Intent. The intent of this section is to provide a means for automatic
detection of fire conditions and/or to provide warning notification
throughout all buildings and occupancies built hereinafter, structurally
altered, and/or added to. Fire alarm systems are intended to provide
additional life safety and help reduce property loss through early
detection of fires, providing warning to occupants and automatically
notifying the Fire Department of fire.
Code compliance. All fire alarm systems installed, modified, altered
and/or repaired shall comply with this chapter and all of the applicable
NFPA codes and/or standards.
Fire suppression system activation alarms shall be connected to the
protected premises' fire alarm system to specifically activate
the notification appliances upon system activation. This includes
but is not limited to wet chemical, CO2, clean agent, water mist and
dry chemical systems.
Fire control and/or suppression systems' supervisory condition
indicators shall be connected to and monitored by the fire alarm system.
This specifically includes but is not limited to valve supervisory
switches (tamper switches), high air switches, low air switches, high
water level switches, low water switches, low temperature switches,
low water temperature switches, fire pump condition indicators and/or
any other situation or condition deemed necessary by the AHJ.
Fire alarm annunciators shall be installed in all protected premises.
The number and locations of the fire alarm annunciators installed
shall be acceptable to the AHJ.
As determined by the AHJ, any additional notification and/or
initiation appliances/devices may be required due to size, occupancy
hazards, building construction, and/or occupancy use.
Any components that are added to, monitored by or integrated in any
fashion to an approved fire alarm system, shall be approved by the
AHJ. These items would include, but not limited to:
Submittals for fire alarm systems. Submittals for fire alarm systems
are intended to provide basic information consistent with the objective
of installing a fully operational, code-compliant fire alarm system
and to provide the basis for the record drawings required by NFPA
72. Conditional approval of a fire alarm system submittal and/or any
portion thereof is not intended to imply waiver or modification of
any requirements of any code or any other applicable criteria.
The quantity of each fire alarm submittal shall be designated on
the Village of Grafton "Fire Protection Plan Review Submittal Notice
and FAQ's" document, available from the Village of Grafton Building
Inspection Department. The municipality may retain two copies of each
submittal, and the remaining copies will be returned to the installing
contractor.
Intent. The intent of this section is to require the installation
of automatic fire sprinkler, fire control and/or fire suppression
systems to improve the protection of life and property within the
municipality. It will establish a minimum standard for fire safety
through the standardization of the design, installation, testing and
maintenance requirements for automatic fire sprinkler suppression.
Code compliance. All automatic fire sprinkler fire control and/or
fire suppression systems installed, modified, altered and/or repaired
shall comply with this chapter and all of the applicable NFPA codes
and/or standards.
Code conflicts. If any conflicts exist between this chapter and any
NFPA code and/or standard, the most restrictive, as determined by
the AHJ, shall be enforced by the AHJ.
Working plans. Working plans shall be submitted to the AHJ for review
and conditional approval before any equipment is installed, modified
or remodeled.
Working plans shall be drawn to an indicated scale, on sheets of
uniform size, with a plan of each floor, and shall show those items
from the following list that pertain to the design of the system and
any that NFPA 13 and/or the AHJ may require:
Private fire service main sizes, lengths, locations, materials,
point of connection to Village main; the sizes, types and locations
of valves, valve indicators, regulators, meters, and valve pits; and
the depth of cover.
Where the equipment is to be installed as an addition to an
existing system, enough of the existing system indicated on the plans
to make all conditions clear to the AHJ.
Total water demand requirements as calculated, including allowance
for inside hose, outside hydrants, in-rack sprinklers, water curtains
and exposure sprinklers in gpm.
The minimum rate of water application (density), the design
area of water application, in-rack sprinkler demand, and the water
required for hose streams both inside and outside.
Size and location of hydrants, showing size and number of outlets
and if outlets are to be equipped with independent gate valves. Whether
hose houses and equipment are to be provided, and by whom, shall be
indicated.
The working plan submittal shall include the manufacturer's
installation instructions for any specially listed equipment, including
descriptions, applications, and limitations for any sprinklers, devices,
piping, or fittings.
The maximum spacing allowed for each type of sprinkler being
used based on the square footage used to determine the minimum flow
rate for the hydraulic calculations.
Have sprinkler control rooms located with adequate access for Fire
Department, sprinkler maintenance and inspection personnel, and shall
not be located within private dwellings with the exception of NFPA
13D systems.
All automatic fire sprinkler systems' hydraulic designs
are to be based on a maximum of 90% of the available water supply.
(A minimum of a 10% safety margin shall be maintained.)
Have all working drawings with all required hydraulic calculations
prepared by the installing contractor and submitted to the AHJ for
review and conditional approval.
Sprinkler systems which have been installed in compliance with a
permit or order, or because of any law or code, or have been installed
for any other reason, shall be maintained in operative condition at
all times. No owner or occupant shall reduce the effectiveness of
the protection so required; except this provision shall not prohibit
the owner or occupant from temporarily reducing or disconnecting the
protection system when making necessary repairs, alterations or additions
when a permit has been issued or permission has been granted by the
AHJ.
The AHJ shall be notified before repairs, alterations or additions
are started and shall be notified again when the system has been restored
to service.
Inspections and maintenance of all systems shall be performed by
an approved agent, pursuant to the NFPA procedures and requirements
listed within this code. The property owner/occupant and sprinkler
inspector shall immediately notify the Fire Department of any deficiencies
found.
A service contract is required for annual service of the sprinkler
system according to NFPA 25. This will be required prior to obtaining
an occupancy permit on all newly constructed and existing buildings.
Where the AHJ finds that an existing building, because of current
occupancy or a change in occupancy, constitutes a hazard to its occupants
or adjoining property, the AHJ may order compliance with the provisions
of this section. A hazard shall be determined by the existence of
one or more of the following conditions:
Any building which by reason of its construction or highly combustible
occupancy involves a hazard to its occupants or, in the judgment of
the AHJ, constitutes a fire menace, e.g., paint shop and other occupancies
involving processing, mixing, storing, and dispensing of volatile
liquids or solids.
Lack of an internal communication system, or due to the size
or type of building making regular Fire Department radio communication
inoperable, the building owner is required to install a repeater system
or something comparable to assist radio communications.
Installation of an automatic sprinkler system must be started within
one year from the service of such orders and shall be completed within
180 days after construction has started.
Exemptions. At any location where the installation of sprinklers
may cause or increase an occupational hazard as determined by any
governmental authority having jurisdiction over such location or occupation,
the AHJ may waive any requirement to install an automatic fire sprinkler
system or any portion thereof.
The AHJ is authorized to require a remote Fire Department connection
(FDC) to be installed for any system and facility for which the AHJ
deems it necessary.
Intent. The intent of this section is to require Fire Department
standpipe systems to be installed in structures to help firefighters
effectively extinguish a fire and help reduce property damage and
losses.
Installation requirements. Fire Department standpipes shall be designed
and installed in accordance with this section. Where any requirement
in this section is more restrictive than any NFPA standard and/or
code and/or state code, the requirements in this section must be complied
with.
All standpipe systems' hydraulic designs are to be based on
a maximum of 90% of the available water supply. (A minimum of a 10%
safety margin shall be maintained.)
The location of standpipe hose connections shall be accessible and
shall be located so that all portions of the building are within 100
feet of hose attached to a hose valve. This distance must be measured
using the normal aisles or the path a hose would be laid as determined
by the AHJ.
When required by the AHJ, an approved standpipe shall be installed
as construction progresses to make it available for Fire Department
use in the topmost floors constructed. Temporary standpipes shall
be provided in place of permanent standpipes when required during
the period of construction on buildings required by this chapter.
The Fire Department connections shall be located at least 40 feet
from all electrical transformers, gas meters, or propane storage,
unless otherwise approved by the AHJ.
Approval requirements. Complete plans and calculations for all standpipes
must be submitted to the Fire Department and conditionally approved
prior to installation of any standpipe.
The AHJ is authorized to require a remote Fire Department connection
(FDC) to be installed for any system and facility for which the AHJ
deems it necessary.
Location. Any tank farm, lumberyard, commercial or industrial complex,
any structure or building now existing or hereafter erected, or structurally
altered to increase the floor area by 50% or more, shall provide,
at the owner's expense, an approved water hydrant when such building
is set back 250 feet or more from any street or highway or is located
more than 300 feet from a Village water hydrant. Required hydrants
shall be freestanding and shall be located not more than 50 feet or
less than 25 feet from the building. Additional hydrants shall be
provided around the perimeter of the building so that no water hydrant
is more than 300 feet from any other approved hydrant by normal access
routes. All water hydrants shall be located within 10 feet of an all-weather
road and be accessible at all times to the Fire Department. The water
pipe serving the hydrant shall not be less than six inches in diameter.
Access to hydrants. The Village, or its employees, agents or assigns,
shall have access, without advance notice to the owner, manager, or
tenant of the property upon which a hydrant is located, to any fire
hydrant located on private property for inspections, maintenance,
and/or repairs. No person or entity shall impede or refuse the Village's
access to a fire hydrant on private property.
Inspections and routine maintenance. Such maintenance, repairs, or
inspections of hydrants on private property shall include, but not
be limited to, performing a minimum of two hydrant flushings and valve
exercising inspections per year, painting, inspections, investigation
of citizen complaints, investigation of any other deficiency, and
to ensure each fire hydrant is maintained and operated in accordance
with all applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Additional repairs. Upon determination by the Village of any issue
with a fire hydrant on private property that requires correction to
ensure the proper working order of the hydrant, the Village shall
provide the property owner copies of the inspection findings and a
directive to take specified corrective action within a specified,
reasonable time frame as determined by the Village Engineer. If the
property owner does not complete the specified corrective action by
the deadline specified by the Village Engineer, such corrective action
shall be undertaken by the Village. If the corrective action is undertaken
by the Village, the owner of the private property on which the fire
hydrant is located shall be liable for all costs and expenses incurred
by the Village for the corrective action, including but not limited
to the cost of any materials and the actual labor cost incurred by
the Village, through its employees, agents, or subcontractors.
Emergency repairs. Upon determination by the Village of any issue
with a fire hydrant located on private property, which requires immediate
correction due to an immediate adverse effect on property owners,
public safety, or public health, the corrective action shall be undertaken
by the Village without advance notice to the property owner, and the
property owner shall be liable for all costs and expenses incurred
by the Village for the corrective action.
Multiple property owners. If a fire hydrant is located on an out
lot owned collectively by multiple owners or an owners' association,
or if the private fire hydrant serves multiple owners of real estate
within the private property, any charges incurred under this section
may be charged to each owner or member of the owners association according
to the ownership interest in the fire hydrant located on the property.
Nonpayment by owner. In addition to, and not to the exclusion or
prejudice of other remedies available to the Village, if the property
owner fails to pay the Village for any costs of repairs, maintenance
or corrective action performed by the Village, all or any portion
of the cost of such work shall be charged against the property as
a special charge pursuant to Wisconsin Statutes Section 66.0627.