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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 8890 I ~ ~ y T. ~ ." u 8 9~.- ORDINANCE NO. ~~ AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO, 8219, AS AMENDED, THE BUILDING CODE OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, BY REVISING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS AND SMOKE DETECTORS IN NEW AND EXISTING BUILDINGS; PROVIDING THAT THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE CUMULATIVE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PRO- VIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY; PROVID- ING FOR PUBLICATION IN PAMPHLET FORM; PROVIDING FOR ENGROSSMENT AND ENROLLMENT; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION OF THE CAPTION, PENALTY CLAUSE AND EFFECTIVE DATE; AND PRO- VIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS SECTION 1. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by revising Section 104(a) to read as follows: "Sec. 104 (a) General. Buildings and structures to which additions, alterations or repairs are made shall comply with all the requirements of this code for new facilities except as specifically provided in this sec- tion." SECTION 2. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by revising Section 104(c) to read as follows: "(c) Existing Occupancy. Except as provided in Sections 610, 809, 1009 and 1210 of this code, buildings in existence at the time of the adoption of this code may have their existing use or occupancy continued, if such use or occupancy was legal at the time of the adoption of this code, provided such continued use is not dangerous to life. "Any change in the use or occupancy of any existing building or structure shall comply with the provisions of Sections 307 and 502 of this code." SECTION 3. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by adding thereto a new Section 610, which section shall read as follows: "Sec. 610. Fire Alarms. Fire alarm systems shall be provided in all new and existing Group A, Divisions 1, 2 and 2.1 Occupancies as required by the City of Fort Worth Fire Code. Churches, when used primarily for worship.,, are excluded from this provision." SECTION 4. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by revising Section 809 to read as follows: h ~~ ~. •, '~` x "Sec. 809. Fire alarm systems shall be provided in all new and existing Group E Occupancies with an occupant load of 50 or more as required by the City of Fort Worth Fire Code. In every Group E Occupancy provided with an automatic sprinkler or detection system, the operation of such system shall automatically activate the school fire alarm system, which shall include an alarm mounted on the exterior of the building." SECTION 5. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by revising Section 1009 to read as follows: "Fire Alarms. "Sec. 1009. Fire alarm systems shall be provided in all new and existing Group I Occupancies as required by the City of Fort Worth Fire Code. Audible alarm devices shall be used in all nonpatient `areas. Visible alarm de- vices may be used in lieu of audible devices in patient- occupied areas." SECTION 6. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by revising Section 1202(b) to read as follows: "(b) Special Provisions. Group R, Division 1 Occu- pancies more than two stories in height or having more than 3,000 square feet of floor area above the first story, shall be not less than one-hour fire-resistive con- struction throughout. EXCEPTION: Dwelling units within an apartment house not over two stories in height may have nonbearing walls of unprotected construction, provided the units are separated from each other and from corridors by construction having a fire-resistance rating of not less than one hour. Openings to such corridors shall be equipped with doors conforming to Section 3304(h) regardless of the occupant load served. "Every apartment house three stories or more in height or containing more than 15 apartments, and every hotel three stories or more in height or containing more than 20 guest rooms, shall have an approved fire alarm system as required by the City of Fort Worth Fire Code. EXCEPTION: An alarm system need not be installed in apartments not over two stories in height when all individual dwelling units and contiguous attics and crawl spaces are separated from each other and from public or common areas by at least one-hour fire- resistive occupancy separation and each individual dwelling unit has an exit directly into a yard or public space. "For Group R, Division 1 Occupancies with a Group B, Division 1 parking garage in the basement or first floor, see Section 702(a). "For attic space partitions and draft stops, see Section 3205." -2- ~ .r J i ~ t' ~ ~~. ~~t ~ ~ . SECTION 7. Ordinance No. 8219, as amended, is hereby amended by revising Section 1210(a) to read as follows: "Fire Warning and Sprinkler Systems "Sec. 1210.(a). Fire-warning Systems. Every dwelling unit and every guest room in a hotel or lodging house used for sleeping purposes shall be provided with smoke detec- tors conforming to U.B.C. Standard No. 43-6. In dwelling units, detectors shall be mounted on the ceiling or wall at a point centrally located in the corridor or area giving access to rooms used for sleeping purposes. In an efficiency dwelling unit, hotel sleeping room and in hotel suites, the detector shall be centrally located on the ceiling of the main room or hotel sleeping room. Where sleeping rooms are on an upper level, the detector shall be placed at the center of the ceiling directly above the stairway. All detectors shall be located in accordance with approved manufacturer's instructions. When actuated, the detector shall provide an alarm in the dwelling unit or guest room. "All existing R-1 and R-3 Occupancies shall install smoke detectors located as required for new construction and as required by the City of Fort Worth Fire Code. The smoke detectors may be battery operated. Fire alarm sys- tems shall be provided in all existing R-1 Occupancies as required by the City of Fort Worth Fire Code. "In new construction, required smoke detectors shall receive their primary power from the building wiring when such wiring is served from a commercial source. Wiring shall be permanent and without a disconnecting switch other than those required for overcurrent protection." SECTION 8. This ordinance shall be cumulative of all ordinances of the City of Fort Worth except where the provisions of this ordinance are in direct conflict with the provisions of such ordinances, in which event conflicting provisions of such ordinances are hereby repealed. SECTION 9. It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and, if any phrase, clause., sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconsti- tutional by the valid judgment or decree of any court of competent -3- 1. r . rn jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such un- constitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 10. All rights or remedies of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, are expressly saved as to any and all violations of Ordinance No. 8219 of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, and, as to any other ordinances affecting building standards, which have occurred at the time of the effective date of this ordinance, and, as to such accrued violations and all pending litigation, both civil and criminal, whether pending in court or not, under such ordinances, same shall not be affected by this ordinance but may be prosecuted until final disposition by the courts. SECTION 11. Prior to September 1, 1983, the violation of any provision of this ordinance or of the Fort Worth Building Code shall be deemed an offense and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding Two Hundred Dollars ($200), and each violation hereof, and each day on which there is a failure to comply with the terms of this ordinance, shall be and is hereby declared to be a separate and distinct offense and punishable as such. Effective September 1, 1983, the violation of any provision of this ordinance or of the Fort Worth Building Code shall be deemed an offense and shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000), and each violation hereof, and each day on which there is a failure to comply with the terms of this ordinance, shall be and is hereby declared to be a separate and distinct offense and punishable as such. SECTION 12. The City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth is hereby autho- rized to publish the text of the "Fort Worth Building Code," as - 4- `4 . 3 i ,_ i 4" hereby amended, in pamphlet form for general distribution among the interested public, and such provisions of this ordinance as so pub- lished shall be admissible in evidence in all courts without further proof than the production of said pamphlet, as provided in Chapter XXV, Section 3 of the Charter of the City of Fort Worth, Texas. SECTION 13. The City Secretary of the City of Fort Worth, Texas, is hereby directed to publish the caption, penalty clause and effective date of this ordinance for five (5) days, in the official newspaper of the City of Fort Worth, as authorized by TEX. REV. CIV. STATS., Art. 1176b-1. SECTION 14. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after the date of its passage, and publication as above specified. APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY: City Attorney Date: g-~~-g'3 ADOPTED: ~-~~p '- Q EFFECTIVE: -5- Mayo~° a~ad ~oun~il ~~na.mu~a,~.~at~,~~a. -=~~, DATE REFERENCE SUBJECT Amendment to Building Code and PAGE NUMBER Fire Code, Smoke Detectors and Fire 8/16/83 G-5712 for 2 Alarms in New and Existin Buildin s Recently compiled statistics show that a consistently high number of fire-re- lated deaths occur in Fort Worth every year. For the past several months, the Building Official and the Fire Marshal have been researching available fire warning systems which can be implemented to save lives. Pursuant to this re- search, the Building Official and Fire Marshal are recommending that certain changes be made to the City's Building Code and Fire Code in conformance with recommendations contained in the 1982 Uniform Fire Code and the 1982 Uniform Building Code. With the assistance of the City Attorney's office, two separate ordinances have been prepared which amend the Building Code and the Fire Code in accordance with these recommendations. The proposed amendments include 1. Requiring fire alarm systems in new places of public assembly such as night clubs having an occupant load over 200 and restaurants with dancing having an occupant load over 300. All existing occupancies shall comply with this requirement by September I, 1984. Churches are specifically excluded from this requirement. 2. Requiring specific types of fire alarm systems in new educational buildings with an occupant load of 50 or more. (Fire alarm systems are presently required by the current Building Code.) There is no current or proposed require- ment for existing occupancies. 3. Requiring smoke detectors and specific types of fire alarm systems in new hospitals, nursing homes, jails, etc. (Fire alarm systems are presently re- quired by the current Building Code.) There is no current or proposed require- ment for existing occupancies. 4. Requiring fire alarm systems and smoke detectors in new hotels three or more stories in height or containing iro re than 20 guest rooms and in new apartments three or more stories in height or containing more than 15 apart- ments, except that apartments with one -hour fire walls between dwelling units which exit directly into a yard or public space need only provide smoke detec- tors. All existing apartments and hotels shall install fire alarm systems by September 1, 1984. Smoke detectors shall be installed in existing hotels by January 1, 1984, and in existing apartments by September 1, 1984. Required smoke detectors in existing hotels and apartments may be battery operated. (The current Building Code presently requires fire alarm systems only in new hotels three or more stories in height and containing 20 or more guest rooms, and in new apartments three or more stories in height and containing more than 15 apartments. ) 5. Requiring existing one and two family dwellings to install smoke de- tectors whenever any repair or improvement requiring a building permit is made. Also, all one and two family dwellings sold on or after January 1, 1984, are required to have smoke detectors. Required smoke detectors in existing one and two family dwellings may be battery operated. 6. Requiring the landlord of any leased one family, two family or multi- family dwelling units to install smoke detectors in existing units by ~~ "~~ _..~~ DATE REFERENCE SU(33EC7 Amendment t0 Building Code and PAGE 8/16/83 NUMBER G-5712 Fire Code, Smoke Detectors and Fire 2 _. or __ 2__ _ Alarms i.n New and Existin Buildin s _ _ September 1, 1984, in accordance with Article 5236j, Revised Civil Statute of Texas. Required smoke detectors may be battery operated. In accordance with recently adop ted state legislation, any violation of this ordinance after September 1, 1983, will carry a $1,000 fine. Recommendation: It is recommended that the City Council adopt the two attached ordinances amend - ing the Building Code and the Fire Code respectively to require smoke detectors and fire alarm systems as provided above. WKO.itt Attachment APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL. AUG xs 1963 ,Q~ City S,earetazy of the City ,t~ ~ ~ SUBMITTED FOR THE CITY MANAGER'S / DISPOSITION BY COUNCIL. PROCESSED BY OFFICE BY 6 ^ APPROVED ORIGINATING ^ OTHER (DESCRIBE) DEPARTMENT HEAD• Wade ACikinS CITY SECRETARY CONTACTITIONAL INFORM9Tayne Olson Ext 7617 1N D ~0+~ ~7(~ "/ (~ Q DATE d d 4 Q O