(A) Fire Apparatus Access. Plans for fire apparatus access roads shall be submitted to the fire department for review.
(B) Fire Hydrant Systems. Plans and specifications for fire hydrant systems shall be submitted to the fire department for review.
(C) Timing of Installation. Required fire hydrants and temporary surfaced access roads within the site shall be installed and made serviceable prior to construction of a building or structure and such hydrants and roads shall be maintained during construction.
(D) Required Access. Fire apparatus access roads shall be provided for every facility, building or portion of a building hereafter constructed or moved into or within the jurisdiction when any portion of the facility or any portion of an exterior wall of the first story of the building is located more than 150 feet from fire apparatus access as measured by an approved route around the exterior of the building or facility. EXCEPTION: Buildings protected throughout by a supervised automatic fire sprinkler system and not used for high-piled combustible storage in excess of 12,000-SF.
(E) Dimensions. Fire apparatus access roads shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet and an unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 13 feet and six inches. The required width of a fire apparatus access road shall not be obstructed in any manner including parking of vehicles.
(F) Surface. Fire apparatus access roads shall be designed and constructed to support the imposed live loads of the heaviest piece of fire department apparatus available to the servicing fire department and shall be provided with a surface so as to provide all-weather driving capabilities.
(G) Turning Radius. The turning radius of a fire apparatus access road shall be determined after construction with the servicing fire department and shall be at least equal to the minimum required radius for the fire apparatus. The roads shall be designed and constructed to permit turning of the longest piece of fire apparatus available to the servicing fire department.
(H) Dead-Ends. Dead-end fire apparatus access 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 available to the servicing department.
(I) Bridges. When a bridge is required to be used as part of a fire apparatus access road, it shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with nationally recognized standards.
(J) Key Boxes. Whenever the servicing Fire Department has instituted a key box emergency access system, a key box compatible with that system shall be installed in an accessible location if:
(1) The building is protected with an automatic sprinkler system equipped with a local or transmitted water-flow alarm; or
(2) The building is provided with any fire alarm system equipped with an outside audible/visual signaling device.
(3) The building is provided with any fire system where the alarm is transmitted to an off-site location or to the fire alarm center for the servicing Fire Department.
(K) Responsibility for Key Box. Key boxes are to be provided by the building owner and shall contain the keys necessary to access all protected areas of the building.
(L) Required Water Supply for Fire Protection. A water supply capable of supplying the required fire flow for firefighting purposes as determined by local ordinance.
(Ord. 55-12-02, passed 1-14-03)
(A) The location of fire hydrants within the city shall be reviewed and approved by the Fire Inspector for the Noblesville Fire Department before the start of construction. Blueprints with fire hydrant placement must be reviewed and approved by the Fire Inspector.
(B) The installation of fire hydrants shall be the following specifications:
(1) Mechanical joint connection for 6 inch service pipe.
(2) A minimum of 5-1/4 inch diameter main valve opening.
(3) Two 2-1/2 inch hose nozzles with threads being National Standard.
(4) A streamer nozzle of four threads per inch, a pitch of 4.946, a major diameter of 5.110-IN and a minor diameter of 4.751-IN.
(5) A main valve seat provided with bronze to bronze threads.
(6) All nozzles shall have a cap covering the opening.
(7) A "break-a-way" hydrant that allows the barrel to break with a minimum of water escaping.
(8) Four drain holes in the bottom to prevent freezing.
(9) The base should be surrounded by at least six cubic feet of coarse gravel or crushed rock for draining.
(10) All hydrants shall be painted with two coats of paint in the color "traffic yellow".
(C) In 1978, an ordinance was adopted to enforce the National Fire Codes. NFPA 24 is the standard for fire hydrant placement, installation and maintenance. The number, size arrangement of outlets, the size of the main valve opening and the size of the barrel shall be suitable for the protection to be provided and shall be approved by the Noblesville Fire Department.
(Ord. 55-12-02, passed 1-14-03)