The Residential Code adopted herein is modified by the amendment, enactment or deletion of the following sections as respectively indicated, which modifications are hereby adopted as set forth here:
Sec. R-313-Smoke Detectors.
(a) “Early fire warning system” means an approved automatic warning system of one or more devices that detect any of the products of combustion, including visible or invisible products of combustion, and that produces an audible alarm in a building for the purpose of notifying the occupants thereof of the presence of a fire. The primary power for such system may be either an AC electrical system or a monitored battery. Systems with detectors sensitive to heat only are not included in this definition for the purposes of this section.
For the purpose of installation and maintenance only, a system shall be deemed approved if it is listed by the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., and conforms to the applicable sections of NFIPA Standard No. 72-1999 titled “National Fire Alarm Code”.
(b) The owner of a building of residential occupancy for which no early fire warning requirements have been imposed by any other applicable municipal ordinance or state law shall install an operable early fire warning system and be responsible for assuring that an operable early fire warning system is present on the premises on or before June 1, 2000. Detectors shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in each living unit and on each additional story without sleeping areas of the living unit, including basements or cellars, and excluding crawl spaces and unfinished attics. Each detection device shall cause the operation of an alarm that shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms when all intervening doors are closed and over all household equipment that may be in operation at night or in full operation. All detectors shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFIPA Standard 72-1999. “National Fire Alarm Code”.
The owner of any dwelling unit shall not rent or lease or cause to be occupied any unit without operating approved smoke detectors as required. The owner/occupant shall verify the presence of the required smoke detectors at the time of occupancy and make such records available on demand of the fire official.
The occupant shall not occupy any living unit without operating approved smoke detectors as required.
“Owner” for the purposes of this section shall mean and include the record owner of the premises as evidenced by the deed records of the Scioto County Recorder and also the purchaser of the premises under a land contract. If the premises are being purchased pursuant to a land contract, it shall be the duty of the purchaser to install the early fire warning system and be responsible for assuring that an operable early fire warning system is present on the premises.
(c) In any building or residential occupancy in which the owner is required to have installed an operable early fire warning system, it shall be the responsibility of the occupant of each residential unit to maintain or have maintained the early fire warning system in that unit whether or not such occupant is the owner, as defined in Section R-215(B) of the Building Code. It shall be the responsibility of the owner to maintain or have maintained any detectors required in cellars or basements of multi-unit structures except where the cellar or basement is part of an individual residential unit.
“Maintain or have maintained” for the purpose of this section shall require in the case of a battery-operated device the replacement of the battery when expired, or in the case of an inoperative or missing device or an inoperative AC electrical system the notification of the building owner and the Portsmouth Fire Department of the inoperative status of the system or device. All single station smoke detectors with an exterior test device shall be tested at least monthly and upon initial occupancy where required. Smoke detectors designed with a 10 year sealed battery are preferred where battery operated smoke detectors are utilized.
(Ord. 2000-34. Passed 3-27-00.)