A. 
Appendixes B and C of this code shall be amended to read as set forth in this article.
B. 
The procedure determining fire flow requirements for buildings or portions of buildings constructed shall be in accordance with this article. Adequate fire flow shall be provided for protection of life and property. This article establishes and develops guidelines and rules for providing fire hydrant locations.
The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
BUILDING
Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy.
FIRE CODE OFFICIAL
The County Fire Chief, fire prevention personnel or their designee.
FIRE FLOW
The flow rate of water supply, measured at 20 psi residential pressure, that is available for firefighting.
FIRE FLOW CALCULATION AREA
The floor area, in square feet, used to determine the required fire flow.
A. 
Increases. The Fire Code Official is authorized to increase fire flow requirements where conditions indicate an unusual susceptibility to group fires or conflagrations. An increase shall not be more than twice that required for the building under consideration.
B. 
Decreases. The Fire Code Official is authorized to reduce the fire flow requirements for isolated buildings or a group of buildings in rural areas or small communities where the development of full fire flow requirements is impractical as determined by the Fire Code Official.
A. 
Computation. The fire flow calculation area shall be the total floor area of all floor levels within the exterior walls, and under the horizontal projections of the roof of a building, except as modified in construction type IA and type IB.
B. 
Area separation. Portions of buildings which are separated by fire walls without openings, constructed in accordance with the International Building Code, are allowed to be considered as separate fire flow calculation areas.
C. 
Type IA and type IB construction. The fire flow calculation area of buildings constructed of type IA and type IB construction shall be based on the area of the three largest successive floors.
D. 
Exception: Fire flow calculation area for open parking garages shall be determined by the area of the largest floor.
A. 
One- and two-family dwellings.
(1) 
The minimum fire flow requirements for one- and two-family dwellings shall not be less than 1,000 gallons per minute. The fire flow duration for one- and two-family dwellings shall not be less than that specified in Table A of this article.
(2) 
Exception: A reduction in required fire flow of 50%, as approved by the Fire Code Official, is allowed when the building is provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system.
B. 
Buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings.
(1) 
The minimum fire flow and flow duration for buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings shall not be less than that specified in Table A of this article.
(2) 
Exception: A reduction in required fire flow of up to 75%, as approved by the Fire Code Official, when the building is provided with an approved automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1 or 903.3.1 of this code; however, the resulting fire flow shall not be less than 1,500 gallons per minute in addition to the sprinkler demand for the prescribed duration as specified in Table A of this article.
A. 
Scope. Fire hydrant(s) shall be provided in accordance with Table B of this article for the protection of buildings or portions of buildings constructed. Fire hydrants shall be installed and operational in conjunction with fire apparatus access roads and public streets.
B. 
Number of fire hydrants. The minimum number of fire hydrants installed and operational specifically for any building approved and permitted to be constructed shall not be less than that listed in Table B of this article. The number of fire hydrants available to a complex or subdivision shall not be less than that determined by hydrant spacing requirements listed in Table B when applied to fire apparatus access roads and perimeter public streets from which fire operations could be conducted.
C. 
Consideration of existing fire hydrants. Existing fire hydrants on public streets are allowed to be considered as available fire flow when approved by the Fire Code Official. Existing fire hydrants on adjacent properties shall not be considered available unless fire apparatus access roads extend between obstructions of such roads.
D. 
Distribution of fire hydrants. Each new development, building, or project shall be analyzed for fire flow and fire hydrant needs. Fire hydrant requirements will vary with the size and layout of the buildings, building design and construction materials, installation of approved automatic sprinkler system, and access from and proximity to the public right-of-way.
E. 
Average spacing. The average spacing between fire hydrants shall not exceed that listed in Table B of this article. Exceptions to this requirement are as follows:
(1) 
Exception 1. The County Fire Chief may accept a deficiency of up to 10% where existing fire hydrants provide all or a portion of the required fire hydrant service.
(2) 
Exception 2. The fire hydrant spacing in one- and two-family dwelling subdivisions may be increased to 600 feet.
F. 
Regardless of the average spacing, fire hydrants shall be located such that all points on street and access roads adjacent to a building are within the distances listed in Table B of this article.
Fire hydrants shall be installed in accordance with the current International Fire Code or DAC Code Chapter 350 [Unified Development Code (UDC)] standards and shall be available for use prior to the beginning of development or building construction.
Tables A and B referred to in this article shall be as follows:
Table A
Minimum Required Fire Flow and Flow Duration for Buildings Fire Area
(square feet)
x 0.0929 form2
Fire Flow (GPM)2
Type IA and IB1
Type IIA and IIIA1
Type IV and V-A1
Type IIB and IIIB1
Type V-B1
x 3.785 for L/min.
Flow Duration
(hours)
Up to 22,700
Up to 12,700
Up to 8,200
Up to 5,900
Up to 3,600
1,500
2
30,200
17,000
10,900
7,900
4,800
1,750
2
38,700
21,800
12,900
9,800
6,200
2,000
2
48,300
24,200
17,400
12,600
7,700
2,250
2
59,000
33,200
21,300
15,400
9,400
2,500
2
70,900
39,700
25,500
18,400
11,300
2,750
2
83,700
47,100
30,100
21,800
13,400
3,000
3
97,700
54,900
35,200
25,900
15,600
3,250
3
112,700
63,400
40,600
29,300
18,000
3,500
3
128,700
72,400
46,400
33,500
20,600
3,750
3
145,900
82,100
52,500
37,900
23,300
4,000
4
164,200
92,400
59,100
42,700
26,300
4,250
4
183,400
103,100
66,000
47,700
29,300
4,500
4
203,700
114,600
73,300
53,000
32,600
4,750
4
225,200
126,700
81,100
58,600
36,000
5,000
4
247,700
139,400
89,200
65,400
39,600
5,250
4
271,200
152,600
97,700
70,600
43,400
5,500
4
295,900
166,500
106,500
77,000
47,400
5,750
4
Greater
Greater
115,800
83,700
51,500
6,000
4
Greater
Greater
125,500
90,600
55,700
6,250
4
Greater
Greater
135,500
97,900
60,200
6,500
4
Greater
Greater
145,800
106,800
64,800
6,750
4
Greater
Greater
156,700
113,200
69,600
7,000
4
Greater
Greater
167,900
121,300
74,600
7,250
4
Greater
Greater
179,400
129,600
79,800
7,500
4
Greater
Greater
191,400
138,300
85,100
7,750
4
Greater
Greater
Greater
Greater
Greater
8,000
4
NOTES:
1
Types of construction are based upon the Building Code.
2
Measured at 20 psi (137.9 KPa). See the definitions of fire flow in this article.
Table B
Number and Distribution of Fire Hydrants
Fire Flow Requirement
(GPM)
Minimum Number of Hydrants
Spacing Between Hydrants1,2,3
(feet)
Maximum Distance From Any Point on Street or Road Frontage to Hydrant4
x 3.785 for L/min.
x 304.8 for mm
1,750 or less
1
500
250
1,750 to 2,250
2
450
225
2,500
3
450
225
3,000
3
400
225
3,500 to 4,000
4
350
210
4,500 to 5,000
5
300
180
5,500
6
300
180
6,000
6
250
150
6,500 to 7,000
7
250
150
7,500 or more
8 or more5
200
120
NOTES:
1
Reduce by 100 feet (30,480 mm) for dead-end streets or roads.
2
Where streets are provided with median dividers which cannot be crossed by firefighters pulling hose lines, or arterial streets are provided with four or more traffic lanes and have a traffic count of more than 30,000 vehicles per day as per the Dona Ana County Unified Development Code, hydrant spacing shall average 500 feet (152.4) on each side of the street and shall be arranged on an alternating basis up to a fire flow requirement of 7,000 gallons per minute (26,495 L/min.) and 400 feet (122 m) for higher fire flow requirements.
3
Where new water mains are extended along streets where hydrants are not needed for protection of structures or similar fire problems, fire hydrants shall be provided at spacing not to exceed 1,000-foot (305 m) to provide for transportation hazards or as required by the County Fire Chief.
4
Reduce by 50 feet (15,240 mm) for dead-end streets or roads.
5
One hydrant for each 1,000 gallons per minute (3,785 L/min.) or fraction thereof.