Town of Lexington, MA Chapter 178 Public Safety

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town of Lexington as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted where applicable.]

Article I Fire Protection Systems

[Adopted 5-17-2010 by the Select Board[1]]

[1] Editor's Note: This regulation also superseded former Ch. 178, Public Safety, which was comprised of Art. I, Fire Protection Systems Connected to Municipal Fire Alarm System, adopted 1-28-1999 by the Fire Department, as revised 5-1-2000; and Art. II, Fire Protection System Registration, adopted 6-18-2008 by the Select Board.

§ 178-1 Fire protection system requirements.

A. For purposes of Chapter 178, Article I, a "fire protection system" shall be defined as devices, equipment and systems used to detect a fire, activate an alarm, suppress or control a fire, or any combination thereof.

B. Fire alarm systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 72 (the National Fire Alarm Code) and the Massachusetts Electrical Code.

C. Sprinkler systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 13, 13R and 13D (Standards for Automatic Sprinkler Systems) as applicable.

D. Standpipes and hose systems shall be installed in accordance with NFPA 14 (Standard for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems).

E. Water-based fire protection systems shall be inspected, tested and maintained in accordance with NFPA 25 (Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems).

F. Clean agent fire extinguishing systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance with NFPA 2001 (Standard on Clean Agent Fire Extinguishing Systems).

G. The system owner shall assume all expenses for inspection, testing and maintenance of fire protection systems.

H. Buildings or structures containing fire protection systems, which are required by Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 148, 780 CMR or 527 CMR, shall be supervised by one of the following methods.

(1) A UL-listed or FM-approved central station service in accordance with NFPA 72.

(2) A radio master box monitored by the municipal fire alarm system installed and maintained in accordance with § 178-2.

I. The owner, tenant or lessee of any buildings or structures, which are required by law, regulation, code, or otherwise to maintain a fire protection system shall annually file a registration with the Lexington Fire Department.

J. Registration shall be on a form supplied by the Fire Department and contain the following information: name and address; owner and tenant names and addresses; twenty-four-hour contact person(s) with phone number; fire protection system maintenance company (if applicable) with phone number; listed central station monitoring company (if applicable) with phone number; the location of any hazardous materials on site not otherwise permitted by the Fire Department.

K. A fee of $25 shall be submitted with each registration. This fee shall be waived for subscribers to the Municipal Fire Alarm System.

L. An alarm service fee of $120 will be assessed for the third and any subsequent false alarms in a calendar year.

§ 178-2 Supervision by municipal fire alarm system.

A. Fire alarm systems shall be supervised by Signal Communications radio master boxes.

B. Radio master boxes shall be SigCom DTX 4-Zone or DTX 16-Zone as determined by the Fire Chief or his designee.

C. The Fire Chief or his designee shall approve the locations of radio master boxes.

D. Each radio master box shall be provided with a low-band antenna with mounting bracket and 100 feet of RG213 antenna cable with connectors. Antenna cable shall be installed in three-fourths-inch electrical metal tubing (EMT) from the radio master box to the base of the antenna.

E. The fire alarm panel owner shall provide all dry closure contacts needed from the fire alarm panel to the radio master box.

F. The Lexington Fire Department shall program radio master box zones receiving contacts from the fire alarm panel.

G. The fire alarm system owner shall be responsible for the equipment, installation and necessary connections from the fire alarm panel to the radio master box.

H. The Lexington Fire Department shall perform final testing of the fire alarm system to the radio master box.

I. All requests for supervision of any fire alarm system by the municipal fire alarm system shall be made to the Fire Chief or his designee for approval prior to the commencement of any work.

J. Owners, architects, contractors and subcontractors shall comply with these requirements and consult with the Fire Chief or his designee as necessary.

K. An annual maintenance fee of $200 will be charged to supervise a fire alarm system.

§ 178-3 Lock box requirements.

A. Knox Company lock boxes shall be installed where required by § 178-3B.

B. Lock boxes shall be provided on all buildings or structures:

(1) Containing a radio master box;

(2) Containing a fire alarm system which is supervised and where the Fire Department is called upon to investigate an alarm;

(3) Section 178-3 does not apply to one- and two-family dwellings as defined in the Massachusetts State Building Code.

C. Lock boxes shall have minimum inside storage dimensions of 4 1/4 inches high, 3 1/4 inches wide and two inches in depth.

D. Lock boxes shall be located adjacent to a building entrance as approved by the Fire Chief or his designee.

E. Lock boxes shall be located not less than five feet, nor more than six feet, above grade.

F. Lock boxes shall contain at a minimum: exterior door keys/access cards, keys/access cards for electrical, mechanical, fire alarm, sprinkler, elevator machine rooms, fire alarm panel keys and keys/access cards for other areas as necessary to investigate fire alarms. Keys/access cards shall be tagged and marked to indicate their purpose.

G. The owner, tenant or lessee shall be responsible to notify and provide the Fire Department with replacement keys/access cards when locks are changed or keys/access cards are no longer of use.

§ 178-4 Exterior building markings.

A. In accordance with Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 148, § 59, every building in the Town of Lexington shall have affixed thereto a number representing the address of such building. Said number shall be of such nature and size and shall be situated on the building so that, to the extent practicable, it is visible from the nearest street or road providing vehicular access to such building.

B. Complexes with the same street address but with separate buildings shall be marked with the building number or designation so as to be clearly visible to approaching emergency vehicles.

C. Buildings or structures required to contain lock boxes in accordance with § 178-3B shall be marked on exterior doors as applicable in Subsections D and E.

D. Electrical, mechanical, fire alarm, sprinkler, elevator machine rooms and other areas, as necessary, shall be marked on each respective door or immediately adjacent to the door with appropriate designations such as "Electrical Room," "Mechanical Room" in accordance with § 178-5D.

E. Stairways shall be marked at the entrance to each stair, at the top and bottom floors, and on every floor in between with the designated floor number and whether the stairway has roof access or no roof access. Buildings or structures containing more than one stairway shall identify stairs such as Stair "A" and "B" or "1" and "2." Stairways shall not be marked "North," "South," "East" or "West." Markings shall be located on the door or immediately adjacent to the door in accordance with § 178-5D.

§ 178-5 Interior building markings.

A. Interior doors of buildings or structures required to contain lock boxes in accordance with § 178-3B shall be marked as applicable in accordance with Subsections B and C.

B. Electrical, mechanical, fire alarm, sprinkler, elevator machine rooms and other areas, as necessary, shall be marked on each respective door or immediately adjacent to the door with appropriate designations, such as "Electrical Room," "Mechanical Room" in accordance with § 178-5D.

C. Stairways shall be marked at the entrance to each stairway, and within each stairway, at the top and bottom floors and on every floor in between, with the designated floor number and whether the stairway has roof access or no roof access. Buildings or structures containing more than one stairway shall identify stairways such as Stair "A" and "B" or "1" and "2." Stairways shall not be marked "North," "South," "East" or "West." Markings shall be located on the door of the stairway or immediately adjacent to the door of the stairway in accordance with § 178-5D.

D. Letters shall be a minimum of one inch in height and be of contrasting color with the background. Markings shall be located not less than five feet, nor more than six feet, above grade.

E. Building floor plans shall be located as directed by the Fire Chief or his designee and contain locations of rooms and stairways as marked in Subsections B and C, and any other areas as directed by the Fire Chief or his designee.

F. Any flammable and/or combustible storage permits issued by the Fire Department, along with Material Safety Data Sheets, shall be located adjacent to the building floor plans or as otherwise directed by the Fire Chief or his designee.

§ 178-6 Adequate Fire Department radio coverage in buildings or structures.

New buildings or structures or portions of existing buildings or structures undergoing renovations or rehabilitation constituting new construction shall be equipped with in-building radio systems as an integral component of the life safety equipment of the building or structure. The primary function of such systems is to provide reliable fire fighter communications within at least 95% of a building or structure's floor area and 100% communications in any stairwells and at fire alarm control panels. Section 178-6 does not apply to:

1.	One- and two-family dwellings as defined in the Massachusetts State Building Code, 780 CMR;
2.	Buildings constructed of wood frame with no metal construction nor any underground storage or underground parking areas;
3.	Buildings or structures or portions of buildings or structures where the Fire Department has performed radio tests for signal reception and determined radio coverage is adequate.

A. For purposes of this code, adequate radio coverage shall include a minimum signal level of DAQ 4 (Delivered Audio Quality 4 (speech easily understood, occasional noise/distortion)]. This standard shall be assessed utilizing hand-held radio units used by the Lexington Fire Department.

B. The in-building radio system shall provide a signal strength as follows:

(1) A minimum of -95 dBm available in 95% of the floor area of each floor of the building and 100% communications in any stairwells and at fire alarm control panels when transmitted from the Fire Department dispatch center.

(2) A minimum of -95 dBm received at the Fire Department dispatch center from 95% of the area of each floor of the building and 100% communications from any stairwells and fire alarm control panels.

C. Required in-building radio systems shall be FCC certified bi-directional UHF amplifier(s) as needed.

D. Assembly and installation of the bi-directional amplification system shall be in accordance with the Massachusetts Electrical Code as applicable.

E. The radio system may utilize a radiating cable system or an internal multiple antenna system.

F. Radiating coaxial cables shall be run without conduit. Where installed in a plenum type ceiling, the cable insulation shall be a fire-resistant, low-smoke-producing type, with a minimum rating of CATVR.

G. Cables other than radiating coaxial cables shall be run in electrical metallic tubing (EMT) or as otherwise approved by the Fire Chief or his designee.

H. Lexington Fire Department transmits on frequency 482.0875 and receives on frequency 485.0875.

I. There shall be no connectivity between the in-building radio system and the fire alarm system.

J. The system shall be capable of operating on an independent battery and/or generator system for a period of at least 12 hours without external power input. The battery system shall automatically charge in the presence of external power input.

K. Each amplifier shall be monitored for operation, primary and low battery voltage. Failure of the amplifier, loss of primary power or low battery voltage shall cause an audible alarm or other indication as approved by the Fire Chief or his designee. The audible alarm or other indication shall not be silenced or disabled until the fault has been corrected.

L. Amplifiers shall be installed in secured areas in watertight NEMA 4 steel cabinets. The words "Lexington Fire Department Radio" shall be marked on the cabinet as well as the maintenance vendor and vendor phone number.

M. The building owner shall be responsible for testing all active components of the system, including but not limited to amplifier, power supplies and back-up batteries a minimum of once every 12 months. Documentation of the test shall be maintained on site and a copy forwarded to the Lexington Fire Department. All tests shall be conducted, documented and signed by a person with a current FCC general radiophone operator license or equivalent.

N. The building owner shall provide reasonable access to Fire Department personnel to conduct field-testing of the radio systems to determine if the required radio coverage is adequate.