Fire hydrant use permit

To use a hydrant, you must have a permit from the Sewer and Water Connections counter (of the City of Vancouver's Engineering department). In addition to the hydrant permit fee, a refundable deposit is required.

This permit can be applied to a maximum of four hydrants and is valid for 2 months.

• Find out more about fire hydrant use permits

License agreement with the City

If filming is to take place for five or more consecutive days, or for six or more calendar days in a year, applicants are required to enter into a license agreement with the City. Permission to begin filming will not be granted until this agreement is executed by the authorized signatures of your company.

Upon receipt of your completed application form we will forward it to our Legal Services team who will begin to prepare the agreement and will contact you to obtain further information as needed.

Preparation of the agreement will take about two weeks and then the Legal Services team will forward the agreement to you for execution. If you have any questions about the license agreement, please call 604-873-7512.

Street use permit

If street space is required for the parking of vehicles, picture continuity or equipment placement, a street use permit should be submitted for approval, along with the film locations worksheet. The Vancouver Film Office will then issue street use permits in conjunction with a film activity permit.

Locations at which street space is occupied or other City services are required will receive at least one street use permit. The amount of street space being used and the types of City services required will determine the number of permits required.

Stunts

Conditions

For stunts that will have significant impact to traffic, businesses, or residents, the location manager must submit a detailed proposal at least 10 working days before the proposed filming date. The proposal must include a description of the stunts including:

Send the proposal to:

• The Vancouver Film Office
• The Emergency Operational Planning Section of the Vancouver Police Department
• Coast Mountain Bus Company (if bus traffic is affected)

Site Meeting

Once the location for the stunt has been approved by the Vancouver Film Office, the location manager must arrange a site meeting as soon as possible. The following people should be at the meeting: 

• The stunt coordinator
• The director or first assistant director
• The location manager
• A representative from the Vancouver Police Department
• A representative from the Vancouver Film Office
• A representative from the BC Film Commission
• A representative from any other public utility or service company that may be affected by the stunt

Approval

Approval for the stunt will only be granted after all identified issues have been adequately addressed by the film company. Police may be required to be on set depending on the impacts or public visibility issues. The on-set Police Officer will notify 9-1-1 operators immediately before the stunt takes place.

Special Effects

Conditions

The Location Manager must submit in writing a detailed description of the special effect at least 10 working days before the proposed filming date.

• The proposed location
• The date and time
• Any potential impacts on the neighbourhood
• Any potential noise
• Any potential traffic pattern changes
• Any potential smoke

Send the proposal to:

• The Vancouver Film Office
• The Emergency Operational Planning Section of the Vancouver Police Department
• The Vancouver Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Office
• Coast Mountain Bus Company (if bus traffic is to be affected)

The special effects coordinator must also submit a written descriptions of the materials and proposed methods, including the size and weight of each item to be used.

Send this description to:

• The Events Captain at the Vancouver Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Office
• The Vancouver Film Office
• The Emergency Operational Planning Section of the Vancouver Police Department

If high explosives, such as black powder, are used, you must also send a copy of the description to the Explosives Regulatory Branch of Natural Resources Canada. The Fire Department will consult with the Explosives Branch.

In some circumstances, the special effects coordinator may be asked to submit a resume and references. The Vancouver Film Office reserves the right to withhold permission from the special effects coordinator who does not provide sufficient proof of training and necessary experience.

Site Meeting

Once the location for the special effect  has been approved by the Vancouver Film Office, the location manager must arrange a site meeting as soon as possible. The following people should be at the meeting: 

• The special effect coordinator
• The director or first assistant director
• The location manager
• A representative from the Vancouver Fire Department
• A representative from the Vancouver Police Department
• A representative from the Vancouver Film Office
• A representative from the BC Film Commission
• A representative from any other public utility or service company that may be affected by the special effect
• A representative from the Explosives Branch of Natural Resources Canada, if high explosives are being used
• The property owner or their representative (if a building or structure is involved in the special effect)

Site Requirements

If the effect is visible to the public OR if there is a loud noise or concussive effect associated with the special effect, Police must be on set. 9-1-1 operators must be notified by the Officer on set immediately before the effect takes place.

Fire Department crew and equipment may also be required on set.

If you need to build a temporary structure for filming, you must have a temporary development permit from the Development Services branch of the City of Vancouver. To get the permit, you must provide an engineer’s diagram of the structure and a letter of permission from the property owner.

Approval

If the special effect is expected to impact the area in a significant way, location managers may be required to poll the surrounding neighbourhood.

If an explosion, fire or smoke is involved with the special effect, once the City’s Film Office has approved the special effect, the Fire Prevention office will issue a permit to the special effects coordinator. This permit is date and time specific and will list all the materials that have been approved. No materials or methods other than those approved by all parties in the planning process and shown on the permit are permitted.

Guns and gunfire

Conditions

Vancouver Police are required on set for weapon escort whenever a gun is used for interior or exterior filming.

Only quarter-load gunfire is permitted in the City of Vancouver for both interior and exterior filming.

Vancouver Police may also be required on set for squib hits. Squib effects may not be louder than quarter-load gunfire sound.

Burning and explosives 

When special effects involving burning or explosives are to be used, you must have a permit must from the Fire Prevention Division at #201 456 W Broadway, telephone 604-873-7595.

For example, a permit is required for the following situations:

• Open burning involving structures, vehicles, facades, wood products, and paper products (real or simulated) fueled by combustible material, flammable/combustible liquids, propane, or other materials used by the industry to create a fire effect.
  NOTE: Fires that are contained entirely within a building and are not visible from the exterior do not require a permit; however, you must still have approval from the Fire Prevention Division.
• Use, transportation, or storage of any substance that is made or manufactured for the purpose of producing an explosion or use of any substance for the purpose of simulating an explosion. This includes, but is not limited to, substances such as black powder and mixes using black powder, dynamite, detonators, detonator cord, prima cord, fireworks, flares, rockets, and propellant powders.

Submit permit requests at least 10 days before the date of the event to allow time for an assessment and scheduling of standby crews and vehicles, if required.

Include the following information and items with your permit request:

• Date, time, and location of special effect.
• Detailed description of special effect including type and quantities of flammables, combustibles, and explosives to be used.
• Description of safety precautions to be employed.
• Letter of permission from the property owner where the special effect will take place (If located in a Vancouver park, include the appropriate Park Board permit) and written permission from owners of adjacent properties that may be directly affected.
• Proof of liability insurance.
• Resume of Special Events Coordinator (If they have no past experience working in Vancouver)
• A cheque for $200 payable to the City of Vancouver.

The permit will only be issued in the name of the person responsible for the design, assembly, and execution of the special effect and the permit must be signed by this person. Usually this is the Special Effects Coordinator.

If, as a condition of the permit, standby vehicles and crews are required to be on site, the Fire Prevention Office will make the necessary arrangements. A list of charges for equipment and personnel is available on request.

Use of Fire & Rescue Services Equipment and Personnel

If fire equipment or personnel are required for any reason other than as a condition of a permit, send a written request to the Deputy Chief Emergency Services Office at least 7 days before the event. The request should contain all pertinent details including the portion of the script in which personnel or equipment will appear.

Deputy Chief Emergency Services Office,
900 Heatley Ave.
Vancouver B.C.
V6A 3S7,
604-665-6041, fax 604-665-6016.

Movie and special events equipment and staff rental rates

NOTES:

• Equipment and personnel must be booked for a minimum of 4 hours
• A 2 hour labour charge will be applied for cleaning equipment, if required (i.e., hose change, refill S.C.B.A. etc.)
• Firehalls and Training Academy are available from 8:00am-5:00pm.
• F.D.3 to be sent to D/C's office with list of member's names attending, equipment rented, account number, and name of film and contact.

Item	Rate
Fireboat	$200.00 per hour
Engine	$110.00 per hour
Dedicated fire prevention tender	$110.00 per hour
Ladder truck	$150.00 per hour
Rescue van	$80.00 per hour
Chief's van	$40.00 per hour
High expansion foam generator	$300.00 per day
Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)	$45.00 per day
Small equipment (for example, nozzles, axes, valves, etc)	$30.00 per day
Large equipment	$60.00 per day (minimum)
Hose	$20.00 per day per length
Turnout clothing	$45.00 per day per set
Firehall	$600.00 per day
Parking lot	$50.00 per hour
Training academy	$1,500.00 per day
Training classroom	$400.00 per day
Chief officer, with turnout clothing	$115.00 per hour
Officer, with turnout clothing	$100.00 per hour
Firefighter, with turnout clothing	$82.00 per hour

CONTACTS

Department	Contact name	Phone number
Equipment and Stores		604-665-6063 or 604-665-6064
Vehicles and Firefighters	Wade Pierlot, Deputy Chief Emergency Operations	604-665-6065
	Mark Engler, Deputy Chief Operations Support	604-665-6052
Assistant General Manager	Laura Lintunen, Strategic & Infrastructure Services	604-665-6054