Asleep in bed, the sound of sirens outside your condo awakens you in the middle of the morning. You hear no alarm and no security announcement, yet the sirens blare loudly. Looking outside, countless fire, police and ambulance vehicles congregate below. Red lights glitter off your window as more vehicles arrive from the main street. Emergency responders huddle at the main entrance—waiting. Still no announcement. The distinct sound of radio chatter fills the air. You wonder what’s going on, what should I do, and how concerned should I be?

The lack of access to key areas of properties and critical information for emergency responders is an unfortunate common reality in high-rise settings across North America. What happens if a condo’s site security becomes incapacitated or is away from the desk, tending to a medical emergency?

What happens when there is no security presence at a site? The fire department can retrieve the keys from the fire key box or smash the door glass to gain entry (which happens more often than one would think), but experts often cite process and systemic failures as the cause.

Is this the standard of care that citizens deserve?

During inquests and post-incident inquires experts have identified three major solutions to overcome barriers that directly impede the effectiveness of emergency responders: immediate and unencumbered access to areas within high-rise sites in emergencies; advanced site layout knowledge so emergency responders know exactly it often takes too long for emergency responders to find and gain access into unfamiliar areas of the building without security assistance or site knowledge from key personnel who can assist.

Such delays have been well documented and have been repeatedly pored over by lawyers and experts alike throughout North America. The aftermath and critiques are never flattering. In many cases, emergency responders have been highly criticized despite not having the adequate tools to effectively do their jobs.

Post-incident analysis where the source of the problems are; and accessing immediate communication channels to key site personnel like the property manager, security, and building superintendent who know the site intimately.

Getting instant access and information are critical success factors for emergency responders. Do they have the proper tools now? No. Should they? Yes, as their primary duty above all else is the preservation of life. Are they frustrated? Yes, and they continue to openly voice their frustrations. This is not a local problem but something that emergency responders face throughout North America.

Emergency responders also face significant dangers personally when responding to emergencies. Whether incidents relate to active aggressors or hidden dangers because of improperly stored chemicals/ combustibles, the risk is real. Knowing the risks before emergency responders get to a scene by accessing critical information is the key to both saving lives and protecting their own lives, something that responders fear and know all too well.

In the United States, there have been countless mass casualty disasters where responders were frustrated by the lack of site access, information on site configuration, and/or access to key site personnel, which has led to unintended consequences including death.

An extreme example is the El Centro College shooting incident in 2016, one of the deadliest in U.S. law enforcement history, that involved an active aggressor. Post-incident analysis, criticism, and lawsuits focused on several failures. Delay in responding due to lack of information featured prominently in the aftermath analysis.

Major incidents are not limited to the U.S. although they have had more than their fair share. Back in 2014, an explosion at a condominium in downtown Toronto’s Liberty Village blew up an entire unit, resulting in a major fire. This was caused by an illegal methadone lab. The outcome was severe; luckily no lives were lost.

Advanced knowledge of dangerous materials is critical for emergency responders. They need to know exactly what is behind every single door, especially where chemicals are stored. Opening a door can fuel a fire and cause tremendous damage, serious injury, and very likely, the loss of life. The potential for explosions is also real in high-rise communities that turn a blind eye to illegal propane barbecues on balconies and improperly stored paint and chemicals inside high-rise locker rooms.

Moving towards a better standard of care

Dating back to 2008, the Ontario Incident Management System (IMS) is a science that emergency responders heavily rely upon as the benchmark standard during emergencies. IMS offers clear, straightforward guidance on communicating, coordinating, and collaborating during an incident response. Part of that significantly relies on quick access to key areas of sites and the control of information.

As it stands, Ontario’s current benchmark standard for access control and information in high-rise communities is the fire safety plan and key boxes that contain site access keys, floor plans, and a list of persons requiring special assistance.

Can you imagine in this day and age emergency responders having to flip through hardcopy floor plans (often out-of-date and faded) in the dark of night to determine important site areas when they arrive at a scene? This is not the standard of care that emergency responders should be working with. They deserve better. Much better.

It is not that people aren’t talking about this. Safety advocates and experts in Ontario are stepping up to the plate and pushing for more tools to help emergency responders. For example, a groundbreaking initiative is now underway in Ontario in several jurisdictions to reduce emergency response times and mitigate risk.

The Peel Regional Police Service is one jurisdiction that is leading what’s called the Building Emergency Access Program, which focuses on high-rise community safety and resident well-being. Peel has partnered with a company (Safe Buildings) to create an information and access online portal – an application specifically designed to help emergency responders.

Safe Buildings is currently piloting this program in Peel to test its reliability in high-rise communities. The technology involves a resilient online application that digitizes floor plans and information for site key contacts like the property manager and security. Emergency responders can access this information prior to reaching the site, which for them is a real game changer.

A critical component of this application is that it allows for immediate access to remotely open main doors of a site when no one is present to assist. This shaves vital seconds, and even minutes, off response times. New York City has already integrated a similar program as a mandatory feature for all high-rise buildings. The hope is that the same happens in Ontario.

Right now, this technology is not yet mandatory across the province. Registering sites online for this program is currently on a voluntary basis and only in a small area of Peel Region under the pilot project. The voluntary nature of this project makes it very difficult to gain enough traction so the program is effective for emergency responders.

Yet like other regulated minimum safety standards for high-rise buildings, such as emergency call buttons in elevators that are directed to third-party providers, Safe Buildings technology is specifically designed to save lives and in the view of many, including emergency responders, this program should be mandatory across the province.

The Safe Buildings program was created to be net-zero cost to all end users at high-rise sites. Ontario has already set aside monies for local governments to create initiatives to improve community safety. In response to provincial monies, local jurisdictions are finding ways to implement programs using these funds.

For instance, Toronto created the SafeTO program that was approved in January 2022. SafeTO is a long-term plan to spend provincial monies directed to improving community safety that involves prevention and well-being, not just crime and enforcement.

Although SafeTO money has not yet been earmarked for Safe Buildings technology in high-rise communities, it seems like a natural fit. Regulating this program province-wide will go a long way to mitigating risk and saving lives. The technology is working well in other jurisdictions. We just need the political will to make it mandatory.

Safe Buildings is led by Jason Reid, senior advisor for fire and emergency management with National Life Safety Group, and Aamer Merchant, a police professional with a strong technology background. Merchant says that embracing innovative technologies is crucial in today’s resource-constrained environment where vertical living is becoming more prevalent in urban settings.

“By adopting responsive technologies, governments can fulfill their commitments to serve their residents effectively while also safeguarding both citizens and emergency responders,” Merchant says. “It’s not just about keeping pace with the times, but also staying ahead to meet the evolving needs of communities.”

Quintin Johnstone is CEO of Riskboss Inc. and a former Toronto police officer. For more information on articles like this, or to answer any question on risk identification/mitigation, visit www.riskboss.com.

For more information on Safe Buildings technology visit: www.safebuildings.ca