A. 
No place of assembly as defined in Subsection B of this section shall be maintained, operated or used as such without a permit, except that no permit shall be required for any place of assembly used solely as a place of religious worship.
B. 
"Place of assembly" shall mean a room or space used for assembly for 100 or more occupants or which has a floor area of 1,500 square feet or more used for such purposes. Such room or space shall include any similarly occupied connecting room or space in the same story or in a story or stories above or below where entrance is common to the rooms or spaces.
C. 
Application for such permit shall be accompanied by an inspection and permit fee to be set annually by resolution of the City Council before adoption of the budget for the following year.
[Added 12-5-1984 by L.L. No. 17-1984; amended 12-18-1996 by L.L. No. 14-1996; 12-20-2000 by L.L. No. 11-2000]
A. 
Decorative material shall include all such materials as curtains, draperies, streamers, surface coverings applied over the building interior finish for decorative, acoustical or other effect, and also cloth, cotton batting, straw, vines, leaves, trees and moss used for decorative effect, but it shall not include floor coverings, ordinary window shades, nor materials 1/40* of an inch or less in thickness applied directly to and adhering tightly to a noncombustible base.
NOTE: May be measured by folding a piece to five thicknesses and measuring to see if the thickness of five layers exceeds 1/8 inch.
B. 
No decorative material shall be used which as applied will ignite and allow flame to spread over the surface when exposed to a match flame test applied to a piece removed from the material and tested in a safe place. The piece shall be held in a vertical position and the bottom edge exposed to a flame from a common match held in a horizontal position 1/2 inch underneath the piece and at a constant location for a minimum of 15 seconds.
C. 
Treatments used to accomplish flameproofing shall be renewed as often as may be necessary to maintain the flameproof effect.
A. 
Pyroxylin-coated fabric used as a decorative material in accordance with § 98-102 or as a surface covering on fixed furnishings shall be limited in accordance with Subsection B of this section.
B. 
Such fabrics containing 1.4 ounces or more of cellulose nitrate per square yard shall not be used in excess of a total amount equivalent to one square foot of fabric surface to 15 cubic feet of room volume. Each square foot of such fabric which contains 1.7 ounces or more of cellulose nitrate per square yard shall be counted as two square feet in making this computation.
In places of assembly no motion-picture screen or screen masking shall be used which will ignite and allow flame to spread over the surface when exposed to the match flame test described in § 98-102B.
During the period of occupancy, no exit door shall be locked, bolted or otherwise fastened or obstructed by any means so that the door cannot be opened from the inside by the use of the ordinary door latch or knob or by pressure on the door or on a panic release device.
In each room where chairs or tables and chairs are used, the arrangement shall be such as will provide for ready access by aisles to each exit doorway. Aisles leading directly to exit doorways shall have not less than 36 inches clear width, which shall not be obstructed by chairs, tables or other objects.
No part of a stairway, whether interior or exterior, nor of a hallway, corridor, vestibule, balcony or bridge leading to a stairway or exit of any kind, shall be used in any way that will obstruct its use as an exit or that will present a hazardous condition.
Where smoking is permitted, there shall be provided on each table and at other convenient places suitable noncombustible ashtrays or match receivers.
All fire protection equipment required under Article IX shall be kept in working condition. Extinguishers and hose and similar appliances shall be visible and convenient at all times. It shall be the duty of the owner and the tenant of each building or part of a building occupied as a place of assembly to properly train sufficient regular employees in the use of fire appliances so that such appliances can be quickly put in operation.
A plan showing the capacity and location of exitways and of aisles leading thereto shall be submitted for approval to the Fire Inspector and an approved copy shall be kept on display in the premises.
A. 
In rooms accommodating more than 100 persons, required exit doorways, other than those normally used for entrance, shall be plainly marked by approved exit signs sufficiently illuminated when the floor area is occupied to be readily distinguished.
B. 
Where exit doorways are not visible from all locations in public corridors, directional signs, as required by the Board of Fire Wardens, Chief of the Fire Department or Fire Inspector, shall be placed on walls or otherwise displayed in conspicuous locations to direct occupants to exit doorways.
Required stairways, hallways and other means of egress, including exterior open spaces to or through which exitways lead, shall be kept adequately lighted at all times that the building served thereby is occupied. In places of assembly and schools, an auxiliary lighting system shall be maintained.