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 6 - EXISTING LARGE TYPE A ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES › Section 553.135 - Fire Protection Systems Requirements for an Existing Large Type A Assisted Living Facility

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) Fire alarm
					 and smoke detection system. An existing 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. An existing large Type A
					 assisted living facility must ensure the operation of any alarm initiating
					 device automatically activates an audible or a visual alarm at the
					 site.
(2) Smoke detectors.
(A) An existing 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) An existing 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) An existing large Type A assisted living
					 facility located in a building constructed to meet the requirements of NFPA
					 101, Chapter 19, Existing Health Care Occupancies, may install a smoke
					 detection system meeting the requirements of 19.3.4.5.1, Corridors, in NFPA
					 101, Chapter 19, Existing Health Care Occupancies, in lieu of the requirements
					 found in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this paragraph.
(D) An existing 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.
(3) Alarm control panel.
(A) An existing 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) An existing 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) An
					 existing 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) An existing 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) An
					 existing large Type A assisted living facility must provide a secondary,
					 emergency power source meeting the requirements of NFPA 72.
(5) Emergency forces notification.
					 An existing large Type A assisted living facility not equipped with a fire
					 alarm system that automatically notifies emergency forces must immediately
					 notify the fire department by telephone or other means.