Texas Administrative Code › Title 26 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES › Part 1 - HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION › Chapter 553 - LICENSING STANDARDS FOR ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES › Subchapter D - FACILITY CONSTRUCTION › Division 10 - NEW LARGE TYPE A ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES › Section 553.235 - Fire Protection Systems Requirements for a New Large Type A Assisted Living Facility

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Fire alarm
					 and smoke detection system. A new large Type A assisted living facility must
					 provide a manual fire alarm system meeting the requirements of 9.6, Fire
					 Detection, Alarm, and Communication Systems, in NFPA 101, Chapter 9, Building
					 Service and Fire Protection Equipment, as modified by this section.
(1) General. A new large Type A assisted
					 living facility must ensure the operation of any alarm initiating device
					 automatically activates the manual fire alarm system evacuation alarm for the
					 entire building.
(2) Smoke
					 detectors.
(A) A new large Type A assisted
					 living facility must install smoke detectors in resident bedrooms, corridors,
					 hallways, living rooms, dining rooms, offices, kitchens, laundries, attached
					 garages used for car parking, and public or common areas, except as permitted
					 in subparagraphs (B) - (D) of this paragraph.
(B) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility may install heat detectors in lieu of smoke detectors in kitchens,
					 laundries, and attached garages used for car parking.
(C) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility located in a building constructed to meet the requirements of NFPA
					 101, Chapter 18, New Health Care Occupancies, may install a smoke detection
					 system meeting the requirements of 19.3.4.5.1, Corridors, in NFPA 101, Chapter
					 18, New Health Care Occupancies, in lieu of the requirements found in
					 subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph.
(D) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility comprised of buildings containing living units with independent
					 cooking equipment must additionally have:
(i)
					 a smoke detector installed all in resident bedrooms, corridors, hallways,
					 living rooms, dining rooms, offices, kitchens and laundries within the living
					 unit, that sounds an alarm only within the living unit; and
(ii) a heat detector installed in the kitchen
					 within the living unit that activates the general alarm.
(E) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility is not required to install smoke alarms, as required by 32.3.4.7,
					 Smoke Alarms, in NFPA 101, Chapter 32, New Residential Board and Care
					 Occupancies, in addition to the smoke detectors required by subparagraphs (A) -
					 (D) of this paragraph.
(3) Alarm control panel.
(A) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility must provide a fire alarm control unit, or a fire alarm annunciator
					 providing annunciation of all fire alarm, supervisory, and trouble signals by
					 audible and visible indicators, in a location visible to staff at or near the
					 staff area that is attended 24 hours a day.
(B) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility is not required to ensure a fire alarm control unit or fire alarm
					 annunciator is visible to staff if the fire alarm is monitored by devices
					 carried by all staff.
(C) A new
					 large Type A assisted living facility must ensure a fire alarm panel indicates
					 each floor and smoke compartment, as applicable, as a separate zone. Each zone
					 must provide an alarm and trouble indication. When all alarm initiating devices
					 are addressable and the status of each device is identified on the fire alarm
					 panel, zone indication is not required.
(4) Fire alarm power source.
(A) A new large Type A assisted living
					 facility must ensure a fire alarm system is powered by a permanently-wired,
					 dedicated branch circuit that is powered from a commercial power source in
					 accordance with NFPA 70.
(B) A new
					 large Type A assisted living facility must provide a secondary, emergency power
					 source meeting the requirements of NFPA 72.
(5) Emergency forces notification. A new
					 large Type A assisted living must ensure a fire alarm system provides emergency
					 forces notification according to the requirements of 32.3.3.4.6, Emergency
					 Forces Notification, in NFPA 101, Chapter 32, New Residential Board and Care
					 Occupancies.