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.
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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.
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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.
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.
