Every highrise building shall be provided with a fire alarm and communication system that is electrically supervised, meets the provisions of UBC Standard 18.1, N.F.P.A. Standards, and is approved and listed by the state fire marshal and shall consist of the following:
- Local alarm system,
- Public address system,
- Fire department communication system.
The systems shall be designed and installed so that damage to any terminal unit or speaker will not render more than one zone of the system inoperative.
The local alarm and public address systems may be a combined system. When approved, the fire department communication system may be combined with the local alarm system and the public address system.
A. Local Alarm. The local alarm system shall employ approved sounding devices. The sounding devices shall have a distinctive tone and shall be arranged to emit intermittent, prolonged or continuous sound signals for a full period of ten (10) seconds, to be immediately followed by an intermission, or period of silence, of five seconds before the signal is repeated. Such signal shall continue to sound until manually terminated in the fire control room, but in no case shall such manual operation be arranged to cause termination in less than three minutes.
Devices for the hearing impaired (strobes) shall be installed, at a minimum, in all public restrooms and adjacent to all illuminated exit signs.
B. Public Address System. Speakers of signaling devices used to sound the local or fire alarm shall be so located as to be clearly heard by all occupants on the floor where activated, one floor above, and one floor below, except as may be otherwise found necessary.
The public address communication system shall operate from the fire control room. It shall be established on a selective or general basis to the following terminal areas:
1. Elevator machine rooms;
2. Corridors within ten (10) feet of the exit doors and not more than one hundred (100) feet apart;
3. Within exit stairways, at least every third level.
C. Fire Department Communication System. A supervised two-way communication system shall be provided for fire department use. An operator's telephone headset, with one earpiece, shall be permanently connected to the console with an approved cord of sufficient length to reach all controls and annunciating devices within the fire control room. It shall operate between the fire control room and every connection device(s) at the following locations:
1. On each side of the exit stairway door;
2. Mechanical equipment rooms;
3. On the exterior of the emergency generator room door;
4. Fire department equipment storage rooms;
5. Fire pump room;
6. When travel distance to a phone jack exceeds two hundred (200) feet, an outlet shall be placed midway between the two points at an approved location. (Prior code §§ 9.28.1220, 15.11.1101)