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HomeMy WebLinkAbout21459: ffi G. ORDINANCE NO. a /4‘5 AN ORDINANCE of the City of Port Angeles establishing requirements for the instal- lation of fire alarm systems, requiring a permit for this installation, defining standards of installation and operations, and providing a penalty for violation, and adding a new chapter to Title 14 of the Port Angeles Municipal Code. $.$1 rye 4 / f.. 81 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT ANGELES as follows: Section 1. Purpose. This ordinance is an exercise of police power of the City of Port Angeles, for the protection of the public health, safety and welfare. The City Council finds that requiring installation of fire alarm in certain buildings will promote the preservation of human health, safety and general welfare, and is otherwise necessary. Section 2. Definition. The following definitions shall apply to this ordinance, unless the context indicates otherwise: (1) Annunciator. A unit containing two or more iden- tified targets or indicator lamps, in which each such target or indicator lamp indicates a particular circuit, condition, or location where a fire or other emergency conditions exists. (2) Coded Signal. An alarm signal which consists of not less than three complete transmissions of an identifying number. (3) Dwelling Unit. One or more rooms which are occu- pied, or which are intended or designed to be occupied, by one family, which includes facilities for living, sleeping, cooking and eating. (4) Education Building. A building or structure, or any portion thereof, used by persons to receive instruction, such as schools, universities, colleges and academies. Also included are day nursery schools, kindergartens, and other schools whose purpose is primarily educational. -1- n • • (5) Day Care Center. A building or structure used to house children during the day, where no educational program is presented and where the average attendance is or may be thirty - five (35) or more children. (6) Fire Alarm Center. A public or private receiving agency approved by the Port Angeles Fire Department as per the standards of NFPA, Volume 7, Section 71 (7) Fire Chief. Chief of the Port Angeles Fire Department. (8) Fire Alarm Signal. A signal indicating the pre- sence of conbustion, or the product of combustion, given by a fire alarm. (9) Fire Alarm System. An electrically operated circuit, instrument, or device, including the source of the electricity for such device, which is designated to transmit alarms and to supervise signals. (10) Institutional Building. A building or structure, or any portion thereof, used by persons to receive medical, charitable, or other care or treatment, or used to detain persons involuntarily. (11) Multi - Family Residence. A building or portion thereof containing three or more dwelling units. (12) Owner. Any person, agent, firm or corporation having a legal or equitable interest in a property. (13) Product of Combustion Detection System. A device using one of the following types of means, which can detect smoke or other product of combustion. (a) photoelectric cell system; (b) refractory system; (c) ionization system. (14) Merchantile Buildings. A building or structure, or any portion thereof, used for the displaying, selling, or buy- ing of goods, wares or merchandise. (15) Public Assembly Building. A building or structure or portion thereof used for gathering together fifty or more persons, for any purpose; provided, that for drinking and dining establishments, such assembly must be of one hundred or more persons. (16) Residential Building. A building or structure or any portion thereof, used by persons for sleeping accomodations. The term includes motels, hotels, multi - family residences and dwelling units. Section 3. Fire Alarm Types. (1) Type A - General Alarm. The activation and opera- tion of any device which sound a continuous alarm on all indicating devices, until manually reset. (2) Type B - General Alarm (Zone Non - Coded). The activation and operation of any device which sounds a continuous alarm on all indicating devices, until manually reset; and which indicates on an annunciator panel the location of the fire. (3) Type C - General Alarm (Zoned Coded). The activa- tion and operation of any device which sounds a coded alarm on all indicating devices, until manually reset, and which indicates on an annunciator panel the location of the fire. (4) Type D - Dual'Coded Alarm. The activation and operation of any device which sounds a coded alarm on chimes, which code identifies the location of the fire, and which indicates on an annunciator panel the location of the fire. Type D alarms shall also perform as follows: (a) Upon first operation of a manual or automatic detecting device, a signal shall be automatically trans- mitted to a fire alarm center or the Port Angeles Fire Department, either by an approved auxiliary connection to a municipal fire alarm system or by a direct wire connection to the fire department or the fire alarm center. (b) Manual pull stations must be equipped so that a key may be inserted and a general evacuation alarm sounded at any time. General evacuation alarms shall be continuously ringing bells or horns. -3- • • (c) An adjustable time delay device may be incor- porated into a Type D system, to activate the general evacuation alarm within a maximum of five minutes after the first actuation of any signal sending station or activation device. Section 4. Automatic Fire Detectors. Automatic fire detection devices shall consist of either a fixed temperature, fixed temperature /rate of rise, or smoke product of combustion detector. Only those types of detectors which are accepted and approved by the fire chief as a result of investigation and experience, or approval for use by the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or some other nationally recognized testing agency shall be permitted. Approval to use any specific fire detector shall be given by the Port Angeles Fire Chief. Section 5. Permit - Required. A fire alarm system shall be installed in the City of Port Angeles, only after the acquisi -. tion of a permit for such installation from the City;'provided ..lo permit shall be required for' the installation of single = station product' of combustion detectors :' . Section 6. Permit - Application and Issuance. (1) Application for a permit for the installation of a fire alarm system shall be made to the Port Angeles Building Department, and shall be transmitted by the Building Department to the Fire Department. (2) Each application for a permit shall be accompanied by two copies of detailed plans and specifications, showing the location of all alarm equipment and the details on each type of device in the system. If these plans and specifications are inadequate, in the judgement of the Fire Department, the Department shall take no action upon the permit application until such time as adequate plans have been provided. Adequacy of equipment - 4- proposed for use will be determined on the basis of testing or egperience of the Fire Department, or by reason of approval for specified use by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation or other nationally recognized testing agency (3) All fire alarm system plans submitted for approve shall be prepared by qualified fire alarm installers or a qualifie electrician. (4) The permit for installation shall be issued when it is determined by the Port Angeles Fire Department that the proposed fire alarm system complies with the terms of this ordinance, and all other applicable City ordinances. Section 7. Inspection and Approval of Installed Systems (1) After installation of the system, an operational performance test will be conducted by the Port Angeles Fire Chief prior to the occupancy of the building. (2) At the operational test, the Fire Chief may re- quire the presence of a representative of the manufacturer of the system or a representative of the installer of the system, or a representative of the owner. (3) If, on the basis of the test, the building official and /or the Fire Chief determine that said fire alarm system does not comply with the terms of the Uniform Fire Code, Uniform Building Code or this ordinance or does not conform to the approved plans submitted with the application, the building official may order the fire alarm system be made to comply with the Uniform Fire Code, Uniform Building Code, this ordinance and conform to the approved permit. (4) No certificate of occupancy for the structure or the building in whch the fire alarm system is installed shall be issued by the City of Port Angeles until such time as the system is accepted by the Fire Chief and the building official. Section 8. Permit. (1) There shall be no fee separate from fees required under the City Building Code, Chapter 14.04 Port Angeles Municipal Code, for permits required by this ordinance. -5- Section 9. Alarms S stems - General Operational Standards The following general standards of operation shall be required of all fire alarm systems installed in the City of Port Angeles pursuant to the terms of this ordinance. (1) All fire alarm systems with electrical components shall be designed to remain completely operational for a minimum period of twenty -four hours. (2) All fire alarm systems required or operated under this ordinance shall have a maintenance agreement in effect, with either a fire alarm company or a qualified individual. (a) Such agreements must provide for periodic inspection and testing, as required by Section 15 of this ordi- nance. Repair and maintenance service shall be available within twenty -four hours of notification of its necessity. (b) A sticker or tag shall be permanently affixed in plain sight to the main panel stating the period of maintenance agreement, the name of the maintenance company and the phone number of the maintenance company. (3) The owner shall make timely repair of the fire alarm system after notice from the building official and /or Fire Chief or be subject to a posting of a notice of "No Occupancy ", unless other arrangements or agreements are made with the building official for fire alarm repairs. Section 10. Fire Alarm Systems Required. '(1) Fire alarm systems shall be provided as required by this section. In addition to the alarm required by this section, an automatic detection system may also be required, if the building or structure is one of those specified in Section 11; provided, the requirement for automatic fire detection systems may be waived if the building is fully protected by an automatic fire extinguishment system, equipped with a water flow alarm connection to the building's fire alarm system. (2) The alarm requirements are as follows: (a) Type A fire alarm systems are required as follows: (i) In education buildings used by six or more persons. (ii) In multi - family residences of two or more stories in height. (iii) In maternity homes accommodating six or more persons. (iv) In day care centers occupying two or more floors or occupied by thirty -five or more people. (b) Type B fire alarm systems are required as follows: (i) In schools, universities, academies, colleges, and institutional buildings which are of campus type; (ii) In office or mercantile buildings and structures three or more stories in height, if the total capacity of the building is fifty or more persons but less than one thousand persons. r(iii) In all buildings or structures three or more stories in height, where an automatic fire detection system is required by Section II of this ordinance. (c) Type C fire alarm systems are required as follows: (i) In general industrial buildings and structures not provided with automatic sprink- lers, if the total capacity of the building is five hundred or more persons, or twenty -five or more persons are employed below street level. (d) Type D fire alarm systems are required as follows: (i) In residential buildings used by fifty or more persons and two or more stories in height; (ii) In group I occupancies as defined in the Uniform Building Code, Port Angeles Municpal Code, Chapter 14.04, which have more than one hundred beds; (iii) In office buildings twenty stories or more in height, or with an occupant load of one thousand or more persons. Section 11. Fire Alarm Systems - Automatic Detection Device Required. If a building or structure is in one of the following categories of occupancies, it shall be equipped with an automatic detection device, in addition to the type of system required by Section 10 of this ordinance. -7- (1) In Group "I" occupancies as defined in the Uniform Building Code, Port Angeles Municipal Code, Chapter 14,04, (2) In Group "R -1" occupancies as defined in the Uniform Building Code, Port Angeles Municipal Code, Chapter 14.04, two or more stories in height. (3) In all buildings where the total floor area exceeds seven thousand five hundred square feet. (4) All Group "E" or "B" occupancies as defined in the Uniform Building Code, Port Angeles Municipal Code, Chapter 14.04, which are used for educational purposes as defined in the Uniform Building Code. Section 12. Fire Alarm System - Additional Specific Requirements. In addition to the requirements for alarms stated in Section 10 and 11, the following specific requirements shall apply as noted: (1) In Group "R -1" occupancies, two or more stories in height: (a) Interior stariways and corridors shall be provided with product of combustion detectors, other than heat sensitive detectors. (b) Each dwelling unit and attics shall be pro- vided with either a fixed temperature or fixed temperature rate of rise detector. (2) In all buildings where the total floor area exceeds seven thousand five hundred square feet, the building shall be equipped with a fire alarm system connected to the Port Angeles Fire Department or a fire alarm system connected to the Port Angeles Fire Department or a fire alarm center; provided, that buildings and occupancies "R -1" and "R -3" shall not be required to have the fire alarm system connected to the Port Angeles Fire Department or a fire alarm center. For the purposes of this subsection, fire divisions shall be considered separate buildings. • • (3) In all Group "E" or "B" occupancies used for educational purposes: (a) Interior stairways and corridors shall be equipped with product of combustion detectors, other than heat sensitive detectors. (b) All other areas shall be equipped with either a fixed temperature or a fixed temperature /rate of rise detector. (4) In addition to all other fire alarm requirements, in any building or structure or occupancy which is below or adjacent to a dwelling unit which, in the event of a fire, would block exiting from the dwelling unit, the building or structure shall be provided with either a fixed temperature or fixed temper- ature /rate of rise detector, on spacing specified by the Port Angeles Fire Department. Section 13. Prohibited Equipment. Proprietary alarm equipment designed to alert any municipal emergency service by providing unattended automatic dialing of any public telephone number for the purpose of transmitting a pre- recorded message is prohibited. Section 14. Exisiting Buildings. Existing buildings shall not be made to conform to the provisions of this ordinance; provided, that if the Fire Chief determines that structural deficiencies affecting life safety are involved and the continued use of the building or structure without a fire alarm system would be hazardous to the safety of the occupants, the Fire Chief may require compliance with the terms of this ordinance. If such building or structure already has a fire alarm system, the Fire Chief may require this system to be connected to the Port Angeles Fire Department, or to a fire alarm center, if such connection would be required by the terms of this ordinance in a new building. -9- .S.ecti,on 15. System Testing. (1) Tests of each fire alarm system shall be required on a semi - annual basis and each such test shall include the following: (a) Transmission of an alarm signal by actuation of the initiating device to the Port Angeles Fire Department or to a fire alarm center. Notification to the fire department or the alarm center shall preceed this test. (b) If the system is local, the test shall be by actuation of an initiating device. (c) Each storage battery shall be inspected and tested to insure proper operation, and replaced, if necessary. (d) A visual inspection of all components to insure operating conditions shall be performed. (e) A test of a restorable heat detector from each circuit or zone shall be performed. (f) Test of a smoke detector from each zone shall be performed. (g) A test of all sprinkler system gate valve supervisory switches shall be performed. (2) Records of all required tests shall be kept on the premises for a period of five (5) years, and shall be in a location available for inspection by the Port Angeles Fire Department. Section 16. Violations. Any willful violation of the terms of this ordinance shall be a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by a fine of up to Five Hundred ($500.00) Dollars per day for each day that "the violation continues. Section 17. Severability. If any provision of this ordinance is held invalid, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the ordinance, or application of the provisions of the ordinance to other persons or circumstances, is not affected. • • Section 18. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after publication. PASSED by the City Council of the City of Port Angeles at a regular meeting of the Council held on the 0141 day of Ait 1981. ATTEST: G'6 -�tJ' �• �rJf.G4lfii Marian'C. Parrish, City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: Craig L. Miller, City Attorney PUBLISHED: cUi j98p/ ziatfi<u,P yor