[Added 10-5-81 by L.L. No. 2-1981]
[Amended 12-3-1990 by L.L. No. 15-1990; 9-8-1992 by L.L. No. 7-1992]
A.
The Board of Trustees of the Village of Ardsley recognizes
that during the past few years the Ardsley Volunteer Fire Department
has experienced an increase in the number of alarms. At the same time
the number of active participating firemen has decreased, leaving
the village vulnerable to fires. With an automatic fire sprinkler
system, fires are extinguished at their inception and alarms are sounded
to alert those in danger. Property damage and the loss of lives is
also drastically reduced. It is the purpose of this section to supplement
the mandatory program of installing a fire sprinkler system in all
new construction, in effect since October 5, 1981.
B.
All new buildings which are constructed after the
effective date of this Article shall be required to have approved
fire sprinkler systems in accordance with nationally accepted standards.
C.
Day-care centers, as defined by the New York State
Department of Social Services, licensed after the effective date of
this section, regardless of location, shall be required to have approved
fire sprinkler systems in accordance with nationally accepted standards.
D.
All buildings and occupancies required by this section
to install approved automatic fire sprinkler systems, must do so,
irrespective of installation in a basement area.
E.
No building permit shall be issued for the construction
of any building unless compliance is met by submission of an approved
fire sprinkler system design drawing.
F.
No certificate of occupancy shall be issued for occupancy
or use of any building required to have an approved fire sprinkler
system, unless such system is installed, inspected, tested and approved.
G.
Fire sprinklers shall not be required to be installed
in spaces where the discharge of water would be hazardous. In such
places, other approved fire-extinguishing equipment shall be provided,
as approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
H.
In addition to meeting the fire sprinkler requirements
as herein before defined, all buildings more than two stories in height,
constructed after the effective date of this section, other than single-family
detached dwellings, shall conform to the following:
(1)
All walls enclosing elevator shafts, except the walls
with elevator door openings, shall be constructed to approved masonry
materials.
(2)
Walls enclosing all stairwells and vertical shafts
shall be constructed of approved masonry materials.
(3)
A standpipe system shall be provided in a manner approved
by the Fire Prevention Bureau. It shall meet all the requirements
of NFPA Standards No. 14. The system shall have internal threaded
swivel fittings composed of two-and-one-half-inch New York Corporation
thread.
I.
All fire sprinkler systems other than those in one-
and two-family detached residences shall be inspected, tested and
certified annually by an approved fire sprinkler company.
J.
The controlling fire prevention standards for the
Village of Ardsley are on file in the office of the Village Clerk.
K.
The only accepted thread is two-and-one-half-inch
New York Corporation.
L.
Where practical difficulties or unnecessary hardship
may result from enforcement of the strict letter of any provision
of this section, applications for variances consistent with the spirit
of this section may be made to and acted upon by the Zoning Board
of Appeals of the Village of Ardsley. The Board is empowered to grant
a variance when it has found the application of a strict letter of
this section would create a practical difficulty or unnecessary hardship
for the applicant and the omission of an approved sprinkler system
for all or part of the building will not significantly jeopardize
human life.
M.
In granting any variances, the Zoning Board of Appeals
may impose such conditions as such Board may reasonably determine
necessary to mitigate the consequences of the omission of an approved
sprinkler system from all or part of any building, including the requirement
that alternative forms of fire-extinguishing equipment shall be provided
or a requirement of additional alarms or other devices to ameliorate
the effects of having no sprinkler systems.
N.
The provisions of this article shall apply to an entire
existing commercial building or individual leased spaced or use, as
if newly erected, where the square footage of any renovations, alterations,
additions or interior repairs exceed 50% of the entire building, leased
premises or individual use, whichever shall be smaller, or when any
change or partial change in the use of the premises occurs which requires
the issuance of a building permit.
[Added 5-18-1998 by L.L. No. 2-1998]
As used in this article, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
The minimal permissible heat detector shall be of single-station
type, approved by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), and/or Factory
Mutual and shall be either mechanically, electrically or gas powered.
An area totally enclosed which contains at least 50 square
feet of area but not more than 600 square feet of area.
The minimal permissible smoke detector shall be of the single-station
type, approved by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), and/or Factory
Mutual and shall be powered by ordinary current or by a battery having
a usable life of at least 12 months' duration.
A.
All buildings, other than those used as dwellings,
which do not contain approved sprinkler systems shall contain (except
in areas where heat detection devices are separately required) one
smoke detector for each smoke area and, in the case of enclosed hallways,
corridors and vestibules, one smoke detector for each 50 linear feet.
B.
All buildings, other than those used as dwellings,
which do not contain approved sprinkler systems shall contain, in
each room with cooking facilities, boilers, furnaces or other heat-producing
units, one heat detection device for each smoke area.
C.
All multiple-family dwellings shall have smoke detectors
in the following locations:
(1)
At the top of any stairwell if such stairwell is open
to common hallways and/or corridors.
(2)
One smoke detector for each 50 linear feet in common
hallways and/or corridors.
(3)
Storage areas: in areas exceeding 50 square feet,
a minimum of one smoke detector for each smoke area or portion thereof.
D.
All multiple-family dwellings shall be required to
have at least one heat detector in each boiler room.
E.
Working order. All smoke and heat detection devices
required hereunder must, at all times, be in good working order.
A.
All occupancies within the Village of Ardsley, other
than one- or two-family residences, shall have auxiliary rechargeable
battery lighting of at least 90 minutes duration in all approved routes
of egress. Such lighting shall be designed to provide safe passage
under emergency conditions. A minimum standard of two footcandles
shall be supplied for each area to be illuminated.
[Amended 12-3-1990 by L.L. No. 15-1990; 9-8-1992 by L.L. No. 7-1992]
B.
Applicability; when effective.
(1)
The provisions of this section shall apply to all
new construction or new occupancies immediately.
(2)
As to existing multiple dwellings, this section shall
become effective in the following manner:
(3)
The provisions of this section shall apply to all
existing occupancies six months after the effective date of this Article.
A.
All motor fuel storage tank installations must be
provided with a constant monitoring electronic leak-detecting system
that gives visual and audible warning signals and is approved by the
Fire Marshal. All motor fuel storage tanks installed prior to the
enactment of this Article must be in compliance within 12 months of
the effective date of this Article.
B.
Whenever there is reason to believe that flammable
liquid tanks or lines are leaking, the owners thereof shall advise
the Ardsley Fire Department. Upon the request of the Fire Marshal
or his assistant(s), the owner or operator of the facility shall have
such suspect tank or lines tested for tightness. All costs for such
testing shall be borne by either the owner, operator or supplier.
Reason for giving notice of possible flammable liquid leak shall include,
but not be limited to, warning signals provided by leak-detecting
devices, discovery of inventory losses in excess of metered sales
or use, the presence of liquid seepage in the reasonable vicinity
of the tanks or lines or persistent odors in adjacent premises. Tank
and line tests shall be those approved by the Ardsley Fire Department
and shall include those meeting the criteria of National Fire Protection
Association Bulletin No. 329, as amended, as to accuracy and method.
Air tests shall not be made on existing underground tanks and lines.
During installation of tanks where all joints, fittings and seams
may be air-tested in the presence of the Fire Marshal or his assistant(s),
a soap solution or other bubble-producing material shall be applied
to the new tank fittings and piping. The recommended pressure for
new tanks and piping shall not exceed 10 pounds per square inch.
