No. 27976 (Amendment): R710-4-3. Amendments and Additions

DAR File No.: 27976
Filed: 06/01/2005, 11:33
Received by: NL

 

RULE ANALYSIS

Purpose of the rule or reason for the change:

The Utah Fire Prevention Board met on May 10, 2005, in a regularly scheduled Board meeting and voted by motion to amend Rule R710-4 by adding an amendment to deal with fire alarm system nuisance alarms and a clarification.

 

Summary of the rule or change:

The proposed amendments to Section R710-4-3 are as follows: 1) in Subsection R710-4-3(3.7.5.1), the Board proposes to add a subsection that would require that fire alarm systems that experience unwarranted nuisance alarms would be required to be sensitivity tested. If the nuisance alarms continued after sensitivity testing, the fire alarm system would need to be replaced as required by the Authority Having Jurisdiction; and 2) in Subsection R710-4-3(3.11.3), the Board proposes to add four words to further clarify the allowance for specialized security in occupancies such as hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

 

State statutory or constitutional authorization for this rule:

Section 53-7-204

 

Anticipated cost or savings to:

the state budget:

There is no anticipated cost or savings to the state budget because the proposed amendments will not affect state government budget by their enactment.

 

local governments:

There is no anticipated cost or savings to local government because the proposed amendments will not affect local government budgets by their enactment.

 

other persons:

There could be an aggregate anticipated cost to other persons with the enactment of the rule amendments. If nuisance fire alarms require sensitivity testing to be completed, there could be a cost of approximately $100 to $3,000 per occupancy to complete the sensitivity testing depending on the size of the structure. If the completed adjustments of the fire alarm sensitivity did not reduce nuisance fire alarms, replacement of the fire alarm system could cost from a few thousand dollars to as much as $100,000 depending on the size and use of the building. To establish a complete and definitive estimation on an aggregate cost to other persons is impossible to complete due to the fact of the unknown number requiring sensitivity testing and the unknown number of systems that would fail again after sensitivity testing and have to be replaced.

 

Compliance costs for affected persons:

Compliance costs would be from approximately $100 to $3,000 per fire alarm system to have the system sensitivity tested. Costs could be from a few thousand dollars to $100,000 to replace the fire alarm system if a reasonable expectation of sensitivity cannot be obtained when the adjustments are made.

 

Comments by the department head on the fiscal impact the rule may have on businesses:

The proposed amendment that would require sensitivity testing on fire alarm systems and possibly require replacement on systems that cannot have nuisance fire alarms lowered to a reasonable degree, would normally only affect the older fire alarm systems. These systems are normally over 20 years of age and many times cannot be adjusted to stop excessive false alarms. With regard to public safety, an overage of false fire alarms places the responding fire and police agencies and the public at risk as they respond with full alarm to only discover another false alarm. Robert Flowers, Commissioner

 

The full text of this rule may be inspected, during regular business hours, at the Division of Administrative Rules, or at:

Public Safety
Fire Marshal
5272 S COLLEGE DR
MURRAY UT 84123-2611

 

Direct questions regarding this rule to:

Brent Halladay at the above address, by phone at 801-284-6352, by FAX at 801-284-6351, or by Internet E-mail at [e-mail]

 

Interested persons may present their views on this rule by submitting written comments to the address above no later than 5:00 p.m. on:

07/15/2005

 

This rule may become effective on:

07/18/2005

 

Authorized by:

Ron L. Morris, Utah State Fire Marshal

 

 

RULE TEXT

R710. Public Safety, Fire Marshal.

R710-4. Buildings Under the Jurisdiction of the State Fire Prevention Board.

R710-4-3. Amendments and Additions.

 

. . . . . . .

 

3.7 Fire Alarm Systems

3.7.1 Required Installations

3.7.1.1 All state-owned buildings, college and university buildings, other than institutional, with an occupant load of 300 or more, all schools with an occupant load of 50 or more, shall have an approved fire alarm system with the following features:

3.7.1.1.1 Smoke detectors shall be installed throughout all corridors and spaces open to the corridor at the maximum prescribed spacing of thirty feet on center and no more than fifteen feet from the walls or smoke detectors shall be installed as required in NFPA, Standard 72, Section 5.3.

3.7.1.1.2 In non or partially fire sprinklered buildings, automatic detectors shall be installed in each enclosed space, other than corridors, at maximum prescribed spacing as specified in Section 3.7.1.1.2 for smoke detectors or by the manufacturer's listing for heat detectors.

3.7.1.1.3 Manual fire alarm boxes shall be provided as required. In public and private elementary and secondary schools, manual fire alarm boxes shall be provided in the boiler room, kitchen, and main administrative office of each building, and any other areas as determined by the AHJ.

3.7.2 Main Panel

3.7.2.1 An approved key plan drawing and operating instructions shall be posted at the main fire alarm panel which displays the location of all alarm zones and if applicable, device addresses.

3.7.2.2 The main panel shall be located in a normally attended area such as the main office or lobby. Location of the Main Panel other than as stated above, shall require the review and authorization of the SFM. Where location as required above is not possible, an electronically supervised remote annunciator from the main panel shall be located in a supervised area of the building. The remote annunciator shall visually indicate system power status, alarms for each zone, and give both a visual and audible indication of trouble conditions in the system. All indicators on both the main panel and remote annunciator shall be adequately labeled.

3.7.3 System Wiring, Class and Style

3.7.3.1 Fire alarm system wiring shall be designated and installed as a Class A circuit in accordance with the following style classifications:

3.7.3.1.1 The initiating device circuits shall be designated and installed Style D as defined in NFPA, Standard 72.

3.7.3.1.2 The notification appliance circuits shall be designated and installed Style Z as defined in NFPA, Standard 72.

3.7.3.1.3 Signaling line circuits shall be designated and installed Style 6 or 7 as defined in NFPA, Standard 72.

3.7.4 Fan Shut Down

3.7.4.1 The fan shut down relay(s) in the air handling equipment shall be normally energized, and connected through and controlled by a normally closed contact in the fire alarm panel, or a normally closed contact of a remote relay under supervision by the main panel. The relays will transfer on alarm, and shall not restore until the panel is reset.

3.7.4.2 Duct detectors required by the IMC, shall be interconnected, and compatible with the fire alarm system.

3.7.5 Nuisance Alarms

3.7.5.1 IFC, Chapter 9, Section 907.20.5 is amended to add the following sentences: Increases in nuisance alarms shall require the fire alarm system to be tested for sensitivity. Fire alarm systems that continue after sensitivity testing with unwarranted nuisance alarms shall be replaced as directed by the AHJ.

3.8 Retroactive Installation of Automatic Fire Alarm Systems

3.8.1 IFC, Chapter 9, Sections 907.3.1.1, 907.3.1.2, 907.3.1.3, 907.3.1.4 and 907.3.1.9 are deleted.

3.9 Fireworks

3.9.1 IFC, Chapter 33, Section 3301.1.3, Exception 4 is amended to add the following sentence: Fireworks are permitted as allowed in UCA 53-7-220 and UCA 11-3-1.

3.10 Flammable and Combustible Liquids

3.10.1 IFC, Chapter 34, Section 3406.1 is amended to add the following special operation: 8. Sites approved by the AHJ.

3.10.2 IFC, Chapter 34, Section 3406.2 is amended to add the following: On line two after the word "sites" add the words "and sites approved by the AHJ". On line five after the words "borrow pits" add the words "and sites approved by the AHJ".

3.11 Health Care Facilities

3.11.1 LSC Chapters 18, 19, 20 and 21, Sections 18.1.2.4, 19.1.2.4, 20.1.2.2 and 21.1.2.2 (Exiting Through Adjoining Occupancies) exception is deleted.

3.11.2 LSC Chapter 19, Section 19.3.6.1, (Rooms Allowed open to Corridor) exceptions No. 1, No. 5, No. 6, and No. 8 are deleted.

3.11.3 IFC, Chapter 10, Section 1008.1.8.3 is amended to add the following: 5. Doors in Group I-1 and I-2 occupancies, where the clinical needs of the patients require specialized security measures for their safety, approved access controlled egress may be installed when all the following are met: 5.1 The controlled egress doors shall unlock upon activation of the automatic fire sprinkler system or the automatic fire detection system. 5.2 The facility staff can unlock the controlled egress doors by either sensor or keypad. 5.3 The controlled egress doors shall unlock upon loss of power. 6. Doors in Group I-1 and I-2 occupancies, where the clinical needs of the patients require approved, listed delayed egress locks, they shall be installed on doors as allowed in IFC, Section 1008.1.8.6.

3.12 Time Out and Seclusion Rooms

3.12.1 Time Out and Seclusion Rooms are allowed in occupancies fully protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system and fire alarm system.

3.12.2 A vision panel shall be provided in the room door for observation purposes.

3.12.3 Time Out and Seclusion Room doors may be fitted with a lock which is not releasable from the inside provided the lock automatically releases by the operation of the fire alarm system or power outage.

3.12.4 Time Out and Seclusion Rooms shall be located where a responsible adult can maintain visual monitoring of the person and room.

 

KEY: fire prevention, public buildings

[March 4, 2005]July 18, 2005

Notice of Continuation June 12, 2002

53-7-204