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All interior fire alarm systems shall be supervised closed circuit electrically operated systems except that in specific instances, where deemed adequate for the purpose by the Division of Fire, manually operated trip fire gongs not less than eight (8) inches in diameter may be installed in buildings not more than two (2) stories in height, and except that open circuit systems may be installed in specific instances where deemed adequate for the purpose by the Division in buildings where noncoded systems are permitted by this Fire Prevention Code and where not more than two (2) alarm sending stations are required.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
As used in this Fire Prevention Code:
(a) “Interior fire alarm system” means an alarm system installed within a building and provided and intended to warn the occupants of the building in the event of fire by means of an audible signal transmitted from manual trip stations, signal stations or boxes, or automatic fire detecting devices.
(b) “Closed circuit system” means one in which all circuits between alarm sending stations, sounding devices and annunciators are maintained as normally closed electrical circuits.
(c) “Open circuit system” means one in which all circuits are maintained as electric circuits normally open at the alarm sending stations and which is operated by closing the circuit at any alarm sending station.
(d) “Coded closed circuit interior fire alarm, signal system” means interior fire alarm signal consisting of sending stations and signaling devices operated on supervised closed electrical circuits where rounds of automatically sounded coded signals are transmitted to indicate the floor or portion of the same from which the alarm was sent.
(e) “Noncoded closed circuit interior fire alarm signal system” means an interior fire alarm signal system consisting of sending stations and signaling devices operated on supervised closed electrical circuits so arranged that operation of any station will automatically sound the sounding devices throughout all portions of the building.
(f) “Presignal system” means a coded closed circuit interior fire alarm signal system so arranged that the operation of any station will cause the sounding of the sounding devices located at a main telephone switchboard, office, custodian’s room, chief engineer’s office or other place within a building, to notify a responsible person that an alarm box has been operated, and the location of such alarm box. Alarm stations of a presignal system shall be so equipped that operation of any alarm sending station by an authorized person in a special manner or by use of a special key shall cause the sounding of all sounding devices throughout the building.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
All required electrically operated interior fire alarm systems and all devices and equipment in connection with such fire alarm systems installed after June 27, 1949, shall be systems, devices and equipment of a type which has been approved for the purpose by the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals. Systems, devices and equipment which have been tested and approved by the Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc., or tested and approved by other recognized testing laboratory with adequate equipment, experience and competency, may be approved by the Board without additional tests.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
All required interior fire alarm systems shall be installed in conformity with plans therefor which have been submitted to and approved by the Fire Chief. Plans submitted for approval shall clearly describe all component parts of the proposed system and indicate, in diagrammatic fashion, the proposed location of all alarm sending stations, sounding devices and annunciators.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
(a) In all buildings provided with an electrically operated interior fire alarm system, at least one (1) fire alarm sending station shall be provided at each floor level located in a natural path of escape from fire at a readily accessible location designated or approved by the Fire Chief. Additional sending stations shall be provided so that no point on any floor area not divided into rooms, or from any door to an apartment, dwelling unit or room, shall be more than one hundred (100) feet distant from the nearest sending station upon such floor. At floor levels where more than one (1) sending station are required, the sending stations shall be located at the customary means of egress from the floor level unless otherwise directed by the Chief.
(b) All sending stations shall be located five (5) feet three (3) inches from handle to floor.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
(a) Sounding devices shall be sufficient in number to be clearly audible to all the occupants of the building.
(b) All sounding devices in the same building shall be of the same type and shall emit a distinctive signal used only for fire alarm purposes.
(c) Where coded systems are used, audible sounding devices shall sound the code signal at least three (3) times whenever such code signal is transmitted. However, in buildings of residential occupancy classification the code signal shall sound continuously until manually silenced at the station from which the signal was transmitted.
(d) Where ceiling heights permit, gongs or other sounding device shall be located approximately eight (8) feet above the floor level. Where ceiling heights do not permit installation at that level, gongs or other sounding devices shall be located close to the ceiling level.
(e) The provisions of this section shall not, however, be interpreted to preclude or prevent the installation of special sounding devices which have been approved by the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals and which are installed in conformity with the conditions of such approval.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
(a) Annunciators used in connection with presignal type interior fire alarm systems shall be of an approved closed circuit type.
(b) Annunciators shall have relays of approved type and shall be equipped with suitable target, shutter or other indicating device, each marked with a suitable description of the purpose it serves and requiring manual reset after operation.
(c) Annunciators shall be so designed that they will indicate trouble on any circuit, control board or at any other point on an interior fire alarm system, by visible and audible signals. The indicating devices on trouble annunciators shall reset automatically when the cause of trouble has been removed.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
(a) The following sources of energy for electrically operated interior fire alarm systems shall be approved:
(1) Central station electric power;
(2) Two (2) or more electric power generating units;
(3) Two (2) or more sets of storage battery units;
(4) One (1) electric generator supplemented by storage battery equipment or other approved auxiliary equipment;
(5) Storage battery equipment under continuous charge from an approved trickle type charger.
(b) One (1) approved source of energy shall be connected to an electrically operated interior fire alarm system at all times. When an auxiliary source of energy is required, it shall be so arranged and controlled by an automatic switch that, when the primary source of energy fails, the secondary source will be automatically connected to the fire alarm signal system. No intermediate devices shall be connected between the fire alarm control board and the source of current supply unless specifically approved by the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals.
(c) Except as provided in subsection (e) hereof, when the energy for a fire alarm signal system is supplied by a central station electric power system, it shall be accepted as the sole source of supply. Connections to the service shall be made as close to the service entrance as practicable, but in any case on the street side of any main overcurrent protection device or service switch.
(d) Fire alarm cut-outs installed at power sources shall be enclosed in locked or sealed metal cabinets painted bright red and stenciled “INTERIOR FIRE ALARM.” Fuses shall be of the enclosed cartridge type, three (3) pole with neutral fuse replaced by a solid copper wire or other approved fuses. Screw plug fuses shall not be used.
(e) In buildings or parts of buildings of Institutional H Occupancy or Assembly Occupancy classification required under Chapter 3135 to have an auxiliary power source for emergency lighting or exitways, such source shall be utilized as an auxiliary source of energy for the interior fire alarm systems.
(Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)
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