(a) GENERAL.
(1) The areas referred to in this section shall be the areas enclosed by exterior walls or fire walls or a combination thereof, except that in buildings of fire-resistive construction the areas shall be those enclosed by exterior walls, fire walls or walls of noncombustible material having a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 hours, or a combination thereof.
(2) Combustible goods or merchandise referred to in this section shall include those made of wood, paper or rubber; those containing flammable liquids; those packed with excelsior, paper or foamed plastic; and other goods or merchandise of equivalent or greater combustibility.
(b) SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: Approved automatic sprinkler equipment shall be installed and maintained as follows:
(1) Especially Hazardous Properties. Throughout every building which by reason of its inferior construction or highly combustible occupancy, in the judgment of the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation, constitutes a severe fire hazard or involves a severe life hazard, or constitutes a fire menace to adjoining property.
(2) Buildings for the Manufacture, Storage or Sale of Combustible Goods or Merchandise. Throughout every fire-resistive building occupied in whole for the manufacture, storage or sale of combustible merchandise or goods, if over two stories in height or more than 15,000 square feet in area, or if over five stories in height regardless of area. Throughout every story occupied in whole or part for the manufacture, storage or sale of combustible goods or merchandise in fire-resistive buildings over two stories in height or more than 15,000 square feet in area, or over five stories in height regardless of area. Throughout every building of other than fire-resistive construction occupied in whole or part for the manufacture, storage or sale of combustible goods or merchandise, if over one story in height or more than 10,000 square feet in area, if over three stories in height and more than 5,000 square feet in area, or if over five stories in height regardless of area, or in such parts of buildings of this class as may be specified by the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Investigation.
(3) Garages. Throughout public garages in fire-resistive buildings over 10,000 square feet in area, or non fire-resistive buildings over 6,000 square feet in area.
(4) Basements. Throughout all basements and cellars of buildings having an area of 2,500 square feet or more used for the manufacture, storage or sale of combustible materials or merchandise, or the housing of automobiles.
(5) Hotels and Motels. Throughout all hotel and motel buildings two stories or more in height or one story in height if over 5,000 square feet in area, fire suppression systems shall be required in stairways, exitway access passageways, corridors, storage areas, workshops, all areas of assembly, restaurants, dining rooms, lounges, lecture halls and conference rooms.
(6) Multi-Family Houses and Dormitories. In the basements, cellars, storerooms, kitchens, workrooms, hallways and stairways of all multi-family houses and dormitories of non fire-resistive construction, two stories or more in height or one story in height if over 5,000 square feet in area.
(7) Theaters and Halls. Throughout all buildings occupied or used as places of public assembly having a stage arranged for theatrical, operatic or similar performances, excepting only the auditorium, foyers, lobbies and immediate vicinity of automatic stage ventilators, or throughout all buildings of non fire-resistive construction if such places of assembly are located above the first floor, whether or not there is a stage.
(8) Schools and Public Buildings. In basements, kitchens, shops and other spaces where combustible materials are stored and handled, or in schools or other buildings of non fire-resistive construction more than two stories in height or two stories in height if over 10,000 square feet in area.
(9) Buildings Over Fifty Feet in Height. All buildings over fifty feet in height including the penthouse or other structure, regardless of occupancy, square feet in area or type of construction shall be provided with automatic sprinkler system protection throughout the entire building, and shall be installed according to Nationally Recognized Good Practice, NFPA No. 13 Standards and Insurance Services of Ohio standards.
(10) Supervised Systems. In all buildings requiring an automatic sprinkler system, the sprinkler system shall be a supervised system according to approved standards under Sections 4101:2-25-09 and/or 4101:2-25-10 of the Ohio Administrative Code for central station, proprietary or remote signaling systems. An annunciator shall be located near the location of the Fire Department entry, and approved by the Bureau of Fire Prevention. The system shall be arranged in such a manner that when a sprinkler activates, the local alarm shall sound on the floor of activation and the annunciator will indicate the floor level and fire area of activation. Supervised isolation valves and waterflow devices shall be provided on each floor. When permitted by Municipal Codes and/or Nationally Recognized Good Practice, optional and alternate construction methods may be accepted upon approval of the Bureau of Fire Prevention. Height of building shall be measured from the lowest grade level to the maximum height of any part of the structure.
(11) Exemption and Substitution of Other Equipment. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the installation of sprinkler equipment in safe deposit vaults, in rooms or buildings devoted to manufacture or storage of aluminum powder, calcium carbide, calcium phosphide, metallic sodium and potassium, quicklime, magnesium, sodium peroxide or like materials where application of water may cause or increase fire, or in any other location where the installation of sprinklers may increase the hazard, nor shall this section be construed in any way to interfere with the substitution of other approved automatic protection equipment.
(c) WATER SUPPLY TO SPRINKLER SYSTEMS: Required sprinkler systems shall have at least one automatic water supply of adequate pressure, capacity and reliability as determined by nationally recognized good practice and approved by the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
(d) FIRE DIVISION CONNECTIONS TO SPRINKLER SYSTEMS: Every sprinkler system, shall be equipped with one or more Division of Fire hose connections (siamese connection) and shall be so located as to permit prompt and easy attachment of hoses. The thread of all connections shall be uniform with that used by the Division of Fire. Substantial plugs or caps with chains shall be provided on each connection.
There shall be a Division of Fire hose connection on each street frontage or, when it may be deemed necessary by the Bureau of Fire Prevention, a connection shall be provided on an exterior building wall. When a frontage or exterior wall is less than fifty feet in length, no connection shall be required on that frontage if the required connections are provided on other frontages.
Each connection shall be suitably marked with raised letters reading "Fire Division Connection - Automatic Sprinklers, " or, when only stories below grade are equipped, "Fire Division Connection - Basement Sprinklers" or "Cellar Sprinklers. "
An approved straightway check valve shall be installed in each Division of Fire connection and shall be located as near as practical to the point where it joins the system. The pipe between the outside hose connection and the check valve shall be arranged to drain in an approved manner, siamese connection to be painted and maintained as required by the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
(e) FIRST-AID HOSE IN SPRINKLER EQUIPPED BUILDINGS: In sprinkler equipped buildings, first-aid hose may be connected to a sprinkler system supplied directly by an adequate water supply. In the event a dry sprinkler system is approved, dry standpipes may be substituted for wet standpipes as required by this Fire Prevention Code.
First-aid hose connected to the sprinkler system located inside buildings shall conform to the regulations and requirements as set forth in Section 14.5 "Standpipes" in this Code.
(f) FLUSHING AND TESTING: Underground mains and lead-in connections to system risers shall be flushed thoroughly before connection is made to sprinkler piping in order to remove foreign materials which may have entered the underground piping during the course of installation.
All underground mains and sprinkler system piping shall be hydrostatically tested for not less than 200 pounds per square inch for 2 hours. The Bureau of Fire Prevention shall be given ample notice prior to any testing and such test shall be observed by a representative of the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
(Ord. 1981-41. Passed 3-10-81; Ord. 2022-32. Passed 4-12-22.)