Message from the President

At Fire Monitoring of Canada, our mission remains the same: to provide reliable, compliant, innovative life-safety solutions that protect people and property. This edition highlights some of the most important developments affecting Canadian businesses — from staying compliant with ULC-S561 requirements to the rapid evolution of AI analytics, municipal partnerships, and communication resilience in your fire alarm monitoring systems.

Chad Asselstine
President, Fire Monitoring of Canada Inc.

ULC-S561 Compliance: The Cornerstone of Fire Alarm Monitoring in Canada

ULC-S561 isn’t just a regulatory requirement — it’s the national framework that ensures fire alarm monitoring is performed reliably, securely, and without compromise.

In our newest blog, FMC breaks down the essential components of ULC-S561 compliance and what building owners need to do to stay inspection-ready.

Key elements include:

• Certified installation, configuration, and documentation
• Annual inspections and testing
• Proper signal routing through a ULC-listed Central Station
• Approved communication paths (including active, redundant, or supervised transmission methods)
• Maintaining up-to-date monitoring records and test logs
• Ensuring your monitoring provider is properly ULC-listed under the Standard

Staying compliant not only protects your building and its occupants — it also helps support insurance validity, municipal acceptance, and uninterrupted emergency dispatch when seconds matter.

Read the full ULC-S561 guide
Book a compliance review

Technology Spotlight: AI Video Analytics Are Now Within Reach

AI-driven video analytics have rapidly shifted from an enterprise luxury to a practical, cost-effective solution for everyday facilities. Two to three years ago, analytics often required expensive servers, advanced licensing, or proprietary hardware. Today, cloud and edge-based systems offer powerful capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

Modern analytics now include:

• Object detection and classification (vehicles, people, packages)
• Loitering, line-crossing, intrusion, and zone alerts
• Behavioural analytics (running, falling, crowding)
• License plate recognition
• Fire, smoke, and environmental anomaly detection (in some models)
• Smart search capabilities that reduce review time from hours to minutes

For many organizations, AI-based analytics can be layered on top of existing infrastructure. In other words, you may not need to replace every camera to realize the benefits of smarter detection, faster investigations, and operational insights.

Case Study: Seamless Transition of Major Canadian City & University Accounts

This past quarter marked one of the largest municipal transitions in FMC’s history. Hundreds of monitored accounts for a major Canadian municipality as well as major Canadian University were successfully migrated into FMC’s ULC-listed monitoring station — without service disruption.

What made this project successful:

• Extensive coordination across FMC Operations, SRC, Support Services, and IT
• Field testing to validate signal paths, redundancy, and response workflows
• Customized municipal response procedures
• Enhanced monitoring configurations and dashboards
• A strong focus on documentation accuracy and job slip clarity

The City’s feedback commended FMC for a smooth transition and confirmed their confidence in the new monitoring processes — a testament to the expertise and dedication of the FMC team.

Partner Update: RapidSOS + OPEN ACCESS™

OPEN ACCESS™ has partnered with RapidSOS — the intelligent safety platform trusted by emergency communication centres worldwide — to deliver fire alarm signals through next-generation 9-1-1 infrastructure where available.

This initiative enhances:

• Accuracy – Direct digital delivery into supported PSAPs
• Speed – Reduced relay steps for fire alarm events
• Data-enrichment – Enabling situational intelligence for dispatchers
• Coverage growth – Launching in Canada with coast-to-coast scalability

This partnership strengthens the future of fire alarm monitoring pathways, helping reduce friction during emergencies and aligning with FMC’s vision of modern, connected life-safety ecosystems.

Compliance Corner: Why Redundant or Active Communication Paths Matter

With evolving communication technologies and changing code expectations, relying on a single communication path is no longer enough. ULC-S561 allows multiple methods of transmission — but prioritizes active, supervised, and, where appropriate, redundant pathways to ensure consistent uptime.

Benefits of dual-path or active communication methods:

• Continuity during carrier outages or equipment failure
• Faster signal delivery with constant supervision
• Additional protection against tampering or line cuts
• Peace of mind for building owners and fire inspectors
• Better alignment with modern municipal and insurer expectations

Popular options include cellular + phone, IP + LTE combinations, and actively supervised communication modules with frequent test intervals.

Ask FMC: Customer FAQ

“How do I know if my fire alarm monitoring system is using an approved communication path?”

Your monitoring certificate, annual test sheet, or FMC inspection documentation will typically list the signal transmission method. If you’re unsure, our team can help you review your existing setup and confirm whether it aligns with applicable standards and best practices.

Upcoming Events & Webinars

• ULC-S561 Compliance Webinar — Q1 2026
• AI Video Analytics Demonstration Series
• OPEN ACCESS™ Dealer Briefing — RapidSOS Integration Roadmap

Watch for email invitations or follow our website and social channels for confirmed dates and registration links.

Google Review Highlights

Thank you to our customers for continuing to trust FMC with their life-safety systems. Recent reviews have highlighted:

• Exceptional technician professionalism and communication
• Clear consultative support during system upgrades
• Smooth migrations with minimal disruption to operations
• High-quality, tidy installation work

Have feedback to share? We’d love to hear from you on Google.