Licensing Requirements for Service Personnel

The Fire Prevention By-law No. 150/2004 has been amended effective February 1, 2009. Amendments directly impacting servicing agencies that inspect, test and maintain fire protection and life safety installations include:

• The definition of Qualified Service Person has been replaced with Licensed Service Person
• A Licensed Service Person must hold a valid license for inspecting, testing and maintaining fire protection and life safety systems
• The license is issued by the Winnipeg Fire Department subject to verification of qualifications
• Licences are valid for one year
• The cost of a license is $20 per year
• It is an offence for a service person to fill out a label without having a license or to provide false information on a license
• It is an offence for a building owner to permit an illegal label to be attached
• A service person who contravenes the label requirements will be liable to a fine of $500. (The fine may be discounted to $300 plus court costs if paid within 14 days of the offence notice.)

A license may be obtained from the Fire Prevention Office, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Applicants must appear in person with the original copy of their qualifications. These will be photocopied and returned to the applicant.

These amendments have been put into place to ensure that service personnel file evidence of their qualifications, to ensure that qualifications remain current, and to ensure that persons inspecting, testing and maintaining fire protection and life safety installations are qualified to do so.