The following requirements shall apply to all construction or
land development activities in areas of the County to which this article
applies:
A. Means
of access for Fire Department apparatus.
(1) The means of access for Fire Department apparatus and personnel shall
consist of fire lanes, private streets, streets, parking lot lanes
or a combination thereof.
(2) Parking in any means of access shall not be permitted within 15 feet
of a fire hydrant, any Fire Department connection, or in any other
manner which will obstruct or interfere with the Fire Department's
use of the hydrant or connection.
[Amended 5-8-2019]
(3) "No Parking Fire Lane" signs or another designation approved by the
Fire Marshal's office and indicating that parking is prohibited shall
be provided at all normal and emergency access points to structures
and within 15 feet of each fire hydrant, or any Fire Department connection.
[Amended 5-8-2019]
B. Fire
lanes.
(1) The Fire Marshal or a designated representative may designate both public and private fire lanes as required for the efficient and effective use of fire apparatus. Said fire lanes shall be marked in a manner prescribed by the Fire Marshal or a designated representative. Parking in a designated fire lane shall be controlled by Chapter
158, Vehicles and Traffic, of the Frederick County Code.
[Amended 5-8-2019]
(2) Fire lanes shall be at least 20 feet in width, with the road edge
closest to the structure at least 10 feet from the structure, be constructed
of a hard all-weather surface adequately designed to support any fire
apparatus likely to be operated in such fire lane or be of subsurface
construction designed to support the same loads as the above surfaces
and be covered with no more than three inches of soil or sod, or both,
and be designed with radii of sufficient length to allow for safe
turning by any fire apparatus likely to be operated on such fire lane.
(3) Fire lanes connecting to public streets, roadways or private streets
shall be provided with curb cuts extending at least two feet beyond
each edge of the fire lane.
(4) Chains or other barriers may be provided at the entrance to fire
lanes or private streets, provided that they are installed according
to the requirements of the Authority Having Jurisdiction.
C. Parking
lot lanes. Parking lot lanes shall have a minimum of 15 feet clear
width between rows of parked vehicles for vehicular access and movement.
D. Location
of structures shall comply with regulations set forth in the Frederick
County Fire Prevention Code (FCFPC).
[Amended 5-8-2019]
E. Water
supply.
[Amended 5-8-2019]
(1) Water supply systems shall be designed so as to be capable of supplying
at least 1,000 gallons per minute with a minimum of 20 pounds per
square inch (psi) residual. Water supplies shall be made available
and operational before combustibles are on site during construction.
(2) In areas developed with single-family detached or duplex dwelling
units, there shall be a fire hydrant within 400 feet of all units.
In areas developed with three to five dwelling units per structure,
there shall be a hydrant within 300 feet of all units. In areas developed
with six or more dwelling units per structure, there shall be at least
two hydrants within 300 feet of all units. In areas developed with
industrial or commercial development(s), there shall be a hydrant
within 300 feet of all portions of any structure.
(a)
Distance measurements in this subsection shall be along center-line
roadway surfaces or along surfaces meeting the requirements of a fire
lane (designated or undesignated) where appropriate, but in all cases
access to each hydrant shall be directly from a roadway and/or fire
lane.
(b)
Commercial buildings that have an FDC shall have one hydrant
dedicated to the operation of the FDC, which shall not be farther
than 50 feet from the FDC, and there shall be at least one other hydrant
meeting the distance requirements set forth in this subsection.
(3) Fire hydrant tops and caps shall indicate the available gallons per
minute (GPM) in accordance with National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) 291.
(4) In parking areas where curbing is not present, vehicle impact protection
shall be required as per the FCFPC.
(5) Fire hydrants shall be located within three feet of the curbline
of fire lanes, streets or private streets when installed along such
accessways.
(6) Fire hydrants shall be installed in accordance with the standards
of the Frederick County Sanitation Authority (which trades/operates
as Frederick Water).
(7) Threads on fire hydrant outlets shall conform to Frederick County
Sanitation Authority (which trades/operates as Frederick Water) policy.
(8) Fire hydrants shall be supplied by not less than a six-inch diameter
main. Each six-inch line shall supply no more than one hydrant.
F. All
valves controlling the water supply for automatic sprinkler systems,
pumps, tanks, water levels and temperatures, critical air pressures
and water-flow switches on all sprinkler systems shall be electronically
supervised by listed fire alarm control units. Exceptions:
[Added 5-8-2019]
(1) Automatic sprinkler systems protecting one- and two-family dwellings.
(2) Limited area systems serving fewer than 20 sprinklers.
(3) Automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance with NFPA 13R
where a common supply main is used to supply both domestic water and
the automatic sprinkler system, and a separate shutoff valve for the
automatic sprinkler system is not provided.
(4) Jockey pump control valves that are sealed or locked in the open
position.
(5) Control valves to commercial kitchen hoods, paint spray booths or
dip tanks that are sealed or locked in the open position.
(6) Valves controlling the fuel supply to fire pump engines that are
sealed or locked in the open position.
(7) Trim valves to pressure switches in dry, preaction and deluge sprinkler
systems that are sealed or locked in the open position.
G. Fire
protection during construction. Trash, debris and other combustible
material shall be removed from the construction site as often as necessary
to maintain a firesafe construction site.
H. Plans. The Fire Code Official shall have the authority to require
construction documents and calculations for all fire protection systems
and to require permits be issued for the installation, rehabilitation
or modification of any fire protection system. Construction documents
for fire protection systems shall be submitted for review and approval
prior to system installation.
[Amended 5-8-2019]
I. Key boxes. Where access to or within a structure or an area is restricted
because of secured openings or where immediate access is necessary
for life-saving or fire-fighting purposes, the Fire Code Official
is authorized to require a key box to be installed in an approved
location. The key box shall be of an approved type listed in accordance
with UL 1037, and shall contain keys or other devices to gain necessary
access as required by the Fire Code Official.
[Added 5-8-2019]
Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the
provisions of this article shall, upon conviction, be punishable by
a maximum fine of $2,500 or by imprisonment for not more than 12 months,
or both such fine and imprisonment.