13-196-200 Standard fire alarm system requirements.

   An approved fire alarm system shall be provided as required in this section.

   (a)   A standard fire alarm system meeting the requirements of this chapter and Chapter 15-16 shall be provided in the following occupancies:

      (1)   Institutional: Buildings two stories or less in height with a floor area which does not exceed 8,000 square feet shall be equipped with a Class I system. Buildings over two stories in height or with a floor area exceeding 8,000 square feet shall be equipped with a Class II system;

      (2)   Type I or Type II schools: Buildings over one story in height shall be equipped with a Class I system;

      Any Type I school operating as or containing a day care center Class I, as defined in Section 13-4-010, shall comply with fire alarm system requirements applicable to Type III schools;

      (3)   Type III schools: Class I system;

      (3)   Type I or Type III schools: Class I system;

      (4)   Hotels: Buildings of Types II, III or IV construction 80 feet or less in height shall be equipped with a Class I system except where 25 or fewer persons sleep above the second floor;

      (5)   Single-room occupancy buildings: new and existing single-room occupancy buildings two stories or more in height, which are not equipped with a complete automatic sprinkler system, shall be equipped with a Class I fire alarm. The approved standard Class I control equipment may use microprocessor based program-controlled communication circuits when the control equipment is of a type tested and conforming to Underwriters Laboratories standard 864-1991 for the intended use. The stored program (software) installed figuration for such systems shall be incapable of change, except that a manufacturer's authorized technician may make changes for proper system operation when such changes are approved by the fire commissioner. Any changes, repairs or maintenance on such systems shall be performed only by or under the direction of a licensed supervising electrician.

      (6)   Dormitories: Buildings two stories or more in height; except those where 25 or fewer persons sleep above the second floor, shall be equipped with a Class I system;

      (7)   Intermediate care facilities for the developmentally disabled – 15 or fewer persons, same as institutional uses.

   (b)   Hotels: Buildings of Type 1 construction over four stories but not over 80 feet in height shall be equipped with an approved fire alarm system including smoke detectors, heat detectors and water flow alarm devices installed in accordance with NFPA 72-2013 and annunciated visually and audibly for each individual floor at a fire panel located near a main entrance to the building. A one-way voice communication system controlled from the fire panel location and meeting the requirements of Section 13-196-210(e)(2) shall be provided. Use of the one-way voice communication system in a fire emergency by other than department of fire personnel shall be prohibited.

      (1)   The fire alarm system shall be zoned horizontally based on the system design, but in no case shall there be less than one zone per floor.

      (2)   The fire alarm system shall be monitored by an Underwriters Laboratories Inc. listed Central Station service or shall be a Proprietary Protective Signaling System installed in accordance with NFPA 72-2013.

      (3)   A fire panel consisting of fire alarm controls, annunciator panel, and one-way voice communications system controls shall be provided in a location approved by the fire commissioner. Fire panels installed prior to the passage of this ordinance located on grade level in a readily accessible location shall be accepted.

      (4)   Plans for all systems to be installed shall be submitted to the fire commissioner for approval and systems used shall meet the approval of the fire commissioner.

   (c)   Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code to the contrary, the revisions to the requirements of this chapter and Chapter 15-16 contained in this amendatory ordinance shall apply to schools and day care centers in existence on the effective date of this amendatory ordinance beginning July 1, 1991.

   (d)   The requirements of subsection (a)(5) of this section shall be enforced against all single-room occupancy buildings effective June 30, 1995. All existing single-room occupancy buildings which will require installation of a Class I alarm system shall submit plans to the fire commissioner for approval of such system on or before January 1, 1995.

(Prior code § 78-19; Amend Coun. J. 9-8-86, p. 33588; Amend Coun. J. 6-27-90, p. 17613; Amend Coun. J. 5-4-94, p. 49750; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-12, p. 27485, § 179; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 48; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VII, § 15; Amend Coun. J. 3-28-18, p. 74459, Art. V, § 11)