Fire inspection companies face charges

Several individuals and two fire inspection companies are accused of failing to conduct required inspections of a commercial building in Scarborough and two downtown condo buildings.

Toronto Fire Services announced the provincial offence charges Thursday and said its probe into the dangerous alleged lapses continues and may produce more charges involving more properties.

The two properties cited in a news release are a commercial building at 1100 Birchmount Rd. and condos at 77 and 79 Harbour Square on the waterfront.

Charged in connection with the Birchmount building are: Advanced Detection Technologies Corp., which has an office on Markham Rd.; James Singer; Rauf Ahmad; and Jamia Talimul.

Charged in connection with the Harbour Square buildings are: Keyong Tao; York Fire Protection, which has an office on Manorwood Rd.; Bushra Rauf; Maf-Bar Consell Ltee.; Dave Daniels; 8281076 Canada Ltd., which records say is based at the Birchmount Rd. building, and Rauf Ahmad.

Charges include failure to ensure a person inspects, tests, repairs, replaces and alters a fire alarm system in accordance with the Fire Code and to maintain the fire alarm and sprinkler system in operating condition.

Penalties for violations run up to $50,000 and/or a year in jail for individuals and up to $100,000 for a corporation.