(A) Fire apparatus access roads. Fire apparatus access roads may be required for any development project that does not provide adequate access for fire protection from a public street.
(1) Prior to the start of construction of any structure, the developer shall provide fire apparatus access roads to within 100 feet of the exterior wall of the structure.
(2) Said access roads shall be extended as required in division (A)(1) above, as new construction dictates.
(B) Access road construction requirements. All fire apparatus access roads shall meet the following minimum standards. If said roads are designed for adoption as streets by the town, the roads shall also conform to the requirements of the town’s Street Department. In the event of a conflict between rules as set out in this section and those standards of the town’s Street Department, the most stringent requirements shall apply.
(C) Minimum standards.
(1) Width. The unobstructed width of a fire apparatus access road shall not be less than 24 feet.
(2) Vertical clearance. Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet, six inches except where a smaller clearance will allow the passage of the tallest piece of apparatus used by the servicing fire department(s). Requested clearance shall require approval by the inspecting officer.
(3) Modifications. Vertical clearances and/or widths required by this section shall be increased when vertical clearances or widths are not adequate to provide fire apparatus access for the largest fire apparatus expected to be used by the servicing fire department(s).
(4) Loads. Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed and constructed to support the imposed loads of the heaviest piece of fire apparatus to be used by the servicing fire departments(s).
(5) Turning radius. Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed and constructed to permit turning of the longest piece of fire apparatus used by the servicing fire department(s).
(6) Turnarounds. All such roads, which are dead-end roads in excess of 150 feet in length, shall be designed and constructed so as to allow the turning around of the longest piece of fire apparatus used by the servicing fire department(s).
(7) Grade. The gradient of all fire apparatus access roads shall not exceed the maximum that the fire apparatus used by the servicing fire department(s) can accommodate.
(D) Fire hydrants, water supply, required flow. Prior to the start of construction of any structure, the developer shall provide and install, in a fully working condition, sufficient fire hydrants capable of delivering required water flow as set out by the requirements of this section.
(1) Required flow. Delivered flow shall meet the requirements of nationally recognized authorities, such as the National Fire Protection Association and the like, as well as others recognized by the inspecting officer. It shall be the responsibility of the developer to perform the required testing in conformance with the recognized standards and provide the inspecting officer with written results.
(2) Hydrant spacing. Spacing shall conform to the requirements of a nationally recognized authority, such as the National Fire Protection Association, American Waterworks Association, and the like, but shall not exceed 800 feet.
(3) Connections. In addition to other provided connections, there shall be at least two connections of a diameter of two and one-half inches providing for connection to the main intake of fire apparatus pumps as used by the servicing fire department(s). Threads shall be of the type used by the servicing fire department(s).
(4) Installation. Installation shall conform to the requirements of standards of nationally recognized authorities, such as the National Fire Protection Association, American Waterworks Association, and those of the servicing water department(s).
(5) Adopted standards and documents. The following standards and references are adopted as a guide toward ensuring compliance with the regulations:
(a) NFPA 1231, “Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Firefighting”, 1989 Edition;
(b) NFPA 1201, “Recommendations for Developing Fire Protection Services for the Public”, 1989 Edition;
(c) NFPA 291, “Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants”, 1988 Edition;
(d) American Waterworks Association, Manual M-I7, “Installation, Field Testing, and Maintenance of Fire Hydrants”, 1980 Edition;
(e) NFPA 1963, “Standard for Screw Threads and Gaskets for Fire Hose Connections”, 1985 Edition;
(f) Insurance Services Office, “Fire Suppression Rating Schedule”; and
(g) Fire Underwriters Survey, “Water Supply for Public Fire Protection”.
(6) Inspection and enforcement.
(a) It shall be the duty of the Town Building Inspector to perform the required inspections as necessary in order to evaluate compliance and report said findings to the governing body enforcing these regulations.
(b) In the absence of a Town Building Inspector, the governing body shall appoint a properly qualified person to perform the duties required in division (D)(6)(a).
(c) The Town Building Inspector shall perform the required duties in cooperation with the heads of other involved agencies or town departments.
(d) Where the jurisdiction is empowered to enforce the state’s Fire Prevention Code, those sections of these regulations relating to fire protection shall be adopted and incorporated as a section of the local Fire Prevention Code, following review and approval of the state’s Department of Fire and Building Services.
(e) Upon adoption and incorporation of these regulations into the local Fire Prevention Code, the Fire Inspector shall take appropriate and prescribed enforcement action upon determination that a violation has been committed.
(Ord. 2005-5, passed 6-7-2005)