Fire Insurance Policy Requirements in the Insurance Act

WHEREAS the Insurance Act of British Columbia RSBC 1996 Chapter 226 applies to every insurer that carries on any business of insurance in British Columbia and to every contract of insurance made or deemed made in British Columbia; AND WHEREAS Part 5 of the Insurance Act, specific to all matters pertaining to fire insurance, does not require by way of a provision or statutory condition any verification or assurance that acceptable fire safety conditions exist in the insured property prior to the issuance of a fire insurance policy; AND WHEREAS the British Columbia Building Code requires that smoke alarms be installed in all dwelling units; AND WHEREAS studies show that the presence of a functioning smoke alarm in a dwelling unit significantly reduces the probability for death, injuries and losses due to a fire in that dwelling unit: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the provincial government be requested to amend Part 5 of the Insurance Act to require that the applicant for an insurance policy for a dwelling unit complete a residential fire safety checklist and sign a declaration that a functioning smoke alarm exists in the dwelling unit as a condition of the issuance of a new or renewed insurance policy for such a dwelling unit.