CC WORKSESSION 01292008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CHAPTER FIRE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS SECTION 701 GENERAL 701.1 Scope. The provisions of this chapter shall govern the minimum conditions and standards for fire safety relating to structures and exterior premises, including fire safety facilities and equipment to be provided. 701.2 Responsibility. The owner of the premises shall provide and maintain such fire safety facilities and equipment in com- pliance with these requirements. A person shall not occupy as owner - occupant or permit another person to occupy any pre- mises that do not comply with the requirements of this chapter. [F] SECTION 702 MEANS OF EGRESS 702.1 General. A safe, continuous and unobstructed path of travel shall be provided from any point in a building or structure to the public way. Means of egress shall comply with the Inter- national Fire Code. 702.2 Aisles. The required width of aisles in accordance with the International Fire Code shall be unobstructed. 702.3 Locked doors. All means of egress doors shall bereadily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge or effort, except where the door hardware conforms to that permitted by the International Building Code. 702.4 Emergency escape openings. Required emergency escape openings shall be maintained in accordance with the code in effect at the time of construction, and the following. Required emergency escape and rescue openings shall be oper- ational from the inside of the room without the use of keys or tools. Bars, grilles, grates or similar devices are permitted to be placed over emergency escape and rescue openings provided the minimum net clear opening size complies with the code that was in effect at the time of construction and such devices shall be releasable or removable from the inside without the use of a key, tool or force greater than that which is required for normal operation of the escape and rescue opening. [F] SECTION 703 FIRE- RESISTANCE RATINGS 703.1 Mile-resistance-rated assemblies. The required fire - resistance rating of fire- resistance-rated walls fire stops, shaft enclosures, partitions and floors shall be maintained. 703.2 Opening protectives. Required opening protectives shall be maintained in an operative condition. All fire and smokestop doors shall be maintained in operable condition. 2006 INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE® Fire doors and smoke barrier doors shall not be blocked or obstructed or otherwise made inoperable. SECTION 704 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS 704.1 General. All systems devices and equipment to detect a fire, actuate an alarm, or suppress or control a fire or any com- bination thereof shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times in accordance with the International Fire Code. 704.2 Smoke alarms. Single or multiple- station smoke alarms shall be installed and maintained in Groups R -2, R -31 R4 and in dwellings not regulated in Group R occupancies, regardless of occupant load at all of the following locations: 1. On the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms. 2. In each room used for sleeping purposes. 3. In each story within a dwelling unit, including basements and cellars but not including crawl spaces and uninhabit- able attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split lev- els and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level. Single or multiple- station smoke alarms shall be installed in Other groups in accordance with the International Fire Code. 704.3 Power source. In Group R occupancies and in dwellings not regulated as Group R occupancies, single- station smoke alarms shall receive their primary power from the building wir- ing provided that such wiring is served from a commercial source and shall be equipped with a battery backup. Smoke alarms shall emit a signal when the batteries are low. Wiring shall be permanent and without a disconnecting switch other than as required for overcurrent protection. Exception: Smoke alarms are permitted to be solely battery operated in buildings where no construction is taking place, buildings that are not served from a commercial power source and in existing areas of buildings undergoing alter- ations or repairs that do not result in the removal of interior wall or ceiling finishes exposing the structure, unless there is an attic, crawl space or basement available which could provide access for building wiring without the removal of interior finishes. 704.4 Interconnection. Where more than one smoke alarm is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit in Group R -2, R -3, R -4 and in dwellings not regulated as Group R occupancies, the smoke alarms shall be interconnected in such 19