2025-2029 Surrey Financial Plan

FIRE

• The Community Property Safety Team (“CPST”) treats distressed residential properties with an immediate focus on unsecured or breached abandoned properties by ensuring that property owners maintain their properties in a safety- focused manner to reduce the risk of fire, loss of life or injury. Since inception, 2,061 properties have been identified by the CPST, 1,047 of those properties were demolished by their owners, and 489 properties re-invested and 344 properties are considered stable with no further interventions required. The program’s success at identifying distressed properties using predictive modeling combined with progressive security measures, targeted inspections, and reporting of security breaches by fire crews has resulted in a reduction of structure fires in abandoned homes. This program continues to prioritize safety for the public and reduce associated risks to firefighters.

PUBLIC SAFETY

• Distributed targeted fire risk reduction messaging to over 14,000 homes to reduce fire related deaths and injuries at residential properties; • Over 12,700 smoke alarm functionality verifications in 2024 to ensure residents have a working early alerting mechanism in the event of a residential fire. The current rate of 62.9% working smoke alarms found at

• Inspected 8,034 business properties and provided 7,572 safety educational inspection pamphlets to the business proprietors. This ongoing process bolsters the City’s efforts to improve fire code compliance and the resiliency of businesses; • Over 1,700 residences in proximity to parks with high density tree coverage were sent “FireSmart” messaging to encourage proactive efforts to reduce wildland urban interface fire risk; Collaborated with the Housing & Social Development division to develop a Temporary Winter Sheltering Application Guideline. This guideline is now being used to process applications from applicants who wish to provide temporary winter shelter spaces in their buildings. The • guideline has been effective in providing applicants with clear communications on the application process as well as the regulatory, technical and operational requirements that provide a consistent level of fire and life safety within the shelter spaces;

residentials fires has significantly increased from the previous rate of 38% in 2010;

Surrey Fire Service is committed to ensuring that residents have a working smoke alarm through the HomeSafe program

City of Surrey | 2025—2029 Financial Plan | General Operating Fund | Fire

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