(A) Requirement.
(1) Each dwelling, dwelling unit, hotel room, motel room, apartment house, guest room, and lodging house, all or any portion of which is occupied, shall be provided with approved smoke detectors or approved smoke detection and alarm systems as provided in this section, except for interior common areas of the buildings covered by the Fire Code of the city, which are:
(a) Buildings which contain three or more dwelling units or guest rooms or any combination of dwelling units and guest rooms equal to three or more and which are three stories or more in height; and
(b) Buildings which contain 20 or more dwelling units or guest room or any combination of dwelling units and guest rooms equal to 20 or more, regardless of height.
(2) Smoke detectors and smoke detection and alarm systems shall be maintained in a sound operating condition in accordance with their original approval.
(B) Location.
(1) Smoke detectors (one- and two-family dwellings). Smoke detectors shall be installed in each sleeping room, outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms and on each additional story of the dwelling including basements and cellars but not including crawlspaces or uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels, a smoke detector need be installed only on the upper level, provided the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level, except that if there is a door between levels, then a detector is required on each level. All detectors shall be approved and listed and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
(2) Smoke detectors for other than one- and two-family dwellings. Detectors shall be installed as required by the Building Code of the city.
(3) Power source. Detectors in existing buildings may be battery-operated type detectors unless one or more of the following occurs.
(a) The wiring in the structure is upgraded or the structure is rewired.
(b) Remodeling is performed to the structure which reasonably permits the installation of wiring to interconnect the detectors and connection to the building wiring. If detectors are powered by building wiring, they shall also be equipped with a battery-backup feature.
(4) Large apartment houses. In apartment houses which contain six or more dwelling units, smoke detectors shall be located as required for small apartment houses. However, all detectors in common areas shall be connected to an approved fire alarm control panel, supplied by both primary and secondary power supply sources.
(5) Lodging houses. In lodging houses, smoke detectors shall be installed in the following locations.
(a) Guest rooms. Smoke detectors shall be installed in each guest room.
(b) Stairways. Smoke detectors shall be installed near the top of each stairway as required for dwellings.
(c) Common areas. Smoke detectors shall be installed in each common hall, corridor, or other area immediately adjacent to and providing access to the guest rooms, located not more than 15 feet, measured horizontally, from any door or other opening providing such access. They shall not be separated from the guest rooms by more than one door. All smoke detectors in common areas shall provide an alarm signal audible within all guest rooms when all intervening doors are closed. When necessary to meet this requirement, these detectors shall be connected to sounding devices, other detectors, or an approved fire alarm control panel.
(6) Hotels. In hotels, smoke detectors shall be located as required for lodging houses. However, all detectors in common areas shall be connected to an approved fire alarm control panel, supplied by both primary and secondary power supply sources.
(C) Detectors.
(1) In new buildings for which building permits are issued after the effective date of this section, smoke detectors and connected equipment required by this section shall receive their primary power from the building wiring, providing this power shall be permanent and without disconnecting switches other than those required for overcurrent protection. Approved fire alarm control panels may utilize batteries to provide power for their secondary source.
(2) In all other buildings, smoke detectors and connected equipment wiring shall be as provided above or from batteries. Required fire alarm control panels shall receive primary power from the building wiring.
(3) All smoke detectors shall be of approved design and construction. Conformance with the Building Code standard of the city may be accepted as evidence for such approval.
(D) Occupancy prohibited. No owner shall knowingly rent, lease, or allow to be occupied any building, including its common areas, which does not contain smoke detectors installed and maintained as required herein. No person shall knowingly occupy any dwelling unit or guest room which does not contain smoke detectors installed and maintained as required herein.
(E) Maintenance. For all smoke detectors operated by a battery in a dwelling unit, it shall be the obligation of the owner to install a new battery in such smoke detector upon renting to a tenant. It shall then be the obligation of the tenant to maintain the smoke detector with a functional battery at all times thereafter.
(Prior Code, § 151.075) (Ord. D-1595, passed 7-31-1989, effective 9-1-1989; Ord. D-1911, passed 1-28-2002, effective 2-7-2002)
Cross-reference:
Responsibility of owner, see § 151.098