(a)
Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the 2021 Edition of the International Fire Code (I.F.C.) and Appendices A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, and K thereto, with all codes and standards referred to within said code and appendices, are hereby adopted and incorporated by reference as fully as if set out in length in this chapter. A copy of said International Fire Code and Appendices will be filed and kept in the office of the city clerk.
(b)
The following provisions designated "deletion" are deleted and excepted from the 2021 International Fire Code. The following provisions designated "addition" are added to the 2021 International Fire Code. The following provisions designated "amendment" are amendments to the 2021 International Fire Code.
2021 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE CHAPTER 2 |
(1)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing the definition of "Educational Group E – Group E, day care facilities" to read as follows:
Group E, day care facilities. This group includes buildings and structures or portions thereof occupied by more than five children including those related to the staff older than 2-1/2 years of age who receive educational, supervision or personal care services for less than 24 hours per day. |
(2)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing Group E, Educational, Group E, day care facilities, third to last paragraph to read:
Twelve or fewer occupants receiving care in a dwelling unit. A facility such as the above within a dwelling unit and having five or fewer persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a Group R-3 occupancy and shall comply with the following: |
(1) smoke detectors and smoke alarms as described in Section 907.2.10; |
(2) carbon monoxide detectors and alarms as specified in Section 908 adhering to AAC 18.70.095; |
(3) means of egress requirements of Section 1003, including emergency escape and rescue openings, as required by Section 1029, in napping or sleeping rooms; and |
(4) portable fire extinguisher requirements as described in Section 906. |
(3)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing Group I, Institutional, Institutional Group I-4 day care facilities, third to last paragraph to read:
Twelve or fewer occupants receiving care in a dwelling unit. A facility such as the above within a dwelling unit and having five or fewer persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a Group R-3 occupancy and shall comply with the following: |
(1) smoke detectors and smoke alarms as described in Section 907.2.10; |
(2) carbon monoxide detectors and alarms as specified in Section 908 adhering to AAC 18.70.095; |
(3) means of egress requirements of Section 1003, including emergency escape and rescue openings, as required by Section 1029, in napping or sleeping rooms; and |
(4) portable fire extinguisher requirements as described in Section 906. |
(4)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing Group I, Institutional, Institutional Group I-1, second to last paragraph to read:
Five or fewer persons including those related to the staff receiving custodial care shall be classified as Group R-3 or shall comply with the International Residential Code provided that an automatic sprinkler system is installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.3 or with Section P2904 of the International Residential Code. |
(5)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing Group I, Institutional, Institutional Group I-2, last paragraph to read:
Five or fewer persons including those related to the staff receiving medical care. A facility with five or fewer persons receiving medical care shall be classified as Group R-3 or shall comply with the International Residential Code provided that monitored fire alarm system is installed in accordance with Section 907.2.6.2. |
(6)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing Group I, Institutional, Institutional Group I-4, day care facilities, first paragraph to read:
Institutional Group I-4, day care facilities. Institutional Group I-4 shall include buildings and structures occupied by more than five persons of any age including those related to the staff who receive custodial care for less than 24 hours by persons other than parents or guardians; relatives by blood, marriage, or adoption; and in a place other than the home of the person cared for. This group shall include, but not be limited to, the following: |
Adult day care |
Child day care |
(7)
Amendment. Chapter 2, Section 202 (General definitions) of the I.F.C. is amended by changing Group I, Institutional, Institutional Group I-4, day care facilities, third to last paragraph to read:
Five or fewer occupants including those related to the staff receiving care in a dwelling unit. A facility such as the above within a dwelling unit and having five or fewer persons receiving custodial care shall be classified as a Group R-3 occupancy or shall comply with the International Residential Code. |
2021 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE |
CHAPTER 9 |
(8)
Addition. A new sentence is added to the end of Chapter 9, Section 901.1 (Scope) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
The use of a firewall does not establish a separate building for purposes of this chapter. |
(9)
Amendment. Chapter 9, Section 903.2 (Where required) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
903.2 Where required. Approved automatic sprinkler systems in new buildings and structures shall be provided in locations described in this section. |
903.2.1 New buildings. All new buildings, when the ground floor area exceeds four thousand gross square feet or when aggregate floor area under any single roof exceeds eight thousand gross square feet. |
903.2.2 All buildings. All buildings to which structures or additions are added or attached when: (a) the gross aggregate floor area of the new structure or addition is equal to at least twenty percent of the gross ground-floor area of the existing building; and (b) the gross ground-floor area of the existing building and the ground-floor area of the new structure or addition when added together exceed four thousand square feet, or the gross aggregate floor area under one roof system exceeds eight thousand gross square feet. |
The use of a firewall does not establish a separate building for purposes of this chapter. |
(10)
Amendment. Chapter 9, Section 903.2.3 (Group E) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
903.2.3 Group E. An automatic sprinkler system must be provided throughout all buildings with Group E occupancies. The use of a firewall or other barrier does not establish a separate building or fire area for purposes of this section. |
Exception: Buildings with Group E occupancies having an occupant load of 49 or less. |
a. An automatic sprinkler system must also be provided for every portion of educational buildings below the level of exit discharge. |
b. Home day care uses that care for more than five persons between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. must be equipped with a monitored fire alarm system installed in accordance with Section 907.2.6.2. or an equivalent system approved by the building official. |
(11)
Amendment. Chapter 9, Section 903.2.8.1 (Group R-3) of the I.F.C. is amended by adding exceptions as follows:
Exception 1: R-3 occupancies separated from attached occupancies by an approved 2-hour fire separation of walls and floor-ceiling assemblies and is equipped with a monitored fire alarm. |
Exception 2: R-3 occupancies in detached structures. |
(12)
Addition. A new Section 903.2.8.5 is added to Chapter 9, Section 903.2.8 (Group R) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
903.2.8.5 Group R-1. Health clinics with transient quarters may utilize an N.F.P.A. 13R sprinkler system throughout the building; a two-hour firewall may be utilized to separate the building in accordance with 903.1.1.3 in the sleeping quarters. |
Rental cabins occupied for less than 30 days with potable water will be considered R-1 and will be required to follow this section. |
(13)
Addition. A new Section 903.2.8.6 is added to Chapter 9, Section 903.2.8 (Group R) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
903.2.8.6 Group R-2. An automatic sprinkler system or a residential sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.2 must be provided throughout all buildings with a Group R-2 fire area that are more than two stories in height, including basements, or that have more than four dwelling units or 16 sleeping units. |
(14)
Amendment. Chapter 9, Section 903.3.5 (Water supplies) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
Water supplies for automatic sprinkler systems shall comply with this section and the standards referenced in Section 903.3.1. The potable water supply for all new and existing automatic sprinkler systems shall be protected against backflow in accordance with the requirements of this section and the Uniform Plumbing Code adopted in section 19.14.010 of the city code. For connections to public waterworks systems, the water supply test used for design of fire protection systems shall be adjusted to account for seasonal and daily pressure fluctuations based on information from the water supply authority and as approved by the fire code official. |
(15)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 906.1 (Where required) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting the exception in subparagraph 1.
(16)
Deletion and Addition. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.1 (Group A) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting the exceptions and adding a new sentence to the end of the first paragraph to read as follows:
A manual fire alarm system shall be installed in Group A-2 occupancies with an occupant load of 100 or more. |
(17)
Deletion. Section 907.2.3 is amended by eliminating Exceptions 1 and 3.
(18)
Addition. A new paragraph is added to Chapter 9, Section 907.2.3 (Group E) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
Rooms used for sleeping or napping purposes within a day care use of a Group E occupancy must be provided with smoke alarms that comply with Section 907.2.11.2. |
(19)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.3 (Group E) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting Exception 3.
(20)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.4 (Group F) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting the exception.
(21)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.6.1 (Group I-1) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting Exception 1.
(22)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.7 (Group M) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting Exception 2.
(23)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.8.1 (Manual fire alarm system) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting Exception 2.
(24)
Deletion. Chapter 9, Section 907.2.9.1 (Manual fire alarm system) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting Exception 2.
(25)
Amendment. Chapter 9, Section 912.6 (Backflow protection) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
912.6 Backflow protection. The potable water supply to all new existing automatic sprinkler and standpipe systems shall be protected against backflow as required by the Uniform Plumbing Code adopted in section 19.14.010 of the city code. Where such devices are retrofitted for an existing fire protection system, the hydraulics of the design shall be checked to verify that there will be sufficient water pressure available for satisfactory operation of the fire sprinklers. |
2021 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE CHAPTER 10 |
(26)
Addition. An exception is added to Chapter 10, Section 1006.3.4 (Single Exits) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
Exception: Basements or the first level below the first story in all occupancies except Group R-3 occupancies used exclusively for the service of the building, may have access to only one exit. Any other use of the basement or first level below the first story must have at least two exits arranged as described in Section 1007.1.1. For purposes of this paragraph storage rooms, laundry rooms, maintenance offices, and similar uses may not be considered as providing service to the building. |
(27)
Addition. A new sentence is added to Chapter 10, Section 1011.7.2 (Outdoor conditions) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
1011.7.2 Outdoor conditions. Outdoor stairways and outdoor approaches to stairways shall be designed so that water will not accumulate on walking surfaces in occupancies other than Group R-3 and Group U occupancies that are accessory to Group R-3 occupancies, surfaces and landings which are part of exterior stairs in climates with snow or ice shall be designed to minimize the accumulation of the snow or ice. |
(28)
Addition. A new sentence is added to Chapter 10, Section 1012.7.2 (Outdoor conditions) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
1012.7.2 Outdoor conditions. Outdoor ramps and outdoor approaches to ramps shall be designed so that water will not accumulate on walking surfaces in occupancies other than Group R-3 and Group U occupancies that are accessory to Group R-3 occupancies, surfaces and landings which are part of exterior ramps in climates with snow or ice shall be designed to minimize the accumulation of the snow or ice. |
(29)
Addition. A new sentence is added to Chapter 10, Section 1019.1 (General) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
Exterior exit balconies shall be designed to minimize accumulation of snow or ice that impedes the means of egress. |
(30)
Deletion. Chapter 10, Section 1031.2 (General) of the I.F.C. is amended by deleting Exception 1.
2021 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE CHAPTER 56 |
(31)
Amendment. The first paragraph of Chapter 56, Section 5601.1 (Scope) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
5601.1 Scope. The provisions of this chapter and AS 18.72 shall govern the possession, manufacture, storage, handling, sale and use of explosives, explosive materials, fireworks and small arms ammunition. |
(32)
Amendment. Section 5601.2.4 (Financial responsibility) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
5601.2.4 Financial responsibility. Before a permit is issued, as required by Section 5601.2 (Permit required), the applicant shall file with the jurisdiction a corporate surety bond (for blasting operations) in the principal sum of a minimum of $1,000,000 or a public liability insurance policy for the same amount, for the purpose of the payment of all damages to persons or property which arise from, or are caused by, the conduct of any act authorized by the permit upon which any judicial judgment results. The fire code official is authorized to specify a greater or lesser amount when in his or her opinion, conditions at the locations of use indicated a greater or lesser amount is required. Government entities shall be exempt from this bond requirement. |
(33)
Addition. A new second paragraph is added to Section 5607.3 (Blasting in congested areas) of the I.F.C. to read as follows:
The police department, fire department, all occupancies within 300 feet, and the local emergency planning committee shall be notified 48 hours in advance, not including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. |
(34)
Amendment. Section 5607.5 (Utility notification) of the I.F.C. is amended to read as follows:
5607.5 Utility notification. Whenever blasting is being conducted in the vicinity of utility infrastructure or rights-of-way, the blaster shall notify the appropriate representatives of the utilities at least 48 hours in advance of blasting, not including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, specifying the location and intended time of such blasting. Verbal notices shall be confirmed with written notice. |
(35)
Addition. A new Appendix O is added to the 2021 I.F.C. to read as follows:
2021 INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE Appendix O Fire Status Reporting |
O101 Scope. All contractors who service, test, install or maintain fire protection systems within the City of Ketchikan shall enroll in and use the approved single-point repository service to file records of all system inspections, tests, and maintenance required by the state and city standards. This repository service is maintained and provided to the Fire Marshal through a third-party inspection reporting system. Fees, as applicable, will be paid directly by the contractor to the approved single-point repository service vendor. |
Exception: Industrial occupancies with a fire system preventive maintenance program approved by the Division of Fire and Life Safety. O102 Status 1, systems out of service or Major Deficiencies shall be reported to the repository service. |
O102.1 Corrective action time. Status 1 reports shall be repaired immediately. |
O102.1.1 For example but not limited to: |
O102.1.1.1 Fire sprinkler or water based systems: |
1. Non-working flow/pressure switches; |
2. Damage to fire department connections; |
3. No water to system; |
4. Frozen or otherwise damaged system. |
O102.1.1.2 Fire pumps: |
1. Non-working fire pumps; |
2. Fire pump controls not working or malfunctioning. |
O102.1.1.3 Fire alarm systems (detection and alarm): |
1. Non-working fire alarm panel; |
2. Malfunctioning fire alarm panel; |
3. Audio and visual devices not working entire loop; |
4. Detection not working entire detection loop; |
5. Loss of programming. |
O102.1.1.4 Kitchen hood fire systems: |
1. System cylinder is not charged or leaking; |
2. Appliance not properly covered due to rearrangement of appliances; |
3. Plugged discharge nozzles; |
4. Automatic detection not functional; |
5. Gas or electric not shutting down. |
O102.1.1.5 Clean agent or special hazard system: |
1. System cylinder is not charged or leaking; |
2. Releasing panel not functional. |
O103 Status 2, Critical deficiency reports. Systems that have Status 2 critical deficiency reports shall be provided to the repository service within 7 days. |
O103.1 Corrective action time. Status 2 systems shall be repaired within 14 days. |
O103.1.1 For example but not limited to: |
O103.1.1.1 Fire sprinkler or water-based system: |
1. Five or more painted sprinkler heads in a concentrated area or more than 10 in a facility; |
2. Change of use that will affect the performance of the sprinkler system; |
3. Low water pressure; |
4. Any other major problem that will affect the performance; |
5. No monitoring on required systems. |
O103.1.1.2 Fire pumps: |
1. Low fuel; |
2. Pump packing leaking beyond specifications; |
3. Fire pump room below 40 degrees; |
4. Fire pump not meeting its rated discharge pressure or GPM flow over a 10 percent difference; |
5. Any other major problem that will affect the performance. |
O103.1.1.3 Fire alarm systems (detection and alarm): |
1. Batteries overdue for replacement; |
2. No monitoring on required system; |
3. Audio and visual devices not working – up to three devices, over three devices Status 1; |
4. Detection not working – up to three devices, over three devices Status 1; |
5. Any other major problem that will affect the performance. |
O103.1.1.4 Kitchen hood fire systems: |
1. Hood and ducts with heavy grease buildup; |
2. Any other major problems that will affect the performance. |
O104 Status 3, Minor deficiency reports. Minor deficiency reports shall be provided to the repository service within 14 days. These deficiencies will not affect performance of the system. |
O104.1 Corrective action time. Status 3 systems shall be repaired within 30 days. |
O105 Status 4, No deficiencies. Systems with no deficiencies shall be provided to the repository service within 30 days. |
O105.1 System service reports. System service reports shall have the following information on them: |
1. Inspection company name shall be printed on all reports with address and phone number; |
2. Inspector's first and last name shall be printed with State of Alaska fire systems permit number; |
3. Inspector's telephone number, office and cell telephone numbers, if available; |
4. Deficiencies shall be typed or written and shall be printed text. No cursive or longhand handwriting is acceptable. Reports shall be written with a minimum line spacing of a 3/8 inch per line; |
5. All reports shall have building name, occupancy inspected, and address clearly identified on the first page, and all subsequent pages shall have the building name and date of inspection the top of the page; |
6. All reports shall have the building contact person's name with telephone number on the front page; |
7. Deficiency write-ups must include the code citation that is in violation and a description of the problem. |
Items having minor deficiencies shall be reported to the repository service within 30 days. Reports of systems out of service or those with major deficiencies shall be reported electronically or by personal delivery to the City of Ketchikan Fire Marshal's Office. All references to Alaska Statutes (AS) and Alaska Administrative Code (AAC) also refer to the statutes and codes as they may hereinafter be amended by the State of Alaska with all such future amendments automatically adopted herein by reference. |
(Ord. 2006 § 1, 2025)