A. All facilities required to be installed under this article shall be approved by and meet the specifications of the Fire Chief and the Community Services Director as to location, size and type of materials, and manner of installation.
1. Water supply.
i. Minimum fire flow.
a. Standards published by the Insurance Services Office, entitled "Guide for Determination of Required Fire Flows" and the provisions of International Fire Code shall serve as a guide to determine capacity of facilities required to furnish an adequate water supply to individual buildings and is hereby included by reference within this subsection.
b. The fire protection facilities shall be adequate to convey the required quantity of water, as determined by the above-cited standards, to any outlet in the system; with no less than 20 pounds per square inch residual pressure at the outlet being considered, with the required quantity of water flowing.
2. Access to fire protection facilities. Whenever any hydrant or other appurtenance for use by the Fire Department is required to be installed under the provisions of this section, there shall be included in the improvements plan, and delineated thereon, adequate provisions for access to and from every such hydrant and appurtenance by firefighting equipment. Such access shall be in the form of an improved, permanently-maintained roadway or of an open paved area, or any combination thereof, designed, constructed and at all times maintained in such a manner that there shall be an accessway kept clear and unobstructed at such grades, and having sufficient width and height clearance, as to permit ingress and egress by firefighting equipment. With respect to hydrants located along private accessways where curbs exist, the curbs shall be painted red by the owner, lessee, or other person in charge of the premises to prohibit parking for a distance of 15 feet in either direction from any hydrant. In such cases where curbs do not exist, there shall be appropriate markings painted on the pavement, or signs erected, or both, giving notice that parking is prohibited for a distance of 15 feet from any such hydrant. If, in the judgment of the Fire Chief, it is necessary to prohibit vehicular parking along private accessways in order to keep them clear and unobstructed, he or she may require the developer, owner, lessee, or other person in charge of the premises to paint the curbs or install signs or give other appropriate notice to the effect that parking is prohibited by the Fire Department. It shall thereafter be unlawful for any such owner, lessee, or other person in charge to fail to install and maintain in good condition the form of notice so prescribed.
3. Timing of facilities installation. Facilities are to be provided during the initial stage of construction. When it is deemed that firefighting facilities are required to be installed, as required by this article, by the developer, the facilities as may be required shall be installed and made serviceable prior to or at the time any combustible construction begins on the land, unless, in the opinion of the Fire Chief, the nature or circumstances of the facilities makes it impractical to so require.
4. Maintenance of facilities. All on-site fire-protection facilities shall at all times be maintained in good working order by the owner thereof. To this end, the Fire Chief is hereby empowered at his or her discretion to conduct periodic tests and inspection of the facilities. If the Fire Chief determines that the facilities are not being maintained as required by this article, he or she may order that the owner or lessee of the land make the necessary repairs or changes within 10 days, or such longer time as in his or her judgment is reasonable. It shall be unlawful for any such person to fail or refuse to comply with any such order.
5. Operation or modification of facilities. On site fire-protection facilities may only be altered or repaired with the consent of the Fire Chief provided, that such alteration or repairs shall be carried out in compliance with the International Fire Code and accepted engineering practices.
(Prior Code, § 14-1-6(B)) (Ord. 13-1096, § 9, passed 7-9-2013)