Administrative; Modification of the Administrative Regulation,
Chapter 403
| |||
1.
|
Section 401.2a(a). Add: Fees for building permits shall be in
accordance with a schedule adopted by resolution of the Board of Supervisors.
| ||
2a.
|
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which
were adopted by the Township on or before July 1, 1999, and which
equal or exceed the requirements of the code shall continue in full
force and effect until such time as such provisions fail to equal
or exceed the minimum requirements of the code, as amended from time
to time.
| ||
2b.
|
All building code ordinances or portions of ordinances which
are in effect as of the effective date of this article and whose requirements
are less than the minimum requirements of the code are hereby amended
to conform to the comparable provisions of the code.
| ||
2c.
|
All relevant ordinances, regulations and policies of the Township
not governed by the code shall remain in full force and effect.
| ||
3.
|
(Reserved)[1]
| ||
4.
|
(Reserved)[2]
| ||
5.
|
Section 401.1, Definitions, is amended to add the following
definitions:
| ||
APCO — Association of Public Safety Communications Officials
International
| |||
CCDES — Chester County Department of Emergency Services
| |||
FCC — Federal Communications Commission
| |||
NPSPAC — National Public Safety Planning Advisory Committee
| |||
6.
|
Chapter 403 is amended to add a section entitled "Communication
Amplification Systems" that includes the following provisions:
| ||
(a)
|
General provisions. Except as otherwise provided, no person
shall erect, construct, alter, refit, change the use of, or provide
an addition of more than 20% of the existing floor area to any building
or structure or any part thereof, or cause the same to be done, which
fails to support adequate radio coverage for CCDES, the West Vincent
Township Fire Departments, and the West Vincent Township Police Department.
For the purposes of this section, adequate radio coverage shall include
all of the following:
| ||
(1)
|
A minimum signal strength of -95dBm available in 95% of the
area of each floor of the building;
| ||
(2)
|
A minimum signal strength of -95dBm received at the closest
CCDES radio communications site when transmitted from 95% of the area
of each floor of the building;
| ||
(3)
|
The frequency range which must be supported shall be between
763 MHz and 861 MHz;
| ||
(4)
|
A 90% reliability factor;
| ||
(5)
|
Signal strength measurements, for the purpose of measuring the
performance of a bidirectional amplifier, shall be based on one input
signal adequate to obtain a maximum continuous operating output level.
| ||
The provisions of this section shall become applicable upon
notification to the property owner that unacceptable performance levels
exist. The property owner shall have 90 days from date of notification
to enhance radio coverage and bring it within the acceptable limits
of these provisions.
| |||
(b)
|
Amplification systems allowed. Buildings and structures which
cannot support the required level of radio coverage shall be equipped
with either a radiating cable system or an internal multiple antenna
system with or without FCC type accepted bidirectional 700/800 MHz
amplifiers, as needed. If any part of the installed system or systems
contains an electrically powered component, 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 charge in the presence of an external power input.
| ||
(c)
|
Testing procedures.
| ||
(1)
|
Acceptance test procedure. When an in-building radio system
is required, and upon completion of installation, it will be the building
owner's responsibility to have the radio system tested to ensure that
two-way coverage on each floor of the building is a minimum of 95%.
Each floor of the building shall be divided into a grid of approximately
20 equal areas. A maximum of two nonadjacent areas will be allowed
to fail the test. In the event that three of the areas fail the test,
in order to be more statistically accurate, the floor may be divided
in 40 equal areas. In such event, a maximum of four nonadjacent areas
will be allowed to fail the test. After the 40-area test, if the system
continues to fail, the building owner shall have the system altered
to meet the 95% coverage requirement.
The test shall be conducted using the most current portable
radio or its equivalent available to the West Vincent Township Police
and/or Fire Department, talking through the CCDES as specified by
the authority having jurisdiction. A spot located approximately in
the center of a grid area will be selected for the test, then the
radio will be keyed to verify two-way communications to and from the
outside of the building through the CCDES. Once the spot has been
selected, prospecting for a better spot within the grid area will
not be permitted.
The gain values of all amplifiers shall be measured and the
test measurement results shall be kept on file with the building owner
so that the measurements can be verified each year during the annual
tests. In the event that the measurement results become lost, the
building owner will be required to rerun the acceptance test to reestablish
the gain values.
| ||
(2)
|
Annual tests. When an in-building radio system is required,
the building owner shall test all active components of the system,
including but not limited to amplifiers, power supplies and backup
batteries, a minimum of once every 12 months. Amplifiers shall be
tested to ensure that the gain is the same as it was upon initial
installation and acceptance. Backup batteries and power supplies shall
be tested under load for a period of one hour to verify that they
will properly operate during an actual power outage. If within the
one-hour test period, in the opinion of the testing technician, the
battery exhibits symptoms of failure, the test shall be extended for
additional one-hour periods until the testing technician confirms
the integrity of the battery. All other active components shall be
checked to determine that they are operating within the manufacturer's
specifications for the intended period.
| ||
(3)
|
Five-year tests. In addition to the annual test, the building
owner shall perform a radio coverage test a minimum of once every
five years to ensure that the radio system continues to meet the requirements
of the original acceptance test. The procedure set forth above shall
apply to such tests. A copy of the accepted tests shall be provided
to the Chester County Department of Emergency Services.
| ||
(4)
|
Qualifications of testing personnel. All tests shall be conducted,
documented and signed by a person in possession of a current FCC technician
license, or a current technician certification issued by APCO, NABER
or PCIA. All test records shall be retained on the inspected premises
by the building owner and a copy submitted to officials of the West
Vincent Police Department and the appropriate Fire Department.
| ||
(d)
|
Field testing. Police and fire personnel, after providing reasonable
notice to the owner or his representative, shall have the right to
enter onto the property to conduct field testing to be certain that
the required level of radio coverage is present.
|
Technical Modifications of the International Residential
Code
| ||
1.
|
The Design Data Table R301.2(1) shall read as follows: Snow
load, 30 pounds per square foot; Wind speed, 90 miles per hour; Seismic
design, Category C; Weathering, severe; Frost depth, 36 inches; Termite
probability, moderate to severe; Decay, slight to moderate; Winter
design temp, 10° F.; Ice shield, no; Air freezing index, 1500;
Mean annual temp, 52° F.
| |
3410.2
|
Applicability: Insert the date "January 9, 1967."
|