Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 120 - OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE, SAFETY FIRE COMMISSIONER AND INDUSTRIAL LOAN COMMISSIONER › Chapter 120-3 - RULES OF SAFETY FIRE COMMISSIONER › Subject 120-3-19 - RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF THE GEORGIA FIRE SPRINKLER ACT › Rule 120-3-19-.03 - Definitions

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1)
				"
Authority having jurisdiction
"means the organization, office, or
				individual responsible for approving equipment, an installation, or a
				procedure.
(2)
				"
Certificate
"
or
"
certificate of
				competency
"means the document issued by the Commissioner to a
				certificate holder who has demonstrated adequate technical knowledge and
				ability to design in accordance with recognized standards as adopted by the
				Commissioner and to perform and supervise the installation, repair, alteration,
				addition, maintenance, or inspection of water-based fire protection
				systems.
(3) "
Certificate
				Holder
"means an individual who has been issued a certificate of
				competency by the Commissioner.
(4)
				"
Commissioner
"means the Georgia Safety Fire
				Commissioner.
(5)
				"
Construction documents
,""
Documents for construction"or
"
Construction shop drawings
"means documents which set and
				dictate the installation parameters of water-based fire protection
				systems.
(6) "
Contract
				documents
"means the written and/or graphical guideline(s), prepared by a
				registered architect or engineer, which establish but does not dictate specific
				criteria for the design parameters of water-based fire protection
				systems.
(7) "
Direct
				supervision
,"
or
"
Supervision
"means to
				personally superintend the design and/or installation of water-based fire
				protection systems, by personally regulating the activity of a project through
				intermittent and verifiable personal contact at an installation or
				installations in progress.
(8)
				"
Documents
"means those materials used for reference purposes which
				direct or confirm direction or agreement.
(9) "
Employed full time
"means a
				minimum of thirty and one half hours of paid service per week, per
				employer.
(10) "
Fire
				protection sprinkler contractor
"means an individual, partnership,
				corporation, association, limited liability company, limited liability
				partnership, joint venture or other business entity that supervises, performs,
				or supervises and performs the installation, repair, alteration, addition,
				maintenance, or inspection of water-based fire protection systems. Such term
				does not include local building officials, fire inspectors, or insurance
				inspectors when acting in their official capacities.
(11) "
Fire protection sprinkler
				contractor license
"means the document issued by the Commissioner to the
				fire protection sprinkler contractor which authorizes the fire protection
				sprinkler contractor to engage in the business of fabrication, installation,
				repair, alteration, maintenance, or inspection of water-based fire protection
				systems.
(12) "
Fire
				protection sprinkler system
"means an integrated system of overhead and
				underground piping designed in accordance with fire protection engineering
				standards. The installation includes one or more automatic water supplies. The
				portion of the system above ground is a network of specially sized or
				hydraulically designed piping installed in a building, structure, or area,
				generally overhead, to which sprinklers are attached in a systematic pattern.
				The valve controlling each system riser is located in the system riser or its
				supply piping. The system is usually activated by heat from a fire and
				discharges water over the fire area.
(13) "
Fire protection system
				designer
"means a person who develops construction shop drawings,
				construction documents and/or documents for construction pertaining to
				water-based fire protection systems.
(14) "
Fire protection system designer
				license
"means a document issued by the Commissioner which authorizes the
				fire protection system designer to engage in the business of producing
				construction shop drawings, construction documents and/or documents for
				construction pertaining to water-based fire protection systems.
(15) "
Fire protection system
				inspector
"means an individual who performs inspections only on
				water-based fire protection systems in accordance with applicable codes and
				standards as adopted by the Commissioner. Such term does not apply to state,
				local, and insurance inspectors while acting in their official
				capacities.
(16) "
Fire
				protection system inspector's license
"means a document issued by the
				Commissioner, which authorizes the fire protection system inspector to engage
				in the business of inspecting water-based fire protection systems.
(17) "
Fire pump
"means a pump
				supplying water at the flow and pressure required by water-based fire
				protection systems.
(18)
				"
Foam-water spray system
"means a special system pipe connected to
				a source of foam concentrate and to a water supply and equipped with foam-water
				spray nozzles for fire protection agent discharge (foam and water sequentially
				in that order or in reverse order) and distribution over the area to be
				protected. System operation arrangements parallel those for foam-water
				sprinkler systems.
(19)
				"
Foam-water sprinkler system
"means a special system pipe connected
				to a source of foam concentrates and to a water supply and equipped with
				appropriate discharge devices for fire protection agent discharge and
				distribution over the area to be protected. The piping system is connected to
				the water supply through a control valve that is usually actuated by operation
				of automatic detection equipment installed in the same area as the sprinklers.
				When this valve opens, water flows into the piping system, and foam concentrate
				is injected into the water. The resulting foam solution discharging through the
				discharge devices generates and distributes foam. Upon exhaustion of the foam
				concentrate supply, water discharge will follow and continue until manually
				shut off. Existing deluge sprinkler systems that have been converted to the use
				of aqueous film forming foam are classified as foam-water sprinkler
				systems.
(20)
				"
Inspection
"means a visual examination of a water-based fire
				protection system or portion thereof to verify that it appears to be in
				operating condition and is free of physical damage.
(21) "
Maintenance
"means work
				performed to keep equipment operable or to make repairs without altering the
				operation of the water-based system.
(22) "
Private fire service
				main
"means that pipe and its appurtenances on private property that are
				one or more of the following:
(a) Between a
				source of water and the base of the system riser for water-based fire
				protection systems;
(b) Between a
				source of water and inlets to foam-making systems;
(c) Between a source of water and the base
				elbow of private hydrants or monitor nozzles;
(d) Used as fire pump suction and discharge
				piping outside of a building; and
(e) Beginning at the inlet side of the check
				valve on a gravity or pressure tank.