Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following terms shall, for the purpose of this chapter, have the meaning indicated in this section:
ALARMS Any person having a fire, smoke or heat detector system shall be charged a fee for false alarms responded to by the Fire Department. Types of fire alarms transmitted to the Fire Department include:
(1) Good-intent false alarm: an alarm that turns out to be false, but which was reported in good faith.
(2) Accidental false alarm: an alarm set off and transmitted through accidental operation of an automatic or manual fire alarm device. Frequent causes are low air pressure on automatic sprinkler dry valves, excessive heat from an industrial process or the sun, cold weather and smoke detector sensitivity adjustment.
(3) False alarm: an alarm for which no fire actually exists. Examples include burned food, a system activated by steam from a shower and improper maintenance of systems and components.
(4) Malicious false alarm. Any person who shall negligently or willfully cause an alarm of fire to be transmitted to the Waukesha County Communications Center as opposed to an accidental false alarm. Malicious false alarms may be the result of maintenance, removal of component parts from the alarm system, intentionally setting off a system or calling in a false alarm.
APPROVAL Approval by the Fire Chief of the City of New Berlin Fire Department or Assistant Chief of the Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau in accordance with the provisions of this chapter as applied to a material, device or mode of construction.
APPROVED AGENCY An agency accepted or acceptable to the Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau.
AREA or SQUARE FOOTAGE OF BUILDING The total square footage of the sums of all basements, floor levels, balconies and mezzanines.
(1) The area for basements and floor levels shall be measured from the outside perimeter of the outside walls.
(2) The area for mezzanines shall be determined from the product of the length times the width.
(3) For the purpose of determining square footage, fire division walls will not be accepted as outside walls or area dividers.
(4) Buildings that are in close proximity to each other will have their building square footage added together to arrive at the total square footage. For the purpose of determining proximity, the following will hold true:
(a) Single-story buildings: 30 feet apart or less.
(b) Two-story buildings: 60 feet apart or less.
(c) Three-story buildings: 60 feet apart or less.
(d) All other multiple-story buildings: 60 feet apart.
(e) Buildings of variable height next to each other: 30 feet apart or less.
ASSEMBLY HALL (1) "Assembly halls" or "places of assembly" mean all buildings or parts of buildings, other than theaters, which will accommodate more than 100 persons for entertainment, recreation, worship or dining purposes.
(2) The following includes various types of occupancies within the scope of this definition, together with the method for determining the capacity. No greater number of persons than the number established shall be permitted in any theater or assembly hall.
| Use or Occupancy | Basis for Capacity (square feet per person) |
---|
| Arenas and field houses | 4 |
| Assembly halls with stage | 7 |
| Banquet halls | 10 |
| Churches (auditoriums) | 7 |
| Churches (dining rooms) | 10 |
| Dance halls | 10 |
| Dining rooms | 10 |
| Gymnasiums | |
| | For seated space | 6 |
| | For unseated space | 15 |
| Lecture halls | 7 |
| Lodge halls | |
| | For seated space | 6 |
| | For unseated space | 15 |
| Skating rinks | 45 |
| Theaters | 7 |
| Theater lobbies | 7 |
ASSEMBLY OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building or structure or any portion thereof by a gathering of 100 persons or more.
AUTHORITY HAVING JURISDICTION The Fire Chief, Assistant Chief or designee of the Fire Chief to enforce this chapter, the laws of the state pertaining to the prevention of fires and public safety and approving equipment, installation or procedure as outlined in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards.
AUTOMATIC CLOSING DEVICE One which functions without human intervention and is actuated as a result of predetermined temperature rise, rate of rise of temperature, combustion products or smoke density.
BUSINESS OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building or structure or any portion thereof for the transaction of business or the rendering or receiving of professional services, including offices.
CEILING The upper surface of a space, regardless of height. Areas with a suspended ceiling would have two ceilings, one visible from the floor and one above the suspended ceiling.
COMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL All materials not classified as noncombustible are considered combustible. This property of a material does not relate to its ability to structurally perform under fire exposure. The degree of combustibility is not defined by standard fire test procedures.
COMMON AREA Refers to any area in the building that can be accessed by more than one person from different families at one time.
DAY-CARE CENTER Any place which receives at any one time for compensation four or more children under the age of seven years for care and supervision for less than 24 hours a day for more than 10 days a month without the attendance of a parent, relative or legal guardian.
DWELLING Any building or portion thereof designed or used as the living and/or sleeping place of one or more persons and including:
(2) TWO-FAMILY DWELLINGA detached building containing not more than two individual dwelling units which are entirely separated by vertical walls or horizontal floors, unpierced except for access to the outside or common basement.
DWELLING STRUCTURE Any structure containing one or more rooms providing sleeping and sanitary facilities, but not including a hotel, hospital, nursing home, dormitory, fraternity or sorority house.
DWELLING UNIT One or more rooms, which may include a kitchen or kitchenette, sleeping areas, dining areas and sanitary facilities, designed as a unit for occupancy by not more than one family.
EDUCATIONAL OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building or structure or any portion thereof by persons assembled for the purpose of learning or of receiving educational instruction.
FAMILY UNIT One or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption, living and cooking together, exclusive of household servants; a number of persons living together as a single housekeeping unit, although not related by blood, adoption or marriage, shall be deemed to constitute a family unit. A boardinghouse shall not be considered a family.
FIRE PREVENTION AND INSPECTION BUREAU The Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau is made up of the Chief of the City of New Berlin Fire Department, the Assistant Chief, appointed Fire Inspectors, any designee of the Fire Chief.
FIRE RESISTIVE That type of construction in which the structural members, including walls, partitions, columns, floor and roof construction, are of noncombustible materials with fire-resistant ratings approved by the Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau.
FIRE SPRINKLER EQUIPMENT, AUTOMATIC A system of piping connected to an adequate water supply and provided with approved automatic fire sprinklers or devices so arranged and located as to discharge water automatically to the seat of the fire. Installation shall comply with National Fire Protection Association No. 13 "Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems" or other applicable NFPA code.
FIRE WALL (1) A wall which has a fire-resistance rating of not less than four hours and which divides a building or separates buildings to restrict the spread of fire. A three-foot parapet wall may be a required part of a fire wall approved by the Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau.
(2) For the purpose of determining square footage, fire walls shall not be considered as area dividers.
(3) For the purpose of determining square footage as it relates to the sprinkling of a building, fire walls shall not be considered as area dividers.
FLOOR, BASEMENT That level where less than 1/2 the height between floor and ceiling is above the average level of street, sidewalk or finished grade.
FLOOR, GROUND That level of a building on a sloping or multilevel site which has its floor line at or not more than three feet above exit discharge grade for at least 1/2 of the required exit discharges.
HIGH-HAZARD OCCUPANCY Any building which by reason of its construction or highly combustible occupancy involves a severe life hazard to its occupants as determined by the Fire Prevention and Inspection Bureau.
HOME TO SHARE Any single-family dwelling where more than three unrelated adults live who might be asked to voluntarily participate in the expense of the operation and maintenance of that unit. These units may be inspected on the authorization of the Fire Chief of the City of New Berlin Fire Department.
INDUSTRIAL OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building or structure or any portion thereof for assembling, fabricating, finishing, manufacturing, packaging or processing operations, except when classified as a high-hazard occupancy.
INSTITUTIONAL OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building or structure or any portion thereof by persons harbored or detained to receive medical, charitable or other care or treatment or by persons involuntarily detained.
MERCANTILE OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building, structure or any portion thereof for the displaying, selling or buying of goods, wares or merchandise, except when classified as a high-hazard occupancy.
MULTIFAMILY DWELLING An apartment house or a building designed for occupancy by three or more families living independently of each other and containing three or more dwelling units, including, but not limited to, row houses, garden or elevator apartments and rooming houses.
NFPA The National Fire Protection Association.
NONCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL A noncombustible material is one which, in the form in which it is used, meets one of the requirements listed below. Materials used adjacent to or in contact with heat-producing appliances, warm air ducts, plenums and chimneys shall be classified as noncombustible only on the basis of Subsection (1) of this definition. Noncombustible does not apply to the flame spread characteristics of interior finish or trim materials. No material shall be classed as noncombustible building construction material which is subject to increase in combustibility or flame spread classification (FSC) beyond the limits herein established through the effects of age, moisture or other atmospheric conditions. See note on flame spread rating in the Wisconsin Administrative Code.
(1) Materials which pass the test procedure of ASTM E-136 for defined noncombustibility of elementary materials when exposed to a furnace temperature of 1,382° F. for a minimum period of five minutes and do not cause a temperature rise of the surface or interior thermocouple in excess of 54° F. above the furnace air temperature at the beginning of the test and which do not flame after an exposure of 30 seconds.
(2) Materials having a structural base of noncombustible material as defined above, with a surfacing not more than 1/8 inch thick which has a flame spread classification (FSC) not greater than 50 when tested in accordance with the method of test for surface burning characteristics of building materials (ASTM E-84).
OWNER Includes his authorized agent or attorney, a purchaser, devisee, fiduciary or person having a vested or contingent interest in the property in question.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS Includes any structure, including exterior parts of such building, such as a porch, exterior platform or steps providing means of ingress or egress, used in whole or in part as a place of resort, assemblage, lodging, trade, traffic, occupancy or use by the public or by three or more tenants.
REMODEL To remodel, alter or both means to change any building or structure which affects the structural strength, fire hazard, internal circulation or exits of the existing building or structure. This definition does not apply to maintenance, reroofing or alterations to the heating and ventilating or electrical systems.
ROOF SPACES Multifamily, commercial, industrial, governmental and institutional buildings with combustible roofs shall have all roof spaces subdivided every 3,000 square feet by a one-hour-rated partition, unless protected by an approved sprinkler system. All openings must have a minimum of a one-hour-rated self-closing door.
ROW HOUSE A place of abode arranged to accommodate three or more attached, side-by-side or back-to-back living units.
SPACING A horizontally measured dimension relating to the allowable coverage of fire detectors.
SPS Department of Safety and Professional Services.
STORAGE OCCUPANCY The occupancy or use of a building, structure or any portion thereof for the storage of goods, wares, merchandise, raw materials or agricultural or manufactured products, including parking garages, or the commercial sheltering of livestock and other animals, except when classified as a high-hazard occupancy.
STORY The space in a building between the surfaces of any floor and the floor next above or below or roof next above, or any space not defined as basement, ground floor, mezzanine, balcony, penthouse or attic.
THEATER All buildings or parts thereof containing an assembly hall having a stage which may be equipped with curtains or movable scenery or which is otherwise adaptable to the showing of plays, operas, motion pictures or similar forms of entertainment.
VEHICLE Any self-propelled device fueled by a flammable or combustible liquid or compressed gas used to transport people or goods.