Ottawa's Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee

Ottawa's Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee recognized Paramedics Week, received Ottawa Fire Services' annual report, approved a motion asking the province to regulate indoor lithium-ion battery storage and charging, and discussed a report on construction encroachments and enforcement gaps affecting neighbouring properties.

PARAMEDICS WEEK AND BRAVERY MEDALS

The committee marked Paramedics Week and recognized Ottawa paramedics François Jacques and Stephen Welsh, who received the Ontario Bravery Medal for their actions during a dog attack on Oct. 18, 2025. Vice-Chair David Hill said that "without any equipment available, paramedic Welsh held the dog while Mr. Jacques assisted the victim," adding that Welsh is "the first recipient in Ontario to have received this medal twice." The committee also welcomed Jake Gravel as the new Director of Regulatory Services.

LITHIUM-ION BATTERY FIRE SAFETY

The committee approved a motion on lithium-ion battery fire risks after hearing that Ottawa Fire Services recorded 19 such incidents in 2024, 25 in 2025 and 10 so far in 2026. Hill's motion said the city has no specific bylaw governing the storage or charging of lithium-ion batteries in devices such as e-bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices, and asked council to support provincial Fire Code rules for indoor storage and charging.

Fire officials said the issue is growing faster than regulation. In remarks supporting the motion, the fire chief said, "The technology is advancing so quickly that legislation is not keeping pace, mainly with batteries," and added that "there have been two deaths … from an electric bike that caught fire within a residential unit." He said Ottawa Fire Services supports provincial standards, "mainly [for] the storage of electric bikes or electric scooters in multi-unit buildings."

FIRE SERVICES ANNUAL REPORT

Ottawa Fire Services reported a $201.1-million operating budget, about 1,500 staff across 45 stations, a 9 per cent increase in calls to the fire system and a 1 per cent increase in interventions. Staff said false alarms rose by 2 per cent, below the usual annual increase of about 11 per cent, and that roughly 3,000 notices or invoices were issued in 2025. Medical interventions were down 12 per cent under a revised dispatch approach with paramedics.

The report also highlighted a 26 per cent increase in hazardous materials interventions and a 12 per cent increase in technical rescues. Fire official Isabelle Skalski said most hazardous-materials calls were carbon monoxide incidents "in residences but also housing units in buildings." She added that moderate-risk calls account for "close to 80% of the calls received every day," and said the service was watching response performance closely where "we are exceeding the response times a little" for some part-time first responders.

Staff also pointed to 22 firefighter hires for Stittsville, $750,000 in cancer-prevention funding, and planning work for stations in Manotick and Greely and for a future training centre.

RESPONSE TIMES, RURAL COVERAGE AND PUBLIC SAFETY

Committee members questioned how traffic congestion affects emergency response and asked for clearer explanations of changes in rural fire-risk reporting. Councillor Clarke Kelly asked, "With an increase in road traffic, we as a city have to manage traffic jams… What is the role or impact of the increase in traffic on your ability to meet intervention deadlines?" He also pressed staff on fees tied to false alarms, asking whether billing applies "only for repeated false alarms" or whether there are other service-call charges.

Councillor Riley Brockington asked staff, "For transparency, could you identify when you revised your figures [and] explain the reason why you revised these figures." Kelly also questioned the report's wording on rural impacts, asking, "Why in the report do you say that there was no impact in the rural area?" Staff said they would continue to clarify methodology and monitor performance closely.

CONSTRUCTION ENCROACHMENTS AND ENFORCEMENT

The committee discussed a report from Councillor Stéphanie Plante on construction impacts on neighbouring properties, including damaged fences, blocked driveways, debris, excavation onto adjacent land and safety risks. Plante said residents described "property damage, insecurity, stress, temporary evacuation from their homes and the feeling of being abandoned in a system where no one seemed clearly responsible." She said their testimony made the report "much stronger and much more accurate."

Councillor Theresa Kavanagh said, "We should not put safety at risk so that this growth can happen," and described cases where nearby residents bore "the burden of construction," including damaged fences, excavators crossing onto private property, blocked driveways and debris. Plante added, "We have excellent contractors, but when things go off the rails, they go off the rails in a big way."

The report calls for a provincial review of trespass laws, possible new enforcement tools, and better monitoring of compliance with variance conditions. Staff were directed to report back in the first quarter of 2027.

MOTIONS

• EPSC 2026-1: Lithium Battery Fire Safety Motion — Approved
• 2025 Annual Report of Fire Services — Approved
• ACS 2026 OCC CCS0064: Construction encroachment / protection of neighbouring properties and enforcement of adjustment conditions — Approved, with direction to report back in Q1 2027
• Motion to include light pollution regulations in the upcoming regulatory review work plan — Approved

ATTENDEES

Councillors identified in the meeting materials or discussion: - Riley Brockington - Clarke Kelly - Stéphanie Plante - Theresa Kavanagh - David Hill - Steve Desroches

The provided notes do not include a complete official attendance record.