Source: https://www.ecode360.com/9721578
Timestamp: 2019-10-17 23:22:25
Document Index: 644747906

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 172', '§ 172', '§ 172', '§ 172', '§ 172', '§ 172']

Town of Johnston, RI Automatic Fire Warning Systems
Ch 172 Art VI Automatic Fire Warning Systems
§ 172-34 Fire warning systems required.
§ 172-35 Conformance to certain requirements.
§ 172-36 Alarm for residential structures under 30 feet in height.
§ 172-37 Alarm for residential structures exceeding 30 feet in height.
§ 172-38 Enforcement; applicability.
§ 172-39 Home fire alarm system regulations.
Article VI Automatic Fire Warning Systems
[Adopted 12-10-1979 by Ord. No. 440 as Secs. 4-8 to 4-13 of the 1979 Code]
Every building or structure not exceeding 40 feet in height above the mean grade erected or substantially altered to be occupied for residential purposes shall be protected throughout with an automatic fire warning system equipped with automatic smoke detection devices or automatic smoke and heat detection devices primarily intended for the protection of life by indication of abnormal conditions as hereinafter provided, except that the installation of such automatic fire warning systems shall not be required in buildings or structures subject to the provisions of the general laws relative to the installation of automatic sprinkler systems and automatic fire warning systems connected thereto.
Such a system shall conform to the requirements of the most recent editions of National Fire Code Standard No. 101 relative to life safety and of National Fire Code Standard No. 74 relative to household fire warning equipment adopted by the National Fire Protection Association.
Automatic smoke detection devices or automatic smoke and heat detection devices which comprise such a system shall conform to and be installed and tested periodically as specified by the most recent provisions of the Life Safety Code, National Fire Protection Association 101, and Household Fire Warning Equipment, National Fire Protection Association No. 74.
For buildings and structures occupied for residential purposes not exceeding 30 feet in height above mean grade or containing 12 or fewer dwelling units, such automatic fire warning system shall initiate the sounding of an audible alarm capable of being heard in all occupied areas of the building or structure.
For buildings and structures occupied for residential purposes exceeding 30 feet in height above mean grade, but not exceeding 40 feet in height above mean grade, or containing more than 12 dwelling units, such automatic fire warning system shall initiate the sounding of an audible alarm capable of being heard in all occupied areas of the floor on which the alarm is initiated; and shall register the location of the alarm at a specified location in the building or structure.
The head of the Fire Department shall enforce the provisions of this article.
This article shall apply to buildings and structures the construction or substantial alteration of which is begun after March 1, 1976.
Three sets of drawings and equipment specifications shall be submitted to the inspector of buildings, showing locations of and type of equipment to be used for all fire alarm systems. Floor plans, customarily submitted to the inspector of buildings, may include this information and will be deemed suitable for submission to obtain the fire alarm system and building permit.
All equipment shall bear the approval of a recognized testing laboratory for conformance with minimum standards for which the equipment shall be used.
No occupancy permit shall be issued by the inspector of buildings for any structure requiring a fire alarm system until the wiring inspector and Fire Department have inspected and tested the fire alarm system for conformance with the above amendments and to the satisfaction of both.
All devices shall be so located and mounted that accidental operation will not be caused by jarring and/or vibration.
All systems shall be restored to normal working condition as promptly as possible after each alarm or test.
Upon completion of the fire alarm system, the installer, in the presence of the householder and/or the builder, shall test each self-restoring device for proper operation. He shall then instruct the owner on the operation and maintenance of the system. The installer shall also supply the owner with the following:
An instruction booklet, illustrating the installation layout.
Instruction charts, describing the operation, testing, and proper maintenance of the fire warning system.
The requirements for testing the equipment, as recommended by the manufacturer on a weekly basis.
All installations shall be installed, as illustrated by the drawings entitled "Minimum Locations for Automatic Fire Warning System, Johnston Fire Department," and shall comply with the requirements of N.F.P.A. Booklets No. 74 (latest edition), 101 and 70-1975.
No automatic fire warning system shall be connected to a telephone dial for notification to fire headquarters.
All power supplies shall be capable of operating the alarm signals for at least four continuous minutes.
Batteries are not acceptable as a primary source of power.
An AC power supply shall have a visible "power on" indicator.
Batteries, when used as a secondary source, shall be of the storage type.
If a combination fire-burglar system is used, the fire alarm signal shall take preference.
The fire alarm signal shall be distinctive from the burglar system.
Smoke detectors shall be used in conjunction with other approved detector devices.
Heat detectors shall be of an approved type designed to operate by rate of rise.
Every heat or smoke detecting device shall cause the operation of alarm signaling devices which shall be clearly audible in all bedrooms, with all intervening doors closed.
There shall also be an outside alarm sounding device or devices.
All alarm signaling devices shall be rated not less that 85 decibels at 10 feet.
The control equipment shall be automatically restoring on restoration of electrical power.
The control equipment shall be of a type that "locks in" on an alarm condition. Smoke detection circuits need not lock in.
If a reset switch is provided, it shall be a self-restoring type.
An alarm silencing switch shall not be provided unless its silenced position is indicated by a trouble signal.
Each electrical fire warning system shall have a self-restoring test button or means to permit the householder to check the system.
Smoke detectors may be tested by using smoke instead of the test button.
These regulations require a detector circuit where a break in the wiring will not cause an alarm signal, but will cause an audible trouble signal, using either a closed loop detector circuit or normally open contact detectors with end of line resistor or equivalent.
Detector type, location and spacing.
Smoke detectors shall be located in the immediate vicinity of, but outside, the bedrooms, corridors, hallways and cellarways.
Heat detectors shall be provided in all areas of the house, including living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen, hallway, attics, furnace rooms, utility rooms, basements, attached garages, closets and all small partitioned-off storage areas.
Heat detectors shall be installed within the strict limitation of their listed spacing.
Spot-type detectors shall be installed as near the centers of the areas they protect as practicable.
On level ceilings with open joists or beams, all detectors should be mounted on the bottom of such joists or beams.
If heat detectors must be installed on the wall, they should be located in the area between six inches and 12 inches from the ceiling.
Reduced spacing may be required due to structural characteristics of the protected area, possible drafts or other conditions affecting detector operation. Detectors installed on a joisted ceiling should have their smooth ceiling spacing reduced where this spacing is measured at right angles to solid joists. In the case of spot detectors, this spacing should not exceed 1/2 of the listed spacing.
The head of the Fire Department may require additional protection as the case may warrant.