[Added 1-12-1999 by Ord. No. 985; amended 2-12-2013 by Ord. No. 13-1268, §§ 1, 2]
A. All new construction shall be equipped with full fire sprinkler systems per the appropriate National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard. [Amended 4-11-2000 by Ord. No. 1028; 2-12-2013 by Ord. No. 13-1268]
B. Existing buildings. An existing building or occupancy which, if newly constructed, would be required to have a full fire sprinkler system installed shall have such a system installed and maintained throughout the building under the following circumstances: [Amended 4-11-2000 by Ord. No. 1028]
(1) If 50% or more of the interior walls and/or partitions thereof have been removed during remodeling, rehabilitation or alteration.
(2) If the building area or the occupancy’s area of operation for a particular use increases by 50% or more from the area of the building or occupancy existing as of the date of adoption of this section through the acquisition of additional property, expansion, remodeling, rehabilitation or alteration. Except, in single-family and two-family dwellings, only the expanded area is required to be fully sprinklered.
(3) If the occupancy is changed to any one or more of the following:
(a) High-hazard occupancy buildings.
(b) Hospitals and medical facilities.
(c) Nursing homes, life care complexes, personal care facilities and senior assisted living residences.
(d) Bowling alleys.
(e) Educational buildings and dormitories.
(f) All enclosed and/or underground parking garages.
(g) Hotels and motels.
(h) Apartment buildings.
(i) Churches, chapels, synagogues and other places of worship.
(j) Motion-picture theaters and buildings used for theatrical, operatic or musical performances.
(k) Buildings used as places of public assembly, designed for the gathering of 50 or more persons for purposes such as civic, social or religious functions, recreation and/or food or drink consumption.
(l) Day-care centers.
C. Full fire sprinkler systems must be maintained in good working condition at all times in all required buildings. If the system is shut down for repairs or for any other reason, the Fire Marshal’s office will be notified immediately. An approved fire watch may be required until the system is back in service.
D. Sprinkler system connection. All sprinkler intake system connections shall be five-inch Stoertz fittings.
E. Residential sprinkler systems. Sprinkler systems shall be installed and maintained in single-family and two-family residences in accordance with the standards set forth in the National Fire Protection Association No. 13D.
F. Dry standpipe sprinkler systems. Dry standpipe fire lines shall be installed and maintained in new and existing buildings up to 50 feet in height and in underground parking garages, in accordance with the BOCA Basic/National Building Code as adopted in Chapter 73 of the Township of Upper Dublin Code and the standards set forth in the National Fire Protection Association No. 14; provided, however, that dry standpipe fire lines shall not be required in the following:
(1) Single-family dwellings.
(2) Two-family dwellings.
(3) Buildings with wet standpipes.
G. Wet standpipe sprinkler systems. Approved wet standpipe systems shall be installed in buildings exceeding 50 feet in height. However, the Fire Marshal may require wet standpipe systems in buildings up to 50 feet in height if, in the Fire Marshal’s opinion, there is a distinct hazard to life or property. Wet standpipes shall be installed in accordance with standards set forth in National Fire Protection Association No. 14; provided, however, that wet standpipe fire lines shall not be required in the following:
(1) Single-family dwellings.
(2) Two-family dwellings.
H. Location and size of sprinkler heads, valves, pipes and water supply. The location and size of sprinkler heads, pipes and other fire-extinguishing equipment, appliances and devices shall comply with the standards set forth in the National Fire Protection Association No. 13. Such equipment shall be connected to an adequate water supply as determined by a NICET Level 3 or Level 4 technician and the Fire Marshal.
I. Before any full fire sprinkler systems, standpipes or hydrants are installed or altered, detailed plans thereof shall be submitted to and approved, in writing, by a NICET Level 3 or Level 4 technician, and thereafter said plans shall be submitted to and approved, in writing, by the Fire Marshal. Prior to review of said plans and approval by the Fire Marshal, review fees shall be paid as set forth in Chapter 110, Fees, of the Upper Dublin Code. All sprinkler plans shall be hydraulically designed. All flow test information shall include the date and time of the test. Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent the installation of types of full fire sprinkler systems other than those specified herein where such system is approved, in writing, by a NICET Level 3 or Level 4 technician and the Fire Marshal. [Amended 3-9-1999 by Ord. No. 989]
(1) When, in the opinion of the Fire Marshal, any plan submitted for review constitutes or is in need of such a level of advanced design or engineering criteria to accomplish the purposes of these regulations, the Fire Marshal may require an engineering design analysis to be provided by the owner, developer, architect, engineer or submitting person.
(2) The cost of such an engineering design analysis shall be the responsibility of the owner, developer, architect, engineer or submitting person.
(3) The required engineering design analysis shall provide a complete and documented report as to the compliance of the proposal with the required features and measures of fire protection.
(4) The required engineering design analysis shall be prepared by and shall bear the seal of a registered fire protection engineer.
J. Exemptions. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to require the installation of automatic sprinkler and/or standpipe systems in:
(1) Safe deposit or other vaults.
(2) Detached buildings ancillary or accessory to a residence having a building area under 1,000 square feet, provided the ancillary or accessory building is constructed pursuant to the current version of the International Residential Code as adopted by the Township under Chapter 73 of the Township Code, and the ancillary or accessory building under 1,000 square feet remains non-habitable.
(3) Rooms or buildings used for the sale, manufacture or storage of aluminum powder, calcium carbide, calcium phosphate, metallic sodium, potassium quicklime, magnesium powder, sodium peroxide or like substances to which the application of water will cause or increase the fire hazard.
(4) Any other location where the installation of such equipment may, as determined by the Township, increase the hazard to life or property or for any other reason be impractical due to existing conditions.
[Amended 2-12-2013 by Ord. No. 13-1268]
K. Detailed requirements for dry standpipes. Detailed requirements for dry standpipes shall be as follows:
(1) Class of system: dry.
(2) Number and location of risers: one riser per fire tower.
(3) Number and location of outlets: one outlet valve at each floor level, including the basement and subbasement, located in each fire tower and at each exit on every level of an underground garage. Roof outlets may be required by the Fire Marshal.
(4) All outlets shall be two-and-one-half-inch National Standard Thread (NST) male couplings with a reducer to one-and-one-half-inch NST and a thread protective cap. All standpipe risers shall be interconnected at their base. This requirement is for new and existing buildings. Existing buildings have 18 months from date of adoption to comply with this regulation.
(5) The number and location of the Fire Department siamese connections shall be located approximately two feet above ground level or as otherwise directed by the Fire Marshal.
(6) Each Fire Department connection shall be provided with a conspicuous, durable and permanently legible sign reading “Dry Standpipe and Fire Department Use Only.”
(7) The Fire Department connections shall be five-inch Stoertz fittings equipped with thread protector caps and chains or other type caps approved by the Fire Marshal.
L. Detailed requirements for wet standpipes. Detailed requirements for wet standpipes shall be as follows:
(1) Class of system: wet, Class II.
(2) Number and location of risers: The number of hose stations in each building and each section of a building divided by fire walls shall be such that all portions of each story of the building are within 30 feet of a nozzle when attached to not more than 100 feet of hose. Equipment shall be so arranged as to permit directing the discharge from the nozzle into all portions of important enclosures, such as closets and like enclosures.
(3) Number and location of outlets: one outlet valve at each floor level, including the basement and subbasement, located in each fire tower and at each exit on every level of an underground garage. Roof outlets may be required by the Fire Marshal.
(4) All outlets shall be two-and-one-half-inch National Standard Thread (NST) male couplings with a reducer to one-and-one-half-inch NST and a thread protective cap. All standpipe risers shall be interconnected at their base.
M. Fire protection equipment. In all buildings under construction in which standpipes are required, stairways and standpipes shall be carried up as the construction progresses in such a manner that they will always be ready for Fire Department use at the topmost floor that has been installed. In addition, the siamese connection and each hose outlet must be provided with an illuminated red light during the hours of darkness, and all stairways must be illuminated.
N. The building owner shall annually certify in writing to the Township Fire Marshal that the automatic sprinkler system has been tested and maintained in accordance with the procedure of National Fire Protection Association Standard No. 25, Testing and Maintenance of Water Based Fire Protection Systems. Additionally, certification is required in writing to the Fire Marshal whenever any work on the sprinkler system is performed. Any person servicing, testing or maintaining any sprinkler system must have adequate knowledge of the operations of sprinkler equipment and be approved by the Fire Marshal.