(a) Scope. This section sets forth standards, requirements and procedures for the operation and maintenance of fire alarm systems relating to fire alarm recordkeeping, smoke detector maintenance, testing and recordkeeping, and the prevention of unnecessary and unwarranted alarms.
(b) General Provisions.
(1) Purpose. Pursuant to FC 901.6, all fire alarm systems shall be maintained in good working order at all times. This section sets forth operating and maintenance requirements intended to minimize the number of unwarranted and unnecessary alarms transmitted by such systems that automatically transmit signals to the Department or a central station, including minimum smoke detector maintenance and testing requirements, the type and format of alarm and maintenance records to be kept and used in identifying defective smoke detectors and patterns of unnecessary or unwarranted alarm transmissions. Such alarms, which trigger an emergency response, are costly and endanger the public safety. This section sets forth the standard to which the owners (including lessees) of premises having such systems shall be held in regard to the transmission of such alarms.
(2) All owners shall comply with the requirements of this section and prevent unnecessary and unwarranted alarms.
(c) Prevention of Unnecessary and Unwarranted Alarms.
(1) In any premises having a fire alarm system or a smoke detector that automatically transmits signals to the Department or a central station, the owner (including any lessee) of the premises shall be responsible for preventing the transmission of unnecessary or unwarranted alarms, and shall be liable for any violation of this section.
(2) It shall be unlawful to transmit two (2) or more unnecessary or unwarranted alarms in any three-month period, and it shall be unlawful to transmit any additional unnecessary or unwarranted alarms as set forth in 3 RCNY § 907-01(c)(4).
(3) The owner of any premises from which a second unnecessary or unwarranted alarm is transmitted in any three-month period will be subject to issuance of a notice of violation. Such notice of violation will afford the owner the opportunity to address the cause of the unnecessary or unwarranted alarm and to certify correction of the violation in accordance with 3 RCNY § 109-01(c), without having to appear for an ECB hearing and without imposition of a penalty.
(4) An owner issued a notice of violation pursuant to 3 RCNY § 907-01(c)(3) shall be liable for a violation of this section for any subsequent unnecessary or unwarranted alarm within six (6) months of the date of issuance of the notice of violation. Each such subsequent notice of violation shall constitute a repeat offense pursuant to Administrative Code § 15-229(a) and shall not be eligible for certification of correction without a hearing and penalty pursuant to 3 RCNY § 109-01(c). Each such subsequent notice of violation shall extend for an additional six (6) months the time the owner is liable for unnecessary or unwarranted alarms pursuant to this provision.
(5) An owner issued one (1) or more notices of violation pursuant to 3 RCNY § 907-01(c)(3) or (4) who does not transmit any unnecessary or unwarranted alarm within six (6) months of the date of issuance of the last-issued notice of violation shall be restored to compliant status and shall thereafter be subject to issuance of a notice of violation only for two (2) unnecessary or unwarranted alarms within a three-month period, as set forth in 3 RCNY § 109-01(c)(2).
(6) Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to preclude the Department from utilizing other means of enforcement with respect to unnecessary or unwarranted alarms that meet or exceed the number set forth in 3 RCNY § 907-01(c)(2).
(7) For purposes of this section, the malicious transmission of a false alarm by activation of a manual fire alarm box shall not be construed as an unnecessary alarm.
(d) Alarm Log Book.
(1) The provisions of this section shall apply to any premises having a defined fire alarm system.
(2) The fire safety director, or in buildings not requiring a fire safety director, a person designated by the owner, shall be responsible to make all log book entries required by this section.
(3) An alarm log book shall be maintained on the premises, at the building's main fire alarm control panel. In the absence of a secure location at the main fire alarm control panel, the alarm log book may be secured during non-business hours in another area provided it is made available for inspection by any Department representatives responding to an alarm on the premises. Alarm log book entries shall be made in chronological order, recording the location and causes of all alarm signals transmitted by such fire alarm system.
(4) The alarm log book shall be a bound book (other than spiral bound) with consecutively numbered and lined pages. The cover of the log book shall bear the inscription, "ALARM LOG BOOK", together with the name and address of the building. All entries shall be made in ink and dated. A separate log book shall be kept for each calendar year. Log books shall be retained for a period of three (3) years from the date of the last entry.
(5) The alarm log book shall be divided into three (3) separate sections as set forth below. Each section shall have a sufficient number of pages to allow for entries for at least one (1) year. The following log book entries are required and shall be made in each instance:
(A) Daily entries. The name of the person who made the entry, the certificate of fitness number of the fire safety director on duty, if applicable, and the time each tour of duty began and ended, shall be entered in the alarm log book on a daily basis. These entries shall be set forth in columns in the log book as follows:
(1) name
(2) certificate of fitness number
(3) time started
(4) time relieved
(B) System off-line entries. The date and time the alarm system was taken off-line, the reason for such action, the name and certificate of fitness number of the person notified at the central station (or other evidence of notification satisfactory to the Department), and the date and time the system was restored to service, shall be entered in the alarm log book in each such circumstance. These entries shall be set forth in columns in the log book as follows:
(1) time off line
(2) reason off line
(3) central station name and telephone number
(4) time restored
(C) Activated alarm entries. The date and time the alarm activated, the type and location of the device (e.g., smoke detector, 27th floor, elevator lobby), the probable cause of the alarm, and the Department unit and officer responding shall be entered in the alarm log book in each such circumstance. These entries shall be set forth in columns in the log book as follows:
(1) date and time activated
(2) location and detector type
(3) probable cause
(4) Department unit and officer
(D) Notification entries. The date and time of any notification to the occupants of the premises pursuant to FC Chapter 9 and 3 RCNY § 907-01(d), regarding a non-functioning or improperly functioning alarm system.
(e) Smoke Detector Maintenance and Recordkeeping.
(1) Owner responsibility. The owner (including any lessee) of any premises monitored by a defined fire alarm system shall be responsible for the detector maintenance required by FC Chapter 9 and the smoke detector cleaning and testing required by this section.
(2) Certificate of fitness. The smoke detector cleaning and testing required by this section shall be performed by a person holding a certificate of fitness for smoke detector maintenance.
(3) Smoke detector maintenance company certificate. Such work shall be performed under the supervision of a company holding a smoke detector maintenance company certificate. All other smoke detector maintenance and testing shall be performed by a person possessing the requisite qualifications and experience, and any applicable license or certificate. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the smoke detector cleaning and testing required by this section may be performed by an owner of the premises, or an employee thereof, who possesses a certificate of fitness for smoke detector maintenance and the tools, instruments or other equipment necessary to perform smoke detector cleaning and testing required by this section.
(4) Smoke detector cleaning and testing.
(A) All smoke detectors connected to a defined fire alarm system shall be cleaned and tested in compliance with the procedures set forth in the manufacturer's specifications and in NFPA 72, except that where such procedures are inconsistent with the provisions of this section, the provisions of this section shall apply.
(B) All smoke detectors connected to a defined fire alarm system shall be:
(1) cleaned not less than once every six (6) months, except for analog (intelligent) smoke detectors, which shall be cleaned no later than one (1) week from receipt of an indication of the need for cleaning.
(2) tested for smoke entry not less than once a year.
(3) tested for sensitivity not less than once a year, except for analog (intelligent) smoke detectors, which shall be tested for sensitivity no later than one (1) week from receipt of an indication of the need for such testing.
(C) Any smoke detector not performing in conformance with the manufacturer's specifications or the standards set forth in NFPA 72 shall be re-calibrated, repaired or replaced, as required, in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations and the requirements of said standard.
(5) Smoke detector maintenance recordkeeping.
(A) The provisions of this section shall apply to any premises having a defined fire alarm system.
(B) A smoke detector maintenance log book shall be maintained on the premises in the office of the fire safety director, or, in buildings not requiring a fire safety director, in the building superintendent's office. Such log book shall state the total number of smoke detectors on the premises and list each smoke detector by location. Entries shall be made in such log book, in chronological order, regarding the installation, repair, maintenance and testing of the smoke detectors, and any signals transmitted by such detectors. Such entries shall include the date and nature of any inspection, cleaning, testing or calibration, and the name of the person and company performing such work, and any signal transmitted by analog (intelligent) smoke detectors communicating a need for cleaning and/or adjustment.
(C) The fire safety director, or in buildings not requiring a fire safety director, a person designated by the owner, shall be responsible to make all smoke detector maintenance log book entries required by this section.
(D) The smoke detector maintenance log book shall be a bound book (other than spiral bound) with consecutively numbered and lined pages. The cover of the log book shall bear the inscription, "SMOKE DETECTOR MAINTENANCE LOG BOOK," together with the name and address of the building or occupancy. All entries shall be made in ink and dated. A separate log book shall be kept for each calendar year. Log books shall be retained for a period of three (3) years from the date of the last entry. A computer record that is designed to prevent or detect alteration of information and that is otherwise maintained in a manner acceptable to the Department, may be maintained in lieu of a bound log book provided that such computerized record is available on the premises for inspection by any Department representative during business hours.
(E) A copy of the smoke detector manufacturer's recommended maintenance procedures shall be kept with the smoke detector maintenance log book.
(f) Compliance with Other Laws, Rules and Regulations. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to authorize any installation, alteration or repair of electrical wiring or other component of a fire alarm system that any other law or rule, including the Electrical Code or the Building Code, requires to be performed by a licensed electrician.