South Carolina Code of Regulations › Chapter 71 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, LICENSING AND REGULATION-DIVISION OF LABOR › Article 8 - OFFICE OF STATE FIRE MARSHAL › Subarticle 2 - FIRE PREVENTION AND LIFE SAFETY FOR SPECIAL OCCUPANCIES › Section 71-8301.3 - Requirements for Special Occupancies

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 6, June 28, 2024
A. All Foster Home Facilities
1. Foster homes providing care, maintenance,
				and supervision for no more than six (6) children, including the natural or
				adopted children of the foster parent; shall comply with the following:
a. Must be a facility designed and
				constructed with the intent to be used as a dwelling per applicable statutes
				and regulations.
b. At least one
				(1) portable fire extinguisher with a minimum classification of 2A:10BC shall
				be installed near cooking areas. The fire extinguishers shall be installed and
				maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
c. Each facility housing foster children
				shall maintain means of egress as required by original construction.
d. All heating devices must be selected,
				used, and installed per the manufacturer's recommendations and the listing
				conditions set by an approved testing laboratory.
e. Unvented gas heaters shall have an
				operating oxygen depletion device, an operating safety shutoff device, and
				shall be located or guarded to prevent burn injuries.
f. Fireplaces shall be equipped with fire
				screens, partitions, or other means to protect clients from burns.
g. A fire escape plan describing what actions
				are to be taken by the family in the event of a fire must be developed and
				posted.
h. A fire escape drill
				shall be conducted every three (3) months.
i. Records of the drills shall be maintained
				on the premises for three (3) years. The records shall give the date, time, and
				weather conditions during the drill, number evacuated, description, and
				evaluation of the fire drill. Fire drills shall include complete evacuation of
				all persons from the building.
j. A
				fire escape drill shall be conducted within twenty-four (24) hours of the
				arrival of each new foster child.
k. Portable unvented fuel-fired heating
				equipment shall be prohibited in all foster homes.
l. An approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be
				installed and maintained outside of each separate sleeping area in the
				immediate vicinity of the bedroom in dwelling units within which fuel fired
				appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached
				garages.
m. Each sleeping room must
				have an operable door that closes and latches to provide compartmentation that
				protects occupants in case of a fire event.
n. The dwelling shall be free of dangers that
				constitute an obvious fire hazard, such as faulty electrical cords, overloaded
				electrical sockets, or an accumulation of papers, paint, or other flammable
				material stored in the dwelling.
o.
				Facilities serving as a foster home shall have approved address numbers placed
				in a position that is plainly legible and visible from the street. Address
				number shall be a minimum of 4 inches high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5
				inch and shall contrast with their background.
p. Listed smoke alarms shall be installed in
				accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions and in the
				following locations:
(i) On the ceiling or
				wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of
				bedrooms; and
(ii) In each room
				used for sleeping purposes; and
(iii) In each habitable story within a
				dwelling.
q. Listed smoke
				alarms shall be powered from:
(i) the
				electrical system of the dwelling as the primary power source and a battery as
				a secondary power source;
(ii) a
				battery rated for a 10-year life, provided the smoke alarm is listed for use
				with a 10-year battery; or
(iii)
				battery power that is part of a listed wireless interconnected smoke alarm
				unit.
r. All sleeping
				rooms below the fourth story shall have emergency escape and rescue openings
				that open from the inside.
s. Such
				emergency escape and rescue openings shall be sized and configured in
				accordance with the applicable code requirements.