The International Fire Code, as adopted in section 4-1-8-1 of this chapter shall be amended as follows: (Ord. 0-43-12, 12-17-2012; amd. Ord. 0-15-18, 8-6-2018)
Section 101.1 - Insert "city of Darien" for [name of jurisdiction].
Section 108 - Revise board of appeals to read:
Whenever the chief of the bureau of fire prevention shall disapprove an application, or refuse to grant a permit, or when it is claimed that the provisions of this article have been misconstrued or wrongly interpreted, the applicant or person affected may appeal from the decision of the director of building and zoning to the planning and zoning commission of the city of Darien. Appeals made pursuant to this section shall be in accordance with the procedures set forth in the city's zoning ordinance.
Add section 319 to read:
Section 319.0 - Miscellaneous Provisions.
Section 319.1 - Hazardous Areas. Room used for storage, boiler or furnace rooms, fuel storage, janitors' closets, and maintenance shops shall be separated from other building areas by assemblies having a fire resistance rating of not less than one hour with appropriate protection of openings into the rooms.
Section 319.2 - Fire Evacuation Procedure Notice. Owners, managers, and agents of multiple dwelling units with more than six (6) units, motels, hotels and places of assembly, served by a common entrance, shall post and maintain in a conspicuous location within each dwelling unit and in access routes, a written notice which explains what procedures to use in the event of a fire. The notice shall contain a diagram of all fire exits.
Add section 320 - Packing Materials. Materials used for protective packing shall be kept in approved noncombustible containers.
Section 320.1 - Removal Of Packing And Waste Materials. No persons shall store in any building excess amounts of combustible empty packing cases, wooden or plastic pallets, barrels, boxes, rubber tires, shavings, excelsior, rubbish, paper bags, litter, hay, straw and similar combustibles. Aisle ways and storage of the abovementioned combustibles necessary for the performance of business shall be kept in an orderly and neat manner. Combustible materials shall be removed daily or more often as is necessary to suitable vaults, bins, dumpsters, compactors or separate buildings. Such practices shall be as approved by the fire official.
Section 503.1 - Revise to read:
Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided so that:
1. Public or private access is provided to each building so that the first responding fire district pumper unit will be able to be so located that all points of the interior of the building may be reached by one hundred fifty (150) feet of initial attack hose.
a. Where the size of the building does not allow this regulation to be met, an interior standpipe system equipped with fire department hose connections approved by the fire official may be allowed as an exception. The standpipe system shall be connected to a public water system.
2. Public or private access for motor fire apparatus shall be provided around the building so that there may be proper operation of ladders and mechanically elevated mechanisms.
3. Access routes shall be so arranged that fire department apparatus may respond from all points of the building to adjacent fire hydrants along routes not to exceed two hundred fifty (250) feet from the most remote point of the building to the closest fire hydrant.
4. Fire lanes on private property shall be approved by the fire official, and parking of motor vehicles otherwise obstructing such fire lanes or access routes shall be prohibited at all times. Permanent all-weather signs identifying fire lanes and access ways shall be posted.
5. In commercial developments public or private fire department access roads and ways shall be all weather, properly maintained and accessible at all times. A minimum of eight (8) inches of granular stone surfaced by at least two (2) inches of bituminous asphalt material. Fire lanes in residential developments shall be reviewed by the fire official for adequacy.
6. Access roads or fire lanes shall be not less than fifteen (15) feet from the building and further if the height of the building requires a greater setback to ladder the buildings.
7. Access routes shall be continuous around the building.
a. This requirement may be modified by the fire official where adequate building access openings, a complete fire suppression system and high rise provisions are provided.
Section 505.1 - Address Numbers. Delete the word "alphabet."
Add section 506 - Revise to read:
Section 506.0 - Fire Department Rapid Entry System.
Section 506.1 - General. The fire official shall require all new and existing construction that is required to be equipped with an approved fire alarm system or sprinkler system to have an approved key box system.
Section 506.2 - Purpose. The purpose of the rapid entrance key system is to allow the fire department to gain immediate access to a building in emergency situations without forcible entry.
Section 506.3 - Location. The approved key box shall not be located more than 5 feet above grade.
Section 506.4 - Contents. The approved key box shall contain key, keycards, etc. as needed to gain necessary access as required by the code official.
Section 506.5 - Alarms. At the request of the owner or lessee, the fire code official shall permit him to install a key box tamper switch connected to the building's alarm system. If the owner or lessee chooses to connect the key box to an alarm, then they shall comply with the following requirements:
1. If the building is protected by a burglar alarm system, the key box shall be connected to that system.
2. If the building is not protected by a burglar alarm system, the key box may be connected to the fire alarm providing the connection is on the trouble side signaling an alarm. Connection to the fire alarm requires the key box to be zoned separately from any fire detection and noted on the fire alarm annunciator panel as KEY BOX.
Section 806.1.1 - Restricted Occupancies. Revise to read as follows:
Natural cut trees shall only be permitted in the dwelling units of group R-2 and R-3 occupancies.
Section 807.4.3.1 - Storage In Corridors And Lobbies. Delete exceptions 1 and 2.
Section 807.4.4.1 - Storage In Corridors And Lobbies. Delete exceptions 1 and 2.
Add to Section 901.7 to read:
Section 901.7 - Systems Out Of Service. Automatic fire suppression systems shall not be out of service for more than eight (8) hours for additions, alterations, maintenance or repairs without the approval of the fire official or the designated representative.
Section 905 - Standpipe Systems. Add the following:
Class I standpipe systems shall be installed in all buildings where any portion of the building's interior area is more than one hundred fifty (150) feet of travel from the nearest point of fire district vehicle access.
Add section 905.12 to read:
Section 905.12 - Standpipe Flow Switch. All standpipe systems shall have flow switches interconnected to the building fire alarm system.
Section 906.1 - Where Required. Add the following:
7. Within five (5) feet of all exit doors. If there are practical difficulties in locating the fire extinguisher within five (5) feet of an exit door, then the code official shall designate an approved location.
Revise section 907 to read:
Delete the following sections of 907: Sections 907.2.1, 907.2.2, 907.2.3 exception 3, 907.2.4, 907.2.7 exception 2, 907.2.8.1 exception 2, 907.2.9.1 exception 2, 907.2.10.1 exception 2.
Section 907.1.4 - Design. The system shall be designed and installed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association no. 72, installation, maintenance and use of protective signaling systems, 2010 edition, with automatic detectors designed and installed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association.
Section 907.2 - Fire Alarm And Automatic Detection Required.
Section 907.2 - All Other Use Groups Except R-3. In all buildings with floor areas greater than two thousand (2,000) square feet, fire alarm systems shall be required and approved by the code official for the particular application. Detection devices shall be compatible with the hazards and purpose for alarm.
(Ord. 0-43-12, 12-17-2012)
Each building which is required to be built pursuant to the 2015 international building code as adopted by the city of Darien, having a required F.A. system shall be equipped with a wireless radio connection, approved by the code official, between its automatic fire detection equipment and such appropriate dispatch station as utilized by the fire protection district or department which services the structure.
(Ord. 0-43-12, 12-17-2012; amd. Ord. 0-15-18, 8-6-2018)
Assembly. Both new and existing educational and institutional use groups shall be equipped with an approved fire alarm system. This shall include assembly and educational uses with 20 or more occupants.
Section 907.2 - Alarm systems in use group R-1, R-2 and R-3 (except for detached single-family dwelling structures) shall comply with the following: Approved automatic fire detection shall be provided to protect new and existing multi-family buildings, which include apartments of three (3) or more units, townhouses and similar uses.
1. Approved automatic smoke detection devices wired to an activated living unit electrical circuit shall be provided in the vicinity of all bedrooms and elsewhere, based on room arrangements, in each living unit.
(a) The wiring shall allow for easy removal and replacement of the device.
(b) Each detector shall include an audible alerting device.
i. Approved fixed temperature devices shall be provided in each living unit near the kitchen and living room areas, with not less than one installed on each floor level. These shall be part of the fire alarm system.
ii. Generally unattended areas such as storage rooms, garages, combustible unattended areas, elevator shafts, furnace rooms, basements, attic spaces, crawl spaces and similar areas shall be protected by approved heat detection devices.
iii. Approved smoke detection devices shall be provided in all public or common egress routes, including corridors, stairways, exit hallways, etc.
iv. All devices, except living unit smoke detectors (from 1. above), shall be interconnected to an approved control panel with an audible alerting system servicing all floors of the building.
v. A zone indicator panel shall be provided in any building having multiple living units, with each zone serving more than one floor.
Section 907.2 - Automatic Sprinklers. Where automatic sprinklers provide protection to an area, approved flow and tamper switches interconnected to the fire alarm system shall be provided.
Section 907.5 - No alarm shall be out of service for more than 24 consecutive hours.
Section 907.6.2 - Power Supplies. A primary power supply source for the operation of the system under normal conditions shall be provided. A secondary power supply for operation of the system shall be by a U.L. approved energy device or minimum 60-hour storage battery or engine driven generator.
Section 907.6.3 - Zones. Each floor and each area over 15,000 square feet in area shall be separately zoned. Each type of system (sprinkler, halon, alarm, etc.) shall be separately zoned.
Add Section 907.6.3.3 - Each sprinkler system need only be zoned per floor for a flow alarm.
Add Section 907.10 - The fire protection district shall have access at any time of the day or night to the fire alarm control panel without entering an individual living (dwelling) unit. The fire alarm panel must be installed in an approved climate controlled, weather protected closet with 24-hour access from the exterior of the building.
Add section 915 to read:
Section 915 - Fire Hydrant Locations.
Section 915.1 - Fire Hydrant Locations. Water supplies shall be delivered under pressure to fire hydrants located as follows:
1. Fire hydrants shall be located along public streets, fire lanes, or access routes so that no portion of the building will be over 250 feet from a public fire hydrant. Where this is not possible, additional hydrants shall be located on the premises and be accessible to motorized fire apparatus.
2. In apartments, townhouses, condominiums, town/row or cluster housing areas where streets or parking lots dead end, hydrants shall be placed along the access route at a location approved by the fire official.
3. At least two (2) fire hydrants shall be located within 300 feet of the building.
4. Hydrants should be so located that:
a. Hydrants will be located approximately ten (10) feet from all weather roadways. If this cannot be done, the closest part of the hydrant shall be set back at least two (2) feet from the curb.
b. Hydrants shall not be located further than 75 feet from any fire department sprinkler or standpipe connection as determined by the code official.
c. Hydrants shall not be located closer than 25 feet to a building.
d. Hydrant outlets shall be a minimum of 18 inches but not more than 36 inches above the finished grade.
e. Access to fire hydrants shall be all-weather roadways adequate in width, clearance and strength for fire fighting purposes. Such routes including private roadways, shall be maintained accessible during all seasons of the year.
5. Fire hydrants used in conjunction with water supplies shall have two (21/2) inch and one (41/2) inch outlets with auxiliary gate valves on the hydrant branch line. Threads shall be American national standard. Pumper outlets shall face roadways.
6. Fire hydrants shall be protected from accidental damage by approved methods when located in areas subject to vehicular damage.
Section 1006.1.1 Emergency Power For Illumination - revise to read as follows:
Emergency lighting shall be equipped with power supplies from an independent, approved reliable source (battery or automatic starting generator). Emergency lighting shall be provided in all rooms and spaces over 2,000 square feet in area, or in rooms with an occupancy load of 20 or more. When required, emergency lighting shall be installed in stairways, corridors, access routes and other exit components. Multi-family building - emergency lighting will be required in all existing and new multi-family buildings in stairways, corridors, exit access and other exit components.
Add section 1021.1.1 - Number And Location Of Exits. All rooms or spaces with accommodations for 20 or more persons or over 2,000 square feet in area and each floor shall have 2 separate means of egress.
Add section 5600.1 - to read:
Section 5600.1 - Bond And Responsibility. Bond and responsibility for fireworks display and discharge requires "public liability insurance" in the amounts of not less than $1,000,000.00 bodily injury and $250,000.00. The city of Darien and the local fire protection district shall be added as an "additional insured."
Add section 5706.9 - to read:
Section 5706.9 - Special Dispensers. Special type dispensers such as coin, key or card-operated devices, for self service operation by the general public are prohibited unless there is an attendant on duty at all times.
(Ord. 0-43-12, 12-17-2012)