False alarms posing real threat
After 10 false alarms -- all from the same first-floor pull station -- and two small fires over the past two years, at least one resident of a Penticton apartment building is worried people will die in the event of a real emergency.
During the last false alarm on Dec. 7, 2023, just three people actually left their units and met outside at the rear of the 24-unit building at 100 Edmonton Ave. while waiting for the fire department to arrive.
“You can see, because the curtains are open, everyone’s still inside their suites,” said one of those three residents, who spoke to The Herald on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions.
“What’s the point in leaving anymore? It’s another false alarm. But how do we know that?”
The resident has spent years chasing the building’s manager and owner to make good on a promise they made to tenants in March 2022 to install security cameras in the building.
“One camera would solve the problem,” said the resident, noting it’s a single pull box in the lobby that’s been the source of the false alarms.
Little fires here and there
Details of the Penticton Fire Department’s attendance over the past two years at 100 Edmonton Ave. are contained in documents provided through a freedom of information request that was obtained by The Herald.
The first fire was lit around 10 a.m. on March 23, 2022, in a garbage can in a stairwell.
“The garbage can was removed from inside the building to the outside. Advised not to have garbage cans in the stairwells. RCMP attended as there have been multiple pull station alarms and now a minor fire inside the building,” explains the fire department’s report.
The second fire was lit around noon on Jan. 11, 2023.
“Cardboard by Unit 102 was ignited. A tenant carried the flaming box outside,” explains the fire department’s report.
False alarms
The false alarms in 2022 were recorded on Feb. 19, March 4, March 5, March 15, March 26 and Aug. 12, according to a letter sent by the Penticton Fire Department to the building’s owner in December 2022.
Contained in the package is a report for another false alarm Oct. 22 in which a fire official noted: “Malicious person falsely activated front lobby pull station. Witnessed by other tenant. Same person as before. Multiple incidents for same issue.”
The false alarms in 2023 were recorded on Jan. 11, Oct. 2, Oct. 19 and Dec. 7, according to a letter sent by the Penticton Fire Department to the building’s owner in December 2023.
The letters note the city’s fees and charges bylaw allows for a $425 fine for recurring false fire alarms, but only after the fourth occurrence in a calendar year. It’s unclear from the documents the amount of fines that were actually imposed.
The 2023 letter also states: “Every fire alarm activation was the result of a manual pull station being activated on the first floor.”
Your safety is our priority
Following the first three false alarms of 2022, the building’s then-manger distributed notices that stated tenants’ safety “is a priority to the building management” and outlined two measures to curb the problems.
First: “An investigation is currently underway to find the person/s responsible for this malicious behaviour. Therefore, if any evidence of mischievous intention is found, the perpetrator will be evicted with immediate effect and liable to penalties under the fire and life safety bylaws,” states the notice.
Second: “Security cameras are being installed around the building.”
Yet, nearly two years later, the cameras still haven’t arrived.
“Half the building signed letters asking (the owner) to honour his word and nothing’s been done,” said the concerned resident.
“It just seems weird. I don’t know what the lack of motivation is to solve the problem.”
Monitoring the situation
The building is managed by Penticton-based Locke Property Management and owned by Edmonton businessman Peter Stoye.
Both parties defended their management of the property in a joint statement issued to The Herald this week.
“Locke Property Management and the property owner are careful to follow all building and fire code regulations and requirements. Fire exits, fire doors, extinguisher and alarms are all checked regularly,” says the statement, which made no mention of the broken promise on security cameras.
“Tenants are made fully aware of fire evacuation, response, and safety requirements – and thereby how to respond in the case of a fire alarm or emergency. We continually monitor both building and tenant safety in an effort to improve living and tenancy experiences for the community residing within this building.”
Hoses are tied
Penticton’s fire chief said his department has levied two fines against the building owner and there’s nothing more it can do.
“The (fire alarm) system itself is fully compliant and neither the department or the city can dictate the installation of cameras to capture who might be pulling the alarms as a preventative measure,” said Chief Mike Larsson in a statement this week.
“As noted, there were two calls for small fires, so residents of the building should take each alarm seriously. Those who are falsely pulling the alarm face prosecution if caught (and) are simply wasting fire resources by taking them away from real incidents and putting the public at risk.”