13-196-170 Self-closing devices required for corridor doors.

   In residential buildings exceeding four stories in height, all apartment doors opening upon public corridors shall be equipped with approved self-closing devices. In all new and existing single-room occupancy buildings, irrespective of height, all dwelling unit doors opening to public corridors shall be equipped with approved self-closing devices.

(Prior code § 78-16; Amend Coun. J. 5-4-94, p. 49750)

13-196-180 Sprinkler systems – Where required.

   The following existing buildings or structures, or parts thereof, are to be equipped with sprinkler systems complying with the requirements of Chapter 15-16:

   (a)   Every building of construction Type III or IV and of two stories or more in height, used in part or in whole as a Type I school, hospital, infirmary, nursery, orphanage, sheltered-care home, sanitoria or home for the aged or used in whole as a Type II school;

   (b)   Every building used in whole or in part as a men's cubicle hotel which does not comply with Section 13-64-020(a) of this Code;

   (c)   Every building used primarily as an exhibition area or in that portion of any building used as an exhibition area;

   (d)   Every building used in whole or in part as a nursing home, as defined, in Section 13-4-010.

   (e)   Areas used for storage of combustible containers in new and existing buildings, with exhibition areas, shall be enclosed with a two-hour fire resistive construction, and shall be equipped with a standard sprinkler system, as defined in Chapter 15-16 of this Code.

(Prior code § 78-17; Amend Coun. J. 5-9-12, p. 27485, § 178)

13-196-190 Standpipe systems – Where required.

   Standard inside standpipe systems, complying with the requirements of Chapter 15-16, shall be provided in all buildings exceeding 80 feet in height with the following exceptions:

   (a)   Institutional Units. In institutional units, standpipes shall be provided in all buildings more than four stories or 55 feet in height.

   (b)   Stage Blocks. In stage blocks, standpipes shall be provided on each side of the stage, on each tier of dressing rooms, and within 55 feet of all property rooms, store rooms or work rooms.

   (c)   Storage Structures. Standpipes shall not be required in grain elevators or similar storage structures, where such standpipes are ineffective owing to the type of structure and inaccessibility of hose connections.

      For the purpose of determining standpipe requirements, the height of a building shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Section 13-48-020. Towers, steeples, tanks and similar structures not intended or used for human occupancy shall not be considered in determining the height.

   (d)   This section shall not apply to a building used as a business unit or storage unit, in existence prior to January 20, 1950, which is equipped throughout with an approved system of automatic sprinklers or is a fire resistive building of Type IA, IB or IC construction, provided that a standpipe system complying with Section 15-16-1190 is also provided in the building.

   (e)   In exhibition areas standpipes shall be provided regardless of the height of the building and standpipe locations shall provide complete coverage of the fire area with 100 foot hose lengths and 30 foot hose streams.

(Prior code § 78-18)

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)

13-196-203 Life safety data sheet – Required.

   (A)   No later than April 1, 2005, any owner of an existing building exceeding 80 feet in height above grade shall file with the fire department a life safety data sheet containing the following information about the building; (1) the name of the building owner of record, and, if applicable, the building manager; (2) the address of the building; (3) whether the building is residential or commercial or of mixed use; (4) if the building is residential or of mixed use, the number of dwelling units in the building; (5) the number of stories in the building; (6) whether the building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system meeting any or all of the requirements of Chapter 15-16 of this Code, and identifying the areas so protected; and (7) whether the building is equipped with a standard inside standpipe system, a fire pump and a smokeproof tower.

   (B)   All information contained in the life safety data sheet shall be kept current. Any change in required information shall be reported by the building owner to the fire department within 14 days after the change. This subsection shall be enforceable against the building owner and against any subsequent owner.

   Any person who violates the requirements of this section shall be fined not less than $200.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense. Each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate and distinct offense.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 1)

13-196-204 Voice communication systems in existing buildings.

   (A)   Subject to the exceptions listed below, no later than January 1, 2015, every existing building exceeding 80 feet in height above grade shall be equipped with the following: (i) a one-way voice communication system meeting the requirements of Section 13-76-050(b); and (ii) a two-way voice communication system meeting the requirements of Section 13-76-050(a); provided, however, that a telephone or other two-way communication system connected to an approved station, and installed pursuant to and in accordance with Option 2 of Section 13-196-084(a), shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of item (ii) of this subsection.

   (B)   Neither a one-way nor a two-way voice communication system shall be required in the following buildings:

   Exception Number 1: Buildings that are classified as Class A-2, Multiple Dwellings, and are for non- transient residential use and are fully protected by automatic sprinklers.

   Exception Number 2: Institutional buildings and schools that have an approved standard fire alarm system as required by Section 15-16-110.

   (C)   A one-way voice communication system shall not be required in the following buildings:

   Exception Number 1: Non-transient residential buildings with an existing occupant notification system if a detailed description of the existing occupant notification system is submitted to and approved by the commissioner of buildings and the fire commissioner or by their designated representatives. In order to be considered for approval under this exception, and if approved under this exception, the existing occupant notification system shall meet the following criteria:

      (a)   the system must be in continuous use and must be tested on a monthly basis, or the system must have electronic supervision to indicate operational deficiencies in the system including, but not limited to, shorts, grounds and breaks in the circuit wiring; and

      (b)   the system must be audible throughout all required areas of the building, or must produce within all dwelling units a minimum sound level of 45 dBA within ten feet of any existing occupant notification system device; and

      (c)   the system must be able to transmit voice instructions without delay; and

      (d)   the system must be able to transmit voice instructions to all required areas or to all dwelling units at the same time; and

      (e)   the system must be available for fire department use from a central command location; and

      (f)   the system is subject to field testing; and

      (g)   replacement or modification of system components to meet the above criteria is limited to 50 percent of the reproduction cost of the existing occupant notification system.

   (D)   A two-way voice communication system shall not be required in the following buildings:

   Exception 1: Buildings that are classified as Class A-2, Multiple Dwellings, and are for non-transient residential use if the building does not exceed 15 stories in height and contains 60 or fewer dwelling units as defined in Section 13-4-010.

   (E)   For purposes of this section, “non-transient residential” means a residential use other than a hotel, motel, bed-and-breakfast establishment, dormitory, transitional shelter, emergency shelter or other temporary residential use.

   (F)   This section shall be enforceable against the building owner and against any subsequent owner.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 11-18-09, p. 76565, § 1)