13-196-205 Automatic sprinkler system installation in existing high-rise buildings.

   Subject to the exceptions listed below, every existing building exceeding 80 feet in height above grade shall be protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system meeting the requirements of Chapter 15-16 of this Code unless otherwise provided by Section 13-196-207. The owner of each such building shall, no later than September 1, 2005, submit for approval to the fire commissioner a plan for compliance with the requirements of this section. The requirements of this section shall be enforceable against the building owner and against any subsequent owner.

   Every building subject to the provisions of this section shall comply with the following schedule for installation of an approved automatic sprinkler system: one-third of the gross square footage of the building shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by January 1, 2009; two-thirds of the gross square footage of the building shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by January 1, 2013; and the entire gross square footage of the building shall be equipped with automatic sprinklers by January 1, 2017. Buildings subject to any of the following exceptions 3 through 7, inclusive, shall comply with the requirements of Section 13-196-206.

   Exception Number 1: An open-air parking facility meeting the requirements of Section 13-96-920 of this Code.

   Exception Number 2: The open-air portions of a stadium.

   Exception Number 3: A building that is classified as a Class A-2, Multiple Dwelling, and that is a non- transient residential use. This exception includes (a) all approved auxiliary use areas of the building other than parking garages; and (b) any parking garage in the building that is used exclusively by the building's non- transient residential occupants and their guests or by persons who, pursuant to a written lease agreement, rent space in the building's parking garage for use by a designated motor vehicle in time increments of at least one month in duration.

   Exception Number 4: The following portions of a building classified as a mixed occupancy building:

   (A)   any portion of a mixed occupancy building that is classified as a Class A-2, non-transient residential use;

   (B)   any approved auxiliary use area wholly contained within a Class A-2, non-transient residential use portion of a mixed occupancy building;

   (C)   any parking garage in a mixed occupancy building that is used exclusively by the building's non- transient residential occupants and their guests or by persons who, pursuant to a written lease agreement, rent space in the building's parking garage for use by a designated motor vehicle in time increments of at least one month in duration;

   (D)   any portion of a mixed occupancy building, other than those portions of the building classified as a Class A-2, non-transient residential use, if all of the following criteria are met:

      (1)   the cumulative total of the building's floor areas not classified as a Class A-2, non-transient residential use does not exceed ten percent of the total floor area of the building. The floor areas of parking garages used exclusively by the building's non-transient residential occupants and their guests shall be excluded from the calculation of the building's total floor areas not classified as a Class A-2, non-transient residential use and from the calculation of the total floor area of the building; and

      (2)   occupancy separations are provided in accordance with Table 13-56-280 as set out in Section 13-56-280 of this Code; and

      (3)   the mixed occupancy building must be either of Type I, fire-resistive construction or of Type II, non-combustible construction; and

      (4)   all of the exempted areas within the mixed occupancy building, other than those portions of the building classified as a Class A-2, non-transient residential use, are located in the building at a floor level elevation that does not exceed 80 feet in height above average grade.

   Exception Number 5: A building designated as a Chicago Landmark pursuant to Article XVII of Chapter 2-120 of this Code unless the landmarked building is required to be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system by other provisions of this Code.

   Exception Number 6: A building within a landmark district designated pursuant to Article XVII of Chapter 2-120 of this Code and determined to be a contributing building unless the contributing building is required to be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system by other provisions of this Code.

   Exception Number 7: A building color-coded red or orange in the Chicago Historic Resources Survey, published in 1996, unless the building is required to be equipped with an automatic sprinkler system by other provisions of this Code.

   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.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 49)

13-196-206 Life safety evaluation of existing high- rise buildings.

   (A)   No later than January 1, 2005, the Building Commissioner shall adopt by rule and publish criteria for life safety evaluations of all existing buildings exceeding 80 feet in height above grade that are not required by Section 13-196-205 to be protected throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system. The criteria adopted pursuant to this subsection shall provide sufficient protection to life and safety of building occupants. The criteria shall be developed based on a review of available resources, including standardized building and safety codes and the practices of other municipalities.

   (B)   The owner of any building qualifying for any exception 3 through 7, inclusive, of Section 13-196-205 shall have the building evaluated for life safety by a licensed professional engineer or by a licensed architect; provided, however, that this requirement shall not apply to any building which is protected throughout by a previously approved automatic sprinkler system. The licensed engineer or architect shall prepare a life safety evaluation of the building in accordance with the requirements of this section and with any rules promulgated thereunder. The life safety evaluation shall be signed and sealed by the person who prepared it and shall contain an explicit statement acknowledging that the information contained therein is true and complete.

   (C)   If, based on the use of a scoring system described by rule to conduct the life safety evaluation, the licensed professional engineer or licensed architect determines that the building achieves the minimum score required on the life safety evaluation, the licensed engineer or architect shall certify the evaluation as a life safety compliance plan and shall give the life safety compliance plan to the building owner. No later than January 1, 2006, the building owner shall submit the life safety compliance plan to the Department of Buildings and Fire Department. The life safety compliance plan shall be enforceable against the building owner and against any subsequent owner.

   (D)   If, based on the use of a scoring system described by rule to conduct the life safety evaluation, the licensed professional engineer or licensed architect determines that the building does not achieve the minimum score required on the life safety evaluation, the building owner shall, no later than January 1, 2006, submit the life safety evaluation to the Department of Buildings and the Fire Department along with either: (1) a proposal to protect the building throughout with an automatic sprinkler system meeting the requirements of Chapter 15-16 of this Code unless otherwise provided by Section 13-196-207, notwithstanding any exceptions for which the building may have otherwise qualified pursuant to Section 13-196-205, and using the schedule for installation described in Section 13-196-205; or (2) a proposal for achieving the minimum score required on the life safety evaluation by making specified modifications to the building.

   Any proposal submitted pursuant to this subsection shall be signed and sealed by a licensed professional engineer or by a licensed architect. In addition, any proposal submitted pursuant to item (2) of this subsection shall contain (i) an explicit statement by the licensed engineer or architect certifying that if the modifications identified in the proposal are fully implemented, the building will receive the minimum score required on the life safety evaluation; and (ii) a timetable for completion of those modifications to be phased in over a stipulated period of years, but no later than January 1, 2015, at which time the modifications identified in the proposal shall be fully implemented. Any schedule for installation or timetable required by this subsection shall be enforceable against the building owner and against any subsequent owner.

   If, after reviewing the certified proposal, the Building Commissioner and Fire Commissioner determine that the certified proposal, when fully implemented, will enable the building to achieve the minimum score required on the life safety evaluation, the Building Commissioner and Fire Commissioner shall jointly accept the certified proposal as a life safety compliance plan. The life safety compliance plan shall be enforceable against the building owner and against any subsequent owner.

   (E)   No permit shall be issued for work on any existing building that is the subject of a life safety compliance plan unless the licensed architect or licensed engineer of record identified in the permit application certifies in writing that the permitted work will not reduce or otherwise negatively impact the score of the life safety evaluation on which the life safety compliance plan is based; nor shall any permit be issued for work on a building whose owner is in violation of any of the requirements of this section unless the permit is necessary to cure the violation.

   (F)   (1)   Disclosure statement required when – Content of statement – Inspection of statement. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (F)(4) or (F)(5) of this section: The owner, condominium association or governing body, as applicable, of any building for which a life safety compliance plan is required under this section shall keep and maintain on file at such building a written disclosure statement containing the following information: (1) whether a life safety compliance plan for such building has been submitted to the Department of Buildings and Fire Department; (2) whether such life safety compliance plan has been approved in writing by the Department of Buildings and Fire Department; and (3) whether all of the modifications to the building required in the approved life safety compliance plan have been fully implemented at such building. Such disclosure statement shall: (i) be in writing; (ii) be true and accurate; (iii) be kept current; (iv) indicate the date on which the disclosure statement was prepared; (v) bear the printed name and signature of the building's current owner or authorized agent; and (vi) upon distribution of such disclosure statement or any copy thereof to any person, identify the date on which such distribution occurred, which date shall be signed or initialed by the building's current owner or authorized agent. Upon request by any authorized City official, the building's owner, condominium association or governing body, as applicable, shall immediately make the disclosure statement required under this subsection (F)(1) available for inspection by such authorized City official.

      (2)   Disclosure to new and renewing tenants – Required when. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (F)(4) or (F)(5) of this section: Before any person initially enters into or renews a rental or lease agreement of any type for a dwelling unit in any building for which a life safety compliance plan is required under this section, the owner of such dwelling unit or such owner's agent shall provide such prospective or existing tenant with a current copy of the written disclosure statement required under subsection (F)(1) of this section. Upon distributing the required disclosure statement to such tenant, the dwelling unit owner or such owner's agent shall write on the disclosure statement the date on which such distribution occurred. Such date shall be signed or initialed by the dwelling unit owner and tenant or by their respective agent(s).

      (3)   Distribution of disclosure statement to dwelling unit owners in condominium and cooperative buildings – Required upon request. If a dwelling unit is located within a condominium building or cooperative building for which a life safety compliance plan is required under this section and the owner of such dwelling unit or such owner's agent requests a copy of the disclosure statement required under subsection (F)(1) of this section, the condominium association or governing body, as applicable, or such association's or governing body's agent, shall, at no charge and within five business days of receipt of a written request from such dwelling unit owner or such dwelling unit owner's agent, provide such dwelling unit owner or agent with a copy of the written disclosure statement required under subsection (F)(1) of this section. Provided, however, that if the owner of a particular dwelling unit or such dwelling unit owner's agent requests more than three copies of such disclosure statement within any 12-month period, the condominium association or governing board, as applicable, or such association's or governing body's agent, may charge a reasonable fee, not to exceed $25.00, for any fourth or subsequent copy of such disclosure statement provided to such dwelling unit owner or agent within such 12-month period.

      (4)   Exemption for fully sprinklered buildings. If, as of the effective date of this amendatory ordinance of 2012, a building for which a life safety plan was required has been or is subsequently equipped throughout by an approved automatic sprinkler system, as evidenced by a written statement to such effect jointly signed by the Building Commissioner and Fire Commissioner and issued, as applicable, to the building's owner, condominium association or governing body, the disclosure requirements set forth in subsections (F)(1), (F)(2) and (F)(3) of this section shall not apply.

      (5)   Exemption after January 1, 2015 for buildings in full compliance with an approved life safety compliance plan. If the Building Commissioner and Fire Commissioner determine that a building is in full compliance with any life safety compliance plan required under this section, as evidenced by the building being listed in full compliance status on the Department's public website, then the disclosure requirements set forth in subsections (F)(1), (F)(2) and (F)(3) of this section shall not apply so long as the building remains in full compliance with such plan.

   (G)   Construction of Section. Nothing in this section shall be construed to waive any provision of the Municipal Code of Chicago applicable to existing buildings or to relieve any person from full compliance with those provisions or to limit in any way any affirmative defense available to the City. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Chapter 5-12 of this Code, nothing in subsection (F) of this section shall be construed as material noncompliance by the landlord, within the meaning of Section 5-12-110, with a rental agreement or with Section 5-12-070.

   (H)   Penalty for violation. The penalty for violation of any requirement of this section shall be as set forth in Section 13-196-039.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 4; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-11, p. 18112, § 1; Amend Coun. J. 3-14-12, p. 23148, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 50; Amend Coun. J. 11-21-17, p. 61755, Art. I, § 31)

13-196-207 Materials and installation standards for retrofit fire protection systems.

   In every existing high-rise building subject to the requirements of Sections 13-196-204, 13-196-205 or 13-196-206 of this Code, the following materials and installation standards shall apply to newly installed fire protection systems:

   (A)   An existing water supply that serves an existing fire department wet standpipe system may also serve as the water supply for retrofit sprinkler systems, provided the water supply meets, non-simultaneously, the larger of either the standpipe demand at the time of the original installation, or the new sprinkler system demand including hose stream allowance.

   (B)   Notwithstanding the requirements of Sections 18-28-602.2.1 and 15-16-370, sprinkler piping and sprinklers shall meet or exceed the requirements of NFPA 13-2002 and their respective product listings issued by an approved independent laboratory or agency.

   (C)   Automatic sprinkler systems shall meet or exceed the requirements of NFPA 13-2002 except that at least one sprinkler shall be provided within the stairway enclosure at the landing serving the door(s) to each floor.

   (D)   If repairs or minor modifications are made to existing dry-pipe sprinkler systems, the zoning of the system may remain as originally installed.

   (E)   Low-voltage electrical wiring risers for fire detection and fire alarm notification systems may be installed in stairways, notwithstanding the requirements of Section 15-8-180, if the wiring is in conduit and does not obstruct the required egress width of a stairwell.

   (F)   Low-voltage electrical branch wiring in horizontal runs for voice communication systems may be installed without conduit, unless required by other sections of this Code, if the wiring (i) is limited combustible FHC 25/50 CMP; and (ii) has a maximum Class 1 flame spread rating as defined in Section 15-12-040; and (iii) has a smoke developed rating not to exceed 50 when tested in accordance with ASTM-E 84.

   (G)   Low-voltage electrical wiring for fire detection systems may be run in the same conduit as low-voltage electrical wiring for fire alarm notification systems, as permitted by NFPA 72-2002 and the product listings of the wire and the conduit issued by an approved independent laboratory or agency.

   (H)   Low-voltage fire detection equipment panels and low-voltage fire alarm notification equipment panels may be installed in the same panel box, as permitted by NFPA 72-2002 and the product's listing issued by an approved independent laboratory or agency.

   (I)   Central station monitoring of fire alarm systems may use digital alarm communicators with constant supervision, as permitted by NFPA 72-2002.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 5)

13-196-208 Smokeproof towers in existing high- rise buildings – Fire shields.

   If fire shields in smokeproof towers are provided to protect openings of balconies or vestibules in existing buildings exceeding 80 feet in height above grade, such fire shields shall comply with the requirements of this section.

   (A)   Fire shields shall comply with all applicable requirements for fire windows as provided in Section 15-12-160.

   (B)   Fire shields shall have an opening sash having a clear area not less than as required in Section 13-160-380(c), arranged to open automatically in case of fire to the full limit and to be held securely in such open position. Provision shall be made for the manual opening or closing of the sash.

   (C)   The automatic opening of the sash shall be actuated by approved devices located inside the building within five feet of the door from the building to the vestibule or balcony and located also on the ceiling of the vestibule or balcony. Such devices shall be designed to operate as a result of rate of temperature rise or when the surrounding air reaches a temperature of 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

   (D)   Each fire shield sash shall be tested annually to verify automatic operation as required in subsection (c) of this section. Testing shall be performed by an individual or organization approved by the fire commissioner. Reports of the testing shall be filed with the bureau by June 30 of each year.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 6; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 51)

13-196-209 High-rise buildings – Stairways – Doors – Frames.

   No later than January 1, 2015, doors and frames in stairways in all existing residential buildings and buildings of mixed residential occupancy exceeding 80 feet in height above grade shall have a fire resistance rating of at least one hour.

(Added Coun. J. 12-15-04, p. 39962, § 7; Amend Coun. J. 12-14-11, p. 18115, § 1)

13-196-210 High rise fire systems – Hotels.

   Any existing or preordinance building exceeding 80 feet in height designed or used in whole or in part as a hotel shall be equipped with a high rise fire system as required in this section.

   (a)   In buildings equipped with an approved system of automatic sprinklers, an approved fire alarm system including all water flow alarm devices shall be required. Sprinklers may be omitted in guest room closets not over 24 square feet in area. Other areas not sprinkled, because of unreasonable hardship or as permitted by Section 15-16-350 of this Code, shall be protected by approved smoke detectors or other fire detection measures approved by the fire commissioner. Detectors shall not be required in guest room bathrooms. No automatic smoke detector shall be required in guest room corridors nor elevator lobbies of existing buildings having automatic sprinkler systems installed prior to the passage of this ordinance on guest room floors except that sprinklers may be omitted in guest room bathrooms over 55 square feet in area with noncombustible plumbing fixtures and with walls and ceilings surfaced with noncombustible materials.

   (b)   In buildings not equipped with an approved system of automatic sprinklers an approved fire alarm system, including smoke detectors, heat detectors and water flow alarm devices, shall be required. System devices shall be installed as follows:

      (1)   As required by Section 13-196-240 of this Code;

      (2)   Heat detectors shall be installed in restaurants, meeting rooms and lounges.

   (c)   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.

   (d)   The fire alarm system shall be a Proprietary Protective Signaling System installed in accordance with NFPA 72D-1986 or shall be monitored by an Underwriters Laboratories Inc. listed Central Station service.

   (e)   There shall be two voice communication systems as follows:

      (1)   A two-way fire department communications system providing emergency two-way stations in each required stairwell at not less than every fifth floor and at the fire panel. The system shall be zoned not less than one zone per stairwell. Systems installed prior to the passage of this ordinance using phone jacks zoned by stairwell shall be accepted in lieu of two-way stations.

      (2)   A selecting one-way communication system with speakers in passenger elevators, in elevator lobbies, in stairwells at not less than every fifth floor, and in corridors at intervals not exceeding 75 feet. Use of the one-way voice communication system in a fire emergency by other than department of fire personnel shall be prohibited. Zoning of speakers shall be as follows: passenger elevators zoned by elevator lobby; elevator lobbies and corridors zoned horizontally based on the system design, but in no case less than one zone per floor; stairwells zoned vertically by stairwell. Approved elevator speaker intercom systems installed prior to the passage of the ordinance shall be accepted for communication to elevators as long as the systems are maintained in good working order.

   The two-way fire department communication system may be combined with the one-way system.

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

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

   (h)   In buildings of Type II, III or IV construction, an automatic central alarm shall be installed and be audible throughout the corridors of the building and shall be activated by the sprinkler flow alarm and smoke detectors.

(Prior code § 78-19.1; Added Coun. J. 9-8-86, p. 33588; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 52; Amend Coun. J. 9-6-17, p. 55278, Art. VII, § 16)

13-196-220 Class II standard fire alarm systems.

   A Class II standard fire alarm system may be installed in lieu of a Class I standard fire alarm system in any building when, in the opinion of the fire commissioner, the number of people involved and the physical construction of such building makes a Class II standard fire alarm system acceptable. Class II standard fire alarm system shall comply with the provisions of Chapter 15-16.

(Prior code § 78-20; Amend Coun. J. 5-18-16, p. 24131, § 53)