2013 Wisconsin Act 270 establishes a uniform commercial building code in Wisconsin, while allowing municipalities to grandfather fire detection, prevention, and suppression ordinances that relate to the construction, alteration, or addition to a public building or building that is a place of employment.
Grandfathered Ordinances for Glendale and North Shore
5.3.6 AUTOMATIC FIRE EXTINGUISHING EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR FOOD SERVING ESTABLISHMENTS.
(a) Requirements. Every kitchen operated and maintained to serve the public, including restaurants, clubs, school, churches, taverns, hospitals, nursing homes and all other places having equipment used for frying, cooking and similar preparation of food, operated and maintained for serving the public shall be subject to this Section. Such establishments shall have approved automatic fire extinguishing equipment, which is actuated, by fire. Such automatic fire extinguishing equipment shall be installed in all duct systems, grease removal devices, cooking stoves, and appliance hoods. All suppression systems shall be listed with Underwriters Laboratories, Factory Mutual, or other recognized testing agency and shall conform to the requirements of NFPA 96. Installations of automatic fire extinguishing equipment shall require a permit to be issued by the Director of Inspection Services. Plans and specifications shall accompany each permit submittal and shall be reviewed and conditionally approved by the North Shore Fire Department. The North Shore Fire Department shall complete all field and acceptance testing.
(b) Time for Compliance of New and Existing Establishments. All new establishments, subject to this Section, shall comply therewith before the Director of Inspection Services grants a permit of occupancy. All existing establishments, subject to this Chapter, shall comply within six (6) months of the effective date hereof. The North Shore Fire Department shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the effective date of this Chapter, notify every existing establishment subject to this Section of its duty to comply therewith. Any existing establishment shall have the right, within thirty (30) days after receiving notice from the North Shore Fire Department to comply, to appeal to the Board of Appeals for a variance from the terms and conditions of this Section. Such an appeal shall be made and governed by the provisions of law relating to appeals to the Board of Appeals.
(c) Type of Equipment and Installation Requirements.
(1) All equipment shall conform to NFPA #96, “Ventilation of Cooking Equipment.” The equipment shall be either a “package unit” as listed in the Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., “Fire Protection Equipment List,” for the extinguishment of fires in hoods, filters, and ducts used for ventilation of restaurant cooking equipment or a system individually designed (“engineered systems”) to the applicable NFPA standard for the type of extinguishing equipment. A manual actuation control, which is accessible to kitchen personnel, shall be provided. The control shall be located near the hood not more than five (5) feet above the floor, readily accessible and not obstructed by cabinets or any other objects, permanent or temporary that would affect a persons ability to see the device. Instructions on operation of the manual control system shall be posted. A visual indicating device shall be provided and so located that at any time it can readily be determined if the systems extinguishing agent has discharged. An automatic fuel shut-off device shall be provided on all gas-fired appliances.
(2) A shut-off device is required for electric appliances especially electrically operated deep fat fryers.
(3) The installation shall conform to NFPA #96, “Ventilation of Cooking Equipment. “Package units” shall be installed in conformance with the limitations in the Underwriters’ Laboratories, “Fire Protection Equipment List” as established by tests for the various unit sizes and nozzle arrangements. In the ventilating system all areas that are enclosed or partly enclosed shall be protected, including areas behind filters, ductwork, including in some cases fresh air intakes, and enclosed air intakes ahead of filters. All hood systems shall be engineered regardless of size.
(4) Cooking surfaces that are open or partly open shall be protected, including range tops, fat fryers, open broilers, griddles, etc. Fully enclosed devices, such as ovens, enclosed broilers, coffee urns, etc., do not require protection. At least one nozzle shall be installed for each fat fryer. Cylinders containing the extinguishing agent shall not be mounted in a concealed space. Cylinders shall be readily accessible for inspection and servicing.
(5) Protection of ducts shall be within the limitations of a single system; multiple systems cannot be used. Ducts, which exceed the limitation of a single system, must be protected by engineered systems or the ducts replaced with ducts, which are within “package systems” limitations. Where no hoods are installed and cooking protection is provided, detector links with heat deflectors shall be located in the same relative position as if a hood was provided. One link shall be provided for each cooking appliance.
5.3.8 SPRINKLER REQUIREMENTS.
(a) Where Required. An approved automatic fire sprinkler system shall be installed and maintained per the requirements of the codes adopted herein. Where conflicts arise between this section and any other code section, the most restrictive requirements shall apply. Nothing in this section shall apply to one or two family dwellings.
5.3.9 FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS.
(a) General. Fire alarm systems shall mean any device designed to sense or alert persons to the possible presence of fire. A fire alarm system may include but is not limited to, smoke alarms, heat alarms, pull boxes, horns, and strobes and alarm panel. All fire alarm systems shall be installed per NFPA 72. All required alarm systems (required per NFPA 101 or the AHJ shall be monitored by a U. L. listed monitoring company.
(c) Specifications of Devices. Each detection device shall:
(1) Cause the operation of an alarm shall be clearly audible in all rooms over any background noise levels with all intervening doors closed. Tests of the audibility level shall be conducted with all equipment, which would normally be running, in full operation.
(2) Sounders shall have a minimum rating of eighty-five (85) dba or 15% above the ambient noise level. Strobes shall meet all light admittance requirements.
(3) All devices used shall be part of a listed fire alarm system.