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Dedicated Fire Protection System (DFPS)

A major disaster, such as a seismic event, may render the City's conventional fire protection system unusable. The Kobe earthquake, where the city's water system suffered more than 10,000 line breaks, illustrated the frustration of professional firefighters helpless to battle the flames without an effective water supply.

Following the October 1989 San Francisco earthquake, the City of Vancouver reviewed methods of providing an alternative water supply for fire protection. A concept report recommended a high-pressure saltwater pumping station and dedicated distribution system.

The ocean presents an endless supply of water for firefighting in Vancouver, but it had to be tapped. The City has patterned its DFPS on the successful salt water pumping stations and dedicated supply system in San Francisco.

The City of Vancouver's Engineering Services and Fire & Rescue Services departments have developed a $48 million Dedicated Fire Protection System (DFPS). This enhances the City's ongoing emergency preparedness program to strengthen the City's infrastructure, inform residents and train employees to deal with such events. The system offers protection to the downtown peninsula, Kitsilano, and Fairview Slopes.

The DFPS provides the Fire Department with high-pressure water for fire fighting in the event of a major disaster or fire. In the event of a major earthquake or other disaster, which renders the existing domestic system unusable, the fire fighting water will be pumped from the ocean.

Vancouver City Council approved construction of the DFPS in 1992, as part of the City's Emergency Preparedness Program.

The opening of the False Creek Pump Station, located in David Lam Park, on September 9,1995 was the first component of the Dedicated Fire Protection System.

The Coal Harbour Pump Station was completed in February, 1997 and is located at Broughton and Hastings Street

In 1996 and 1997, pipeline and fire hydrants were installed leading from the False Creek Pump Station at Homer and Pacific streets to the Coal Harbour Pump Station at Hastings and Broughton Streets.

In 1998 and 1999, pipeline and fire hydrants were installed on Homer Street and Pender Street from the False Creek Pump Station to the Coal Harbour Pump Station. A valve chamber was also installed at the intersection of Homer and Pender Streets. This construction completed the downtown loop and the DFPS now provides coverage for the entire downtown peninsula.

Construction of 600mm diameter, 550m long horizontal directionally drilled Steel Pipeline crossing from Sunset Beach to Vanier Park began on January 4, 2001.

Construction of the Kitsilano/Fairview extension began following completion of the False Creek Crossing. Starting in Vanier Park, work proceeded southward along Cypress Street to 11th Avenue, and then westward along 11th Avenue to Oak Street. Construction was scheduled to start in May 2001 and be completed by January 2002.

The DFPS South Shore expansion is connected to the Downtown DFPS via the False Creek Crossing and 460m of new pipeline running from Sunset Beach to Burnaby Street and Bute Street.

Valve chambers, which allow the system controllers to stop or redirect flow, if necessary, were installed at the following intersections:

Broughton and Haro

Haro and Bute

Bute and Burnaby

Drake and Hornby

Homer and Pacific

Homer & Pender

6^th and Cypress.

All components of the Dedicated Fire Protection System have been designed to withstand a large earthquake and still be fully operational. It has been built to state-of-the-art seismic engineering standards.

Redundancy promotes system reliability, for example, for each pump station; water for firefighting can come from three independent sources. All power, fuel and drive systems in the stations have several levels of backup. Following a failure of the City's water system, after a major seismic or other disaster event, each pump station will still pump up to 10,000 gallons per minute of salt water for fire fighting. The system's dedicated pipelines are separate from the conventional water system, and will complement the conventional water system in the event of a 3 alarm or better fire.

Construction of the Dedicated Fire Protection System began in 1993. Completed by 2004, it consists of two (2) ocean foreshore pump stations and a network of 600mm (24 inch) diameter steel pipe with specially marked high-capacity fire hydrants in Kitsilano, Fairview Slopes, and the downtown core. The system will be able to supply 20,000 gallons per minute at a minimum hydrant pressure of 200 psi.

Last Update: February 8, 2004