Severity:
Critical - resolve urgently
Status:
New - for discussion with the administration
Problem Description:
The RTC obtained the incident report for the fire on April 30, 2024, provided by the Clerk's Office of the City of Montreal. Unfortunately only the french document was provided however we translated the most interesting parts below.
Relevant details:
- The fire chief determined that the fire was caused by a cigarette thrown into the garbage container.
- A sprinkler activated.
- An alarm system connected to a central unit activated.
- The smoke detector activated.
- The first firefighters were called at 9:10 AM and took 4 minutes and 41 seconds to arrive on site.
- Upon departure, the firefighters informed the dispatch center that the alarms raised by the system and the sprinklers were non-urgent, likely because they had difficulty stopping them (as described by eyewitnesses). The firefighters instructed Minto officials to call the alarm company for verification.
Conclusion:
- The source of the fire was minor but demonstrates that cigarette use is poorly controlled; cameras in strategic locations in the garage would help maintain the security of the premises.
- The alarm system and sprinklers operated, which is reassuring.
- The firefighters had to ask Minto to have the alarm and sprinklers checked. Is this related to incidents that occurred early in the morning, twice since the fire?
Additionally, witnesses mentioned that the new speaker system was not working, and residents were unsure whether it was a drill or a real incident.
The Collective has requested that tenants be informed of the status of the alarm project, especially since the old communication system was removed while the new one does not seem fully operational yet.
