[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007; as amended by Ord. 2159, 12/12/2016]
Except as amended and modified by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Act 45), 34 Pennsylvania Code Chapters 401 through 405, a certain document, three copies of which are on file in the office of the Licensing and Inspections Director of the Borough of Pottstown, being marked and designated as the "International Building Code, 2009 Edition," as published by the International Code Council, be and is hereby adopted as the Building Code of the Borough of Pottstown, in the State of Pennsylvania, for regulating and governing the conditions and maintenance of all property, buildings, and structures; by providing the standards for supplied utilities and facilities and other physical things and conditions essential to ensure that structures are safe, sanitary and fit for occupation and use and the condemnation of buildings and structures unfit for human occupancy and use and the demolition of such structures as herein provided; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor; and each and all of the regulations, provisions, penalties, conditions and terms of said Building Code on file in the office of the Borough of Pottstown are hereby referred to, adopted, and made a part hereof as if fully set out in this Part, with the additions, insertions, deletions and changes, if any, prescribed in § 102 of this Part.
[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007; as amended by Ord. 2066, 11/9/2009; by Ord. 2076, 8/9/2010, § 5; and by Ord. 2159, 12/12/2016]
1. 
The following sections are hereby revised:
A. 
Section 101.1 - Borough of Pottstown.
B. 
Section 1612.3 - Borough of Pottstown.
C. 
Section 1612.3 - FEMA Flood Study - March 2, 2016.
D. 
Section 3410.2 - Effective date of the first Building Code in the Borough, February 6, 1923.
2. 
The following section shall be created and established as part of Chapter 1, Administration:
License Required. In order to perform the work of any master plumber, any journeyman plumber, master electrical contractor, or journeyman electrician in the Borough, such person must present proof that he or she was licensed by the Borough prior to the adoption of this chapter, has a valid license from the International Code Council, Inc., to perform such work, or a master plumber or master electrician who is duly licensed to practice as a master plumber or master electrician in any of the political subdivisions of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with a similar testing procedure shall be permitted to engage in business in the Borough of Pottstown upon providing proof of such testing and that such person shall register with the Department of Licensing and Inspection of the Borough of Pottstown.
3. 
The International Building Code is amended by replacing and changing the following:
[Added by Ord. No. 2176, 6/11/2018]
A. 
Chapter 9, Section 901.6, Supervisory service: Delete and substitute the following:
Section 901.6 Monitoring. Where required, fire protection systems required by this chapter or by Pennsylvania State Law or the Borough of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, ordinance shall be monitored by a listed central station as defined in NFPA 72. A certificate or placard shall be issued by a recognized listing organization that has listed the prime contractor for all newly installed fire alarm systems in commercial occupancies in accordance with NFPA 72. This regulation shall apply to all fire alarm systems that are newly installed in commercial occupancies in which permits are required by Pennsylvania State Law or Borough of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, ordinance. Central station service in full compliance with the referenced edition of NFPA 72 shall be maintained at the protected property, so long as the requirements for the fire protection system exists.
B. 
Chapter 9, Section 901.6.1, Automatic sprinkler systems: Delete the word "supervising" from the first sentence and replace with "listed central."
C. 
Chapter 9, Section 901.6.2, Fire Alarm Systems: Insert the following: "and the Borough of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, ordinances" in the first sentence after the word "code." Remove and replace the word "supervising" and replace with "listed central."
D. 
Chapter 9, Section 901.6.3, Group H: Remove and replace with the following:
Section 901.6.3 Group H. All fire protection systems (alarms and extinguishing) in Group H occupancies shall be monitored by an approved listed central station.
Exception: Monitoring of fire extinguishers is not required.
E. 
Chapter 9, Section 903.4, Sprinkler system supervision and alarms: Add the following sentence "All new fire protection systems (automatic and manual fire alarm systems or suppression systems) where required by the Pennsylvania State Law or Pottstown Borough ordinance shall be connected to an approved central station service system according to the referenced edition of NFPA relating to central station service. Any exceptions shall be approved by the fire code official," at the end.
F. 
Chapter 9, Section 903.4.1, Signals: Remove and replace with the following:
Section 903.4.1 Signals. Alarm, supervisory and trouble signals shall be distinctly different and shall be automatically transmitted to an approved central station service system to the referenced edition of NFPA relating to central station service. Any exceptions shall be approved by the fire code official.
G. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.1.2, Fire alarm and shop drawings: Insert a new line as follows: "Wet stamped seal and signature from P.E. or minimum of current NICET Level III," after last line.
H. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2, Where required-new buildings and structures, is amended by deleting the words "Section 907.2.23" and substituting in place "Section 907.26." This section is further amended by adding an additional paragraph which reads as follows: "In all buildings provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system, there shall also be a complete automatic and manual fire alarm system and automatic detection system in all mechanical areas and all means of egress in addition the automatic detection systems required in Sections 907.2.1 through 907.2.25."
I. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.1, Group A, is amended by adding the words "A complete and automatic and" to the beginning of the first sentence.
J. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.2, Group B, is amended by adding the words "A complete and automatic and" to the beginning of the first sentence.
K. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.3, Group E, is amended by adding the words "A complete and automatic and" to the beginning of the first sentence.
L. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.4, Group F, is amended by adding the words "A complete and automatic and" to the beginning of the first sentence.
M. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.6, Group I, is amended by adding the words "A complete and automatic and" to the beginning of the first sentence.
N. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.7, Group M, is amended by adding the words "A complete and automatic and" to the beginning of the first sentence.
O. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.24, Height and area: Insert the following section:
Section 907.2.24 Height and area. In all buildings four or more stories in height or more than 30 feet (9,144 mm) in height or more than 5,000 (464 m2) square feet in area shall have a complete automatic fire alarm system installed throughout the building in accordance with NFPA 72.
P. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.25, Hazardous areas: Insert the following section:
Section 907.2.25 Hazardous areas. Smoke detectors shall be installed in the following hazardous areas in addition to a fire suppression system: trash rooms, painting rooms, laundry collection rooms, furnace room, boiler room, mechanical/electrical rooms, and rooms of similar use as determined by the fire code official.
Q. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.2.26, Sprinklered buildings: Insert the following section:
Section 907.2.26 Sprinklered buildings. In all buildings provided with approved sprinkler systems, a complete automatic fire alarm system shall be provided in all means of egress, mechanical rooms, in addition to the automatic fire detection systems required in Section 907.2.10.1 through and including Section 907.2.25.
R. 
Chapter 9, Section 907.6.5, Monitoring: Delete and replace with the following:
Section 907.6.5 Monitoring. Fire alarm systems required by this chapter or by Pennsylvania State Law or the Borough of Pottstown, Pennsylvania ordinance shall be monitored by a listed central station as defined in NFPA 72. A certificate or placard shall be issued by a recognized listing organization that has listed the prime contractor for all newly installed fire alarm systems in commercial occupancies in accordance with NFPA 72. This regulation shall apply to all fire alarm systems that are newly installed in commercial occupancies in which permits are required by Pennsylvania State Law or the Borough of Pottstown, Pennsylvania ordinance. Any existing fire alarm system in a commercial occupancy wherein the fire alarm control panel and/or alarm system components are to be replaced shall be considered newly installed for the purpose of this section. Also where there is reasonable cause due to noncompliance or faulty conditions, the fire code official may require an existing fire alarm system to meet the same requirements as a newly installed system. Central station service in full compliance with the referenced edition of NFPA relating to central station service shall be maintained at the protected property, so long as the requirements for the fire alarm system exists.
Exception:
Monitoring by a listed central station is not required for:
Single-and remote-station smoke alarms required by Section 907.2.11.
Smoke detectors in Group 1-3 occupancies.
Automatic sprinkler systems in one- and two-family dwellings.
[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007]
All ordinances or parts of ordinances of the Borough, including but not limited to Part 1, BOCA Basic Building Code, of Chapter 5, Code Enforcement, of the Code of Ordinances of the Borough of Pottstown, as amended, which are inconsistent with this Part shall be and the same expressly are repealed.
[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007]
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this Part is, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Part. The Burgess and Town Council of the Borough of Pottstown hereby declares that it would have passed this Part, and each section, subsection, clause or phrase thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared unconstitutional.
[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007]
Nothing in this Part or in the Building Code hereby adopted shall be construed to affect any suit or proceeding impending in any court, or any rights acquired, or liability incurred, or any cause or causes of action acquired or existing, under any act or ordinance hereby repealed, as cited in § 103 of this Part, nor shall any just or legal right or remedy of any character be lost, impaired or affected by this Part.
[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007; as amended by Ord. 2159, 12/12/2016]
It is the intent of the Burgess and Town Council of the Borough of Pottstown to adopt the International Building Code, 2009 Edition. However, as amended and modified by the Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code (Act 45), 34 Pennsylvania Code, Part XIV, that most recent edition of the code as adopted by the Act shall become part of the Code of Ordinances of the Borough of Pottstown without the need for the adoption of any future amending ordinance.
[Ord. 2038, 4/9/2007]
This Part and the rules, regulations, provisions, requirements, orders and matters established and adopted hereby shall take effect and be in full force and effect immediately upon enactment.