Chapter 17.16
FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS
Sections:
17.16.010 General regulations.
17.16.020 Installation approval.
17.16.060 Building requirements.
17.16.070 Installation requirements.
17.16.080 Additional requirements.
17.16.090 Termination and penalties.
17.16.010 General regulations.
(1) Installation Certification. All fire alarm plans submitted for approval shall bear the contractor’s valid Washington State low voltage specialty electrical contractor’s license number and identify a minimum NICET Level II certified personnel assigned to supervise the installation or shall be stamped by a registered fire protection engineer.
(2) Permit Fee. No person shall install a fire alarm system within the city without first obtaining a permit to be issued by the city of Puyallup permit center.
Fees shall be as established separately by resolution as provided by Chapter 1.13 PMC, provided, fees for permits or approvals required by this chapter may be amended from time to time in writing by executive order of the city manager. Copies of fee schedules applicable to this chapter shall be maintained and available for public review at the offices of the fire chief and the development services department during regular business hours.
Plans shall be referred to the fire code official’s office, or his designee, who shall examine same for compliance with this and other applicable codes and ordinances and standards of the city. When it has been determined the plans, for which a permit is requested, shall comply with all codes and ordinances and the appropriate fee as described above is received, the permit shall be issued; provided, however, that no such permit shall be required for installation of single station detectors.
(3) Standards.
(a) All fire alarm systems shall be installed in accordance with the ordinances of the city, and all codes and standards as established by the fire code official.
(b) A fire alarm system wiring and components shall be electrically supervised by an off-premises approved monitoring agency.
(c) Fire alarm systems shall be designed to remain completely operational on a self-contained battery power supply for a minimum period of 24 hours.
(d) Fire alarm systems under this chapter, including existing fire alarm systems, shall have a maintenance agreement in effect with a fire alarm company or other qualified individual. Such agreements must provide for periodic inspection and testing as prescribed by the adopted local and national standards. Repair service shall be available within 24 hours of notification of a trouble signal.
(e) An exterior annunciator shall be required on all fire alarm systems when a building complex consists of three or more separate buildings, floors, or fire division areas or when the fire marshal determines construction factors or architectural design may inhibit fire department response. The exterior annunciator shall be installed as required by the fire code official or his designee. An approved map of the premises to be protected, identifying zones, shall be provided at each required exterior annunciator. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.020 Installation approval.
Upon final inspection of all fire alarm systems, the installer shall provide the inspector evidence that the installer holds the required valid Washington State low voltage specialty electrical contractor’s license. Application for an Underwriters Laboratory Fire Alarm Certificate or other approved third-party verification service (to be determined by the fire code official) must be completed by an approved alarm service company and accepted by Underwriters Laboratory or other approved third party verification service to final acceptance of the fire code official. The Underwriters Laboratory Fire Alarm Certificate or other approved third party verification certificate shall not be cancelled or allowed to expire without the approval of the fire code official or his designee. Third party certification shall include qualifications review of installation, maintenance and monitoring. Records of current certification shall be maintained at the fire alarm central panel. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.030 Definitions.
Throughout this chapter the following definitions will apply:
(1) “Alarm service” means service requiring the following:
(a) The manual operation of a fire alarm signal station; or
(b) The transmission of an alarm indicating the operation of protective equipment or systems; or
(c) The transmission of an automatic fire alarm system; or
(d) The transmission or actuation of any other emergency fire alarm system; or
(e) Any combination of these.
(2) “Annunciator” means a unit containing two or more identified targets or indicator lamps in which each target or lamp indicates the circuit, condition, or location to be annunciated.
(3) “Approved” means accepted by the fire code official or his designee as a result of investigation and experience and by reason of test, listing, or approval for specific use by Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc.; Factory Mutual Research Corporation; or other nationally recognized testing agencies.
(4) “Coded signal” means an alarm signal which consists of not less than three complete rounds of the number transmitted.
(5) “Dwelling unit” means one or more habitable rooms which are occupied, or which are intended or designed to be occupied, by one family, and which include the facilities for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating.
(6) “Education building” means a building or structure, or any portion thereof, used by persons harbored to receive instruction such as schools, universities, colleges, and academies. It also includes part-day nursery schools, kindergartens, and other schools whose purpose is primarily educational.
(7) “Fire areas” mean the aggregrate floor area enclosed and bounded by fire walls, fire barriers, exterior walls or fire-resistance-rated horizontal assemblies of a building.
(8) “Institutional building” means a building, or structure, or any portion thereof, used by persons harbored or detained to receive medical, charitable, or other care or treatment, or used to detain persons involuntarily.
(9) “Local fire alarm system” means a local system used exclusively to sound a fire alarm at the protected premises as the result of the manual or automatic operation of protection equipment or signaling systems.
(10) “Maintenance” means repair service, including periodic inspections and tests required to keep the protective signaling system and its component parts in an operative condition at all times.
(11) “Mercantile building” means a building or structure, or any portion thereof, used for the displaying, selling, or buying of goods, wares, or merchandise.
(12) “Multifamily residence” means a building or portion thereof containing three or more dwelling units, including tenement house, apartment house, or flat.
(13) “Owner” means any person, agent, firm or corporation having legal or equitable interest in the property.
(14) “Product of combustion detection” when used with smoke detection shall mean the following type systems:
(a) Photo-electric cell;
(b) Refractory;
(c) Ionization.
(15) “Fire alarm center” means alarm-receiving agencies approved by the Puyallup fire department.
(16) “Fire alarm system” means electrically operated circuits, instruments, and devices, including the necessary electrical sources, designed to transmit alarms, supervisory signals, and trouble signals necessary for the protection of life and property.
(17) “Public assembly building” means a building or portion of a building used for the gathering together of 50 or more persons for such purposes as deliberation, education, instruction, worship, entertainment, amusement, food or drink consumption or awaiting transportation.
(18) “Residential building” means a building or structure, or any portion thereof, used by persons for sleeping accommodations (such as motels, hotels, apartment houses, dormitories, lodging or rooming houses, and multiple-family residences), which persons are not harbored or detained to received medical or other such care or treatment, or are otherwise involuntarily detained.
(19) “Smoke/product of combustion.” See “product of combustion detection.”
(20) “Trouble signal” means a signal indicating malfunction of any nature, such as a circuit break or ground, occurring in the devices or wiring associated with a protective signaling system. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.040 Approval.
(1) All plans for fire alarm systems shall be approved by the fire code official or his designee prior to a permit being issued therefor as provided in PMC 17.16.010(2). Two copies of detailed plans showing the location of alarm equipment and detailed specifications on each type of device in the system shall be submitted to the fire code official or their designee. The system designer shall be identified on the plans submitted. Evidence of qualifications shall be provided when requested by the fire code official or his designee.
(2) Furthermore, after installation, an operational performance test of the entire fire alarm system will be required prior to final approval of said system. Such tests shall be coordinated by the fire code official or his designee and will require a copy of the “as-built” plans of the system and the presence of a representative of the system and the presence of a representative of the fire alarm installer, and owner’s representative during the test. Where sprinkler systems are installed, a representative of that firm should be present. If, on the basis of said inspection and test, the fire code official or his designee determines that said fire alarm system does not comply with the applicable ordinances or codes of the city or if it does not conform to the plans as submitted with the application, he may revoke or suspend the permit previously issued until said nonconformities or violations are rectified. The building official shall not issue a certificate of occupancy until written acceptance is on file. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.050 Existing buildings.
No existing buildings shall be made to conform to the provisions of this chapter except where required for existing buildings in the International Fire Code. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.060 Building requirements.
Fire alarm systems shall be provided in all buildings as specified in this chapter and where required in the fire code. Manual fire alarm boxes and detection devices may be deleted or the required number lessened at the discretion of the fire code official or his representative when the building is equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system and the notification appliances will activate upon sprinkler water flow. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.070 Installation requirements.
Fire alarm systems installations shall be installed and designed with the following requirements:
(1) In all buildings where the total floor area exceeds 7,500 square feet with the exception of a building that has three or less dwelling units.
(2) Alarm systems shall be connected to an approved fire alarm center in a manner approved by the fire code official or his designee.
(3) Fire walls cannot be used in lieu of the fire alarm system.
(4) The fire alarm system shall be designed to “total coverage” per NFPA 72 unless a lesser coverage is approved by the fire code official. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.080 Additional requirements.
Any occupancy below or adjacent to a dwelling unit that in event of fire would block all exiting of that unit shall be provided with either fixed temperature or fixed temperature/rate of rise detectors on spacing as specified by the Puyallup fire department. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).
17.16.090 Termination and penalties.
(1) The fire code official may at any time order the removal of any proprietary alarm system or installation within the city due to repeated failure of equipment or circuitry, multiple false alarms or failures to comply with all of the provisions of this chapter. Such notice of discontinuance shall be made in writing to both the agencies supplying the alarm and to the person, firm or corporation affected, at least 48 hours prior to the disconnection of the alarm circuit.
(2) In the event of temporary failure of proprietary alarm equipment or circuitry, equipment malfunction or multiple false alarms, the fire code official may order all emergency response actions discontinued and the assignment of fire watch personnel, until repairs can be made by alarm agency personnel.
(3) In all occupancies, including existing occupancies required to have an alarm system by this chapter, charges will be made for false alarms in accordance with resolutions adopted by the city council and filed with the city clerk.
(4) A sign shall be placed at the alarm panel stating that the panel shall not be reset until after the fire official determines the cause of the alarm. No person, without specific approval of a representative of the Puyallup fire department, shall reset a fire alarm system. The alarm may be silenced if the alarm is a false alarm and no danger is present for the occupants. A violation of any provision of this subsection shall constitute a Class 3 civil infraction as defined in Chapter 1.02 PMC. (Ord. 2801 § 6, 2004).