from entering premises where so
authorized pursuant to this Bylaw or the Fire Safety Act.
Fire Safety Assessment
12.
The Fire Chief may require an Owner of a public building to conduct a Fire
Safety Assessment. If a Fire Safety Assessment is not submitted as required by
the Fire Safety Act, the Fire Chief may conduct a Fire Safety Inspection of the
applicable premises.
Fire and Other Incidents
13.
The Fire Chief and any Member may take measures to prevent and suppress fires,
including the demolition of buildings and other structures to prevent the spreading
of fire.
14.
The Fire Chief and any Member present at an Incident may enter premises or
property where the Incident occurred and to cause any Apparatus or Equipment of
the Surrey Fire Services to enter, as they deem appropriate, in order to combat,
control or deal with an Incident.
15.
The Fire Chief and any Member present at an Incident may enter, pass through or
over buildings or property adjacent to an Incident and to cause Apparatus and
Equipment of the Surrey Fire Services to enter or pass through or over buildings or
property, where they deem it appropriate to gain access to the Incident or to protect
any person or property.
16.
The Fire Chief and any Member present at an Incident may borrow privately owned
equipment or personal property as necessary to deal with an Incident.
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Preventive Evacuations
17.
The Fire Chief and any Member may evacuate a premises if they believe that
conditions exist on or in the premises that a fire on or in the premises would
endanger life, and the Owner of the premises has failed to comply with an order
issued under Section 11 of the Fire Safety Act. The Fire Chief or Member's authority
to evacuate includes the authority to enter onto or into premises in accordance with
this Bylaw.
18.
An Owner of evacuated premises must secure the premises to prevent unauthorized entry.
Orders and Notices
19.
Without limiting the generality of Section 7(e), the Fire Chief and any Member may issue
an Order requiring any of the following to the Owner or Occupier of a building or
premises for the purpose of removing or reducing any thing or condition that the Fire
Chief or Member considers is a fire hazard or increases the danger of fire:
(a)
the furnishing of information and records including but not limited to
information required in connection with a determination of occupant
load;
(b)
the display of appropriate signage;
(c)
changes in or reductions of occupancy to address violations of
occupancy load;
(d)
the removal, destruction, or repair of the premises if such removal,
destruction, or repair is required to protect life and property;
(e)
the repair of a fire alarm system;
(f)
that premises be continuously secured by the Owner or Occupier, as
required to prevent unauthorized entry; and/or
(g)
that a Fire Safety Patrol be implemented, including in circumstances
where fire protection systems or equipment are temporarily out of
service, require servicing, have been silenced or have been shut down.
20.
Any person who is subject to an order issued under Sections 7(e) or 19 of this Bylaw shall
comply with that order. If a person fails to comply with such an order, the City may fulfill
the requirements at the expense of that person and recover the costs incurred from that
person as a debt. The City's fulfillment of requirements pursuant to this Section may be
authorized by either the Fire Chief or their Authorized Designate.
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Miscellaneous Fires and Burning
21.
No person shall Start, maintain or authorize any outdoor fire, including but not limited to
for Agricultural Purposes on Farm Property, unless in accordance with a permit issued by
the Fire Chief and otherwise in compliance with the provisions of this Bylaw. Such permit
must be displayed on site of the burning.
22.
There shall be no fee for a burning permit issued for Agricultural Purposes on Farm
Property, and such permit shall be kept at the burning site.
23.
The Fire Chief or their Authorized Designate may issue a burning permit if, in the Fire
Chief's opinion, such a fire can be supported, having regard to the safety and protection of
persons or property and the atmospheric conditions and other local circumstances at the
time of the burning which may make such a fire a hazard, a nuisance, or otherwise unsafe.
24.
The Fire Chief or their Authorized Designate may deny or revoke a permit when, in the
Fire Chief or their Authorized Designate's opinion, atmospheric conditions or local
circumstances may make a fire under the permit a hazard, a nuisance, or otherwise unsafe.
25.
All material authorized to be burned outdoors on a property pursuant to this Bylaw must be
native to the property.
26.
Any person who Starts an outdoor fire in compliance with the provisions of this Bylaw
shall keep a competent adult person at all times in charge of the fire while it is burning or
smoldering, and shall provide that person with sufficient appliances and equipment in
order to prevent the fire from burning out of control, causing damage, or becoming
dangerous.
27.
No person shall Start an outdoor fire upon the land of another without permission of the
Owner thereof.
28.
No person shall transport, or cause to be transported, material of any kind into the City
from either outside the City or from one lot to another for the purpose of burning such
material outdoors.
29.
The Fire Chief or their Authorized Designate may Start, maintain, or authorize,
without a permit, fires for purposes related to the activities of Surrey Fire Services,
including but not limited to training purposes or to prevent the commencement
or spreading of fire.
Fire Safety Plan and Construction Fire Safety Plan
30.
The Fire Chief and any Member may require an Owner or Occupier of a
premises to prepare a Fire Safety Plan or Construction Fire Safety Plan that:
(a)
complies with the requirements of the Code;
(b)
is in a form prescribed by and acceptable to the Fire Chief;
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(c)
is submitted to the Fire Chief for their review and approval;
(d)
is displayed in a location and manner as determined by the Fire Chief;
and
(e)
is reviewed annually by the Owner or Occupier of the premises and
revised to reflect changes and, if so revised, resubmitted to the Fire
Chief pursuant to this Section.
Fees
31.
Where a fee is expressed in this Bylaw as charged at an hourly rate, the fee will be
prorated based on rounding to the nearest half-hour.
32.
Any person who is requesting a Fire Inspection, or in the absence of a request, the
Owner, shall pay the City the following fees, plus all applicable taxes, for the
following services provided by Surrey Fire Services:
(a)
Fire Inspection pursuant to a request: $354.00 per hour except in the case
of a mobile food vendor in which case the fee is a flat fee for inspection of
$50.00;
(b)
Any Fire Inspection to follow up on violations identified during a
previous Fire Inspection: $354.00 per hour except in the case of a mobile
food vendor in which case the fee is a flat fee of $50.00; and
(c)
Any Fire Inspection scheduled with an Owner or Occupier for which
access is not provided to the premises: $354.00 per hour.
33.
Any person who is requesting a Fire Safety Inspection, or in the absence of a
request, the Owner, shall pay the City the following fees, plus all applicable taxes,
for the following services provided by Surrey Fire Services:
(a)
Fire Safety Inspection pursuant to a request: $354.00 per hour;
(b)
Any Fire Safety Inspection to follow up on violations identified during a
previous Fire Safety Inspection: $354.00 per hour;
(c)
Any Fire Safety Inspection performed due to an Owner's failure to submit
a Fire Safety Assessment as required by the Fire Safety Act: $354.00 per
hour; and
(d)
Any Fire Safety Inspection scheduled with an Owner or Occupier for
which access is not provided to the premises: $354 per hour.
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34.
An Owner shall pay the City the fees noted below, plus applicable taxes if Surrey
Fire Services Members perform or authorize other City staff or contractors to perform
the services noted below:
(a)
demolishing or removing a building, in whole or in part, situated on the
premises of an Incident, to prevent the spreading of fire: $560.00 per
hour per Labourer deployed to perform the work;
(b)
securing vacant premises against unauthorized entry by boarding,
securing, fencing, or other similar measures:
i.
$220.00 base fee;
ii.
$94.00 per Labourer per hour; and
iii.
$210.00 per access point secured;
(c)
securing vacant premises against unauthorized entry by hiring security
guards: $50.00 per hour per guard on site;
(d)
removing or abating hazardous conditions contributing to fire risk
including but not limited to combustible materials or debris: $560.00 per
hour per Labourer deployed to perform the work;
(e)
stabilizing or remediating fire-damaged or unsafe structures: $560.00 per
hour per Labourer deployed to perform the work; and
(f)
combatting or attending an Incident caused in whole or in part by non-
compliance with this Bylaw or other illegal, unlawful, or prohibited
conduct occurring on or in relation to the premises, including but not
limited to criminal activity, unlawful occupancy, or activities conducted
contrary to applicable laws: $1336.00 per hour per Apparatus assigned to
the Incident.
35.
Any person requesting the Surrey Fire Services provide the following services
shall pay the City the following fees, plus applicable taxes, and the Surrey Fire
Services shall perform the requested service:
(a)
Review of Fire Safety Plan or Construction Fire Safety Plan in the case of
a high building, as defined in the Building Code, or a care or detention
occupancy (Group B), as defined in the Code: $409.00 for up to 3 hours
and $137.00 per additional hour of review required.
(b)
Review of Fire Safety Plan or Construction Fire Safety Plan other than
those described in Section 35(a): $274.00 for up to 2 hours and $137.00
per additional hour of review required.
(c)
Review and transmission of existing Surrey Fire Services records or
information pertaining to a property including but not limited to in
relation to spills, underground tanks, frequency of inspection, Code
violations, amounts owing under, or orders issued pursuant to, this
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Bylaw: $231.00 per request.
(d)
Review of proposed occupant load, including without limitation review
of professional drawings by an architect or other registered professional
and any site inspection:
i.
$563.00 where the proposed occupant load is 150 persons or less; and
ii.
$938.00 where the proposed occupant load is 151 persons or
more.
Payment Terms
36.
Any fees or costs owing under this Bylaw are due and payable on the 15th day after
the date those fees or costs have been invoiced to the person liable for payment.
37.
Fees and costs payable for work done or services provided to land or
improvements, including but not limited to fees incurred pursuant to Sections
34(a) through (f) shall, if unpaid on or before December 31 of the year that the
invoice was due, be added to and form part of the property taxes as taxes in arrears
on the property to which they apply.
Offences and Penalties
38.
Every person who violates any of the provisions of this Bylaw, or who suffers or
permits any act or thing to be done in contravention or in violation of any of the
provisions of this Bylaw, or who neglects to do or refrains from doing anything
required to be done by any of the provisions of this Bylaw, or who does any act or
thing or omits any act or thing thus violating any of the provisions of this Bylaw,
shall be deemed to have committed an offence, and upon a summary conviction
is liable to a fine of not less than $100 or more than $50,000. Each day that such
violation continues shall constitute a separate offence.
Repeal
39.
"Surrey Fire Prevention By-law, 1990, No. 10771", together with all amendments
thereto, is hereby repealed.
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PASSED FIRST READING on the 15th day of June, 2026.
PASSED SECOND READING on the 15th day of June, 2026.
PASSED THIRD READING on the 15th day of June, 2026.
RECONSIDERED AND FINALLY ADOPTED, signed by the Mayor and Clerk, and sealed
with the Corporate Seal on the 29th day of June, 2026.
MAYOR
CLERK