Code of Maine Rules › 16 - DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY › 219 - OFFICE OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL › Chapter 4 - WATER-BASED FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS › DESIGN AND INSTALLATION OF LIFE-SAFETY SPRINKLER SYSTEMS › Section 219-4-1 - GENERAL INFORMATION

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1-1 Application
1-1.1 The sprinkler system herein described is an
					 alternative design subject to permission for its use by the office of State
					 Fire Marshal exclusively. The system will ordinarily be permitted in buildings
					 up to four stories in height, which will fall into the following categories:
					 apartment buildings, condominiums, hotels, motels, inns, low-rise office
					 buildings, small boarding homes, existing or new class "C" places of assembly,
					 class "C" mercantile and other similar occupancies. The lack of a water supply
					 of sufficient capacity to support the normally installed NFPA #13 sprinkler
					 system may be the determining factor in obtaining permission to use this
					 alternative design. Approval may also be required in those municipalities who
					 have adopted sprinkler system requirements.
1-1.2 It is advisable to obtain permission for the use of
					 the sprinkler system described herein directly from the State Fire Marshal's
					 Office prior to preparation of plans and hydraulic calculations.
1-2 Scope
This standard deals with the alternative design and
					 installation of automatic sprinkler systems as permitted by the State Fire
					 Marshal,
1-3 Levels of Protection
1-3.1 Various levels of fire safety are available to
					 dwelling occupants to provide life safety and property protection.
This standard recommends, but does not require,
					 sprinklering of all areas in a dwelling; it permits sprinklers to be omitted in
					 certain areas. These areas are the ones shown by NFPA statistics (see following
					 table A-1-3) to be the ones where the incidence of life loss from fires in
					 dwellings is low. Such an approach produces a reasonable degree of fire safety.
					 Greater protection to both life and property may be achieved by sprinklering
					 all areas.
1-3.2 This standard assumes that one or more smoke
					 detectors will be installed in accordance with the appropriate standard for the
					 installation, maintenance and use of fire warning equipment.
Table A-1-3
Casual Factors in One- and Two-Family Dwelling Fires Which
					 Caused One or More Deaths
Area of Origin
Living Room
41%
Bedroom
27%
Kitchen
15%
Based on 6066
								incidents where area of origin was reported
Storage Area
4%
Heating Equipment Room
3%
Structural Area
2%
Other Areas
8%
Form of Material
Furniture
27%
Bedding
18%
Combustible Liquid or Gas
13%
Interior Finish
9%
Structural Member
9%
Based on
								5080 incidents where form of material ignited was reported
Waste, Rubbish
4%
Clothing, on a Person
3%
Cooking Materials
3%
Electrical Insulation
2%
Curtains, Drapery
2%
Other
10%
Form of Heat Ignition
Smoking Materials
36%
Heat from Fuel - Fire or Powered Object
25%
Heat from Miscellaneous Open Flame (Including
								Match)
15%
Based on 5016 incidents where form of heat
								ignition was reported
Heat from Electrical Equipment Arcing or Overload
14%
Hot Objects Including Properly
7%
Operating Electrical Equipment Other
3%
Total number of incidents reported
10,194
Source: FIDO Data Base 1973 to 1982. NFPA Fire Analysis
					 Dept.
1-4 Purpose
1-4.1 The purpose of this standard is to provide a
					 sprinkler system that will aid in the detection and control of fires in
					 occupancies where the quantity and/or combustibility of contents is low and
					 fires with relatively low rates of heat release are expected, An operating
					 sprinkler system installed in accordance with this standard is expected to
					 prevent flashover (total involvement) in the room of fire origin, and increase
					 the chances for occupants to escape or to be evacuated,
1-5 Definitions
Approved. Acceptable to the "authority having
					 jurisdiction."
Authority Having Jurisdiction. The State Fire Marshal
					 [Commissioner] shall be the authority having jurisdiction.
Backflow Prevention Device. A device that does not allow
					 liquid to flow back to the supply and thus cause contamination.
Check Valve. A valve that allows flow in one direction
					 only.
Control Valve. A valve employed to control (shut off or
					 turn on) a supply of water to a sprinkler system.
NOTE: System control valves should be of the indicating
					 type, such as plug valves, ball valves, butterfly valves, or OS and Y
					 valves.
Density. The quantity of water discharged by automatic
					 sprinklers over a specific area expressed as gallons per minute per square foot
					 (GPM/FT²).
Design Area. An area expressed in sq. ft. having a number
					 of sprinklers, all flowing at or above the minimum required application
					 rate.
Fire Department Connection. A threaded inlet connection
					 located on the exterior of a building, arranged to enable the Fire Department
					 to pressurize and supply the sprinkler system, bypassing the system control
					 valves and supply main.
Labeled. Equipment or materials which has attached a label,
					 symbol or other identifying mark of an organization acceptable to the
					 "authority having jurisdiction" and concerned with product evaluation, that
					 maintains periodic inspection of production of labeled equipment or materials
					 and by whose labeling the manufacturer indicates compliance with appropriate
					 standards or performance in a specified manner.
Listed. Equipment or materials included in a list published
					 by an organization acceptable to the "authority having jurisdiction" and
					 concerned with product evaluation, that maintains periodic inspection of
					 production of listed equipment or material and whose listing states either that
					 the equipment or material meets appropriate standards or has been tested and
					 found suitable for use in a specified manner.
NOTE: The means used for identifying listed equipment may
					 vary for each organization concerned with product evaluation, some of which do
					 not recognize equipment as listed unless it is also labeled. The "authority
					 having jurisdiction" should utilize the system employed by the listing
					 organization to identify a listed product.
Pre-engineered System. A packaged sprinkler system
					 including all components, designed to be installed according to pretested
					 limitations.
Pump. A mechanical device that transfers and/or raises the
					 pressure of a fluid (water).
Residential Sprinkler Head. An automatic sprinkler
					 specifically listed for use in residential occupancies.
Shall. Indicates a mandatory requirement.
Should. Indicates a recommendation or that which is advised
					 but not required.
Sprinkler-Automatic. A fire suppression device which
					 operates automatically, when its heat actuated element is heated to or above
					 its thermal rating, allowing water to discharge over a specific area.
Sprinkler System. An integrated system of piping connected
					 to a water supply, with listed sprinklers which automatically initiate water
					 discharge over a fire area. This Design Guide requires sprinkler systems to
					 include a control valve and a device for actuating an alarm upon system
					 operation.
Standard. A document containing only mandatory provisions
					 using the word "shall" to include requirements. Explanatory material may be
					 included only in the form of "fine print", italic notes, footnotes, or in
					 appendix.
Supply Pressure. Pressure within the water supply system
					 (i.e., city or private water source),
System Pressure. Pressure within the sprinkler system
					 (i.e., above the check valve or other backflow prevention device).
Water Flow Alarm. An electrical sounding device activated
					 by a water flow detector arranged to sound an alarm audible in all living areas
					 over background noise levels with all intervening doors closed.
Wet System. A system employing automatic sprinklers
					 attached to a piping system filled with water and connected to a water supply
					 so that water discharges immediately from sprinklers opened by
					 fire.