Virginia Administrative Code › Title 13 - HOUSING › Agency 5 - DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT › Chapter 52 - Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code › Part I - General Regulations › Section 13VAC5-52-20 - Section 102 Applicability

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
A. 102.1 General. The provisions of the SFPC
				  shall apply to all matters affecting or relating to structures, processes, and
				  premises as set forth in Section 101. The SFPC shall supersede any fire
				  prevention regulations previously adopted by a local government or other
				  political subdivision.
B. 102.1.1
				  Change of occupancy. No change of occupancy shall be made in any building or
				  structure unless such building or structure is made to comply with the
				  requirements of the USBC as determined by the building official.
C. 102.2 Application to pre-1973 buildings
				  and structures. Buildings and structures constructed prior to the USBC (1973)
				  shall comply with the maintenance requirements of the SFPC to the extent that
				  equipment, systems, devices, and safeguards that were provided and approved
				  when constructed shall be maintained. Such buildings and structures, if subject
				  to the state fire and public building regulations (Virginia Public Building
				  Safety Regulations, codified as VR 394-01-05) in effect prior to March 31,
				  1986, shall also be maintained in accordance with those regulations.
D. 102.3 Application to post-1973 buildings
				  and structures. Buildings and structures constructed under any edition of the
				  USBC shall comply with the maintenance requirements of the SFPC to the extent
				  that equipment, systems, devices, and safeguards that were provided and
				  approved when constructed shall be maintained.
E. 102.4 Referenced codes and standards. The
				  codes and standards referenced in the IFC shall be those listed in Chapter 80
				  and considered part of the requirements of the SFPC to the prescribed extent of
				  each such reference. Where differences occur between the provisions of this
				  code and the referenced standards, the provisions of this code shall
				  apply.
F. 102.5 State-owned
				  buildings and structures. The SFPC shall be applicable to all state-owned
				  buildings and structures in the manner and extent described in §
										27-99 of the Code of Virginia, and
				  the State Fire Marshal shall have the authority to enforce this code in
				  state-owned buildings and structures as is prescribed in §§
										27-98 and
				  27-99 of the Code of
				  Virginia.
G. 102.6 Relationship to
				  USBC. In accordance with §§
										27-34.4,
				  36-105.1, and
				  36-119.1 of the Code of Virginia,
				  the USBC does not supersede the provisions of this code that prescribe
				  standards to be complied with in existing buildings and structures, provided
				  that this code shall not impose requirements that are more restrictive than
				  those of the USBC under which the buildings or structures were constructed.
				  Subsequent alteration, enlargement, rehabilitation, repair, or conversion of
				  the occupancy classification of such buildings and structures shall be subject
				  to the construction and rehabilitation provisions of the USBC. Inspection of
				  buildings other than state-owned buildings under construction and the review
				  and approval of building plans for these structures for enforcement of the USBC
				  shall be the sole responsibility of the appropriate local building inspectors.
Upon completion of such structures, responsibility for fire
					 safety protection shall pass to the local fire marshal or official designated
					 by the locality to enforce this code in those localities that enforce the SFPC
					 or to the State Fire Marshal in those localities that do not enforce this
					 code.
H. 102.7 Inspections
				  for USBC requirements. The fire official shall require that existing structures
				  subject to the requirements of the applicable retrofitting provisions relating
				  to the fire protection equipment and system requirements of the USBC, Part II,
				  Existing Buildings, Section 1101, comply with the provisions located
				  therein.
Statutory Authority: §
												27-97 of the Code of
						Virginia.