Iqaluit jail inspection finds dozens of fire code problems
Fire Marshal finds blocked exits, malfunctioning fire extinguishers, among other hazards
CBC News
Posted: Jan 3, 2013 9:06 AM CST
Last Updated: Jan 4, 2013 3:25 PM CST
The Baffin Correctional Centre in Iqaluit has been cited for more than 40 fire code 'deficiencies', including blocked fire exits and malfunctioning fire extinguishers. (Vincent Desrosiers/CBC)
A fire inspection last spring at the Baffin Correctional Center in Iqaluit found 42 National Fire Code of Canada 'deficiencies’.
The inspection took place in April, 2012, according to documents CBC obtained through Access to Information.
The documents also show it was the first fire prevention inspection since 2010.
Nunavut’s Assistant Fire Marshal, Frederick Morrison, visited the Baffin Correctional Centre in April. His report detailed dozens of fire hazards at the jail at that time.
Morrison found exit doors blocked by chairs, shelves, a garbage container and other materials. One fire extinguisher hadn't been inspected in years and another wasn't properly installed. There were corroded and painted sprinkler heads, and some exit signs weren't operating properly. An exit ramp was partly obstructed by combustibles and other materials.
In March 2012, just before the inspection, a clothes dryer caught fire at the jail. Details from an incident report show the first two fire extinguishers that staff tried didn't work. The cause of the fire was a buildup of dryer lint.
Nearly a month later when Morrison came to do his general inspection, he found there was still excess lint on the floor, walls and behind the dryers.
Nunavut's Department of Justice is soon expected to provide information on its follow-up to the assistant fire Marshal’s inspection.
All the necessary changes were supposed to have been completed by Aug. 1, 2012.
Share Tools
Latest North News Headlines
- Agnico-Eagle worker found alive after blizzard
- A worker missing from Agnico-Eagle's Meliadine camp near Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, was found alive late Thursday night, after weathering a potentially record-breaking blizzard. more »
- Sahtu board issues draft conditions for fracking project
- The Sahtu Land and Water Board has decided not to send a controversial drilling exploration project near Norman Wells, N.W.T., to an environmental assessment. more »
- Iqaluit man faces firearms charges
- David Kunuk, 41, has been charged with careless use of a firearm, improper use of a firearm and resisting arrest. more »
- RCMP crack down on road safety during long weekend
- RCMP across the north are using the Victoria Day long weekend as a time to remind people about road safety. It's part of a plan to make Canada's roads the safest in the world by 2015. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Rescue attempt over for New Brunswick fishermen
- The rescue attempt for two missing fishermen has been called off in New Brunswick, hours after one body was found. more »
- Spectator killed at Edmonton Jeep event
- A 20-year-old woman died Saturday during an event for Jeep enthusiasts held in a parking lot just west of downtown Edmonton. more »
- Astronaut Chris Hadfield adjusts to 'earthling' life
- Canada's space ambassador, Chris Hadfield, is still readapting to life on this planet after spending 146 days in zero gravity as commander of the International Space Station. For now, though, he's taking his homecoming one step at a time. more »
- Winning ticket sold in Florida for $590M Powerball jackpot
- A lottery official says one winning ticket has been sold in Florida for a record Powerball jackpot of more than $590 million. more »
- Bell Mobility to appeal ruling in 911 lawsuit
- Agnico-Eagle worker found alive after blizzard
- RCMP crack down on road safety during long weekend
- Eaglet hatches on Whitehorse nest cam
- Yukon Electrical launches eagle cam in Whitehorse
- Iqaluit man faces firearms charges
- Whitehorse ski hill could be sustainable, says consultant
- 5 ways to camp to the max in N.W.T.'s parks
- Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, digs out from record snowfall

