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 Kenosha
3.16 FIRE EXTINGUISHING EQUIPMENT
D. Fire Alarm, Detection and Extinguishing Systems.
1. Internal local fire alarm or detection systems shall be required in schools, public and private, colleges and universities, hospitals, institutions, jails, nursing, convalescent and retirement homes, and other occupancies with one hundred (100) or more sleeping accommodations or any building which has eight (8) or more separate residential occupancies. Said internal fire alarm or detection system in each of the aforesaid classes of buildings, except apartment houses, shall be connected to a private, twenty-four (24) hour supervised alarm company.
2. Every establishment preparing and serving food, except private residences, shall have automatic fire extinguishing protection built into any new or modified hood and/or exhaust system as part of any cooking equipment which has an open flame or an electric element that could cause ignition or contact with, or exposure to, grease or inflammable materials.
3.23 AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS
C. Wisconsin Administrative Code. The provisions of the Wisconsin Administrative Code regulating Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems and Fire Safety are hereby adopted and incorporated herein by reference as it now exists and as it may be amended in the future.
D. Installation and Maintenance Required.
1. Requirement. Every building constructed, structurally altered, or has a change of occupancy, where required, shall have an approved Automatic Fire Sprinkler System installed and maintained when occupied, in whole or in part, for the following purposes in the following building groups (which building groups are defined in the International Building Code):
c. Educational Group E. An approved sprinkler system shall be installed and maintained throughout all educational occupancies and any type of daycare setting, except in-home daycare.
e. Hazard Group H. An approved sprinkler system shall be installed and maintained throughout all Group H occupancies.
f. Institutional Group I and Residential Group R-4. An approved sprinkler system shall be installed and maintained throughout all Group I and Group R-4 Occupancies.
h. Utility and Miscellaneous Group U. Group U covers all buildings and structures not covered in any other occupancy classification. Sprinkler system requirements for Group U buildings and structures will be reviewed by the Fire Chief on a case-by-case basis.
2. Exception to the Installation Requirement. Unless otherwise required by state law, any building that has a U.L. – approved smoke detection system that includes a monitored, central-station fire alarm panel, which system has been approved by the Fire Chief for the building in which it is installed, that completely satisfies any of the following is excepted from the installation requirement of paragraph D. 1.
a. An existing building.
b. A building that is constructed pursuant to a developer’s agreement approved by the Common Council before the effective date of this ordinance and is first occupied no later than July 1, 2013. The exception of this paragraph D.2 does not apply to the maintenance requirement for a sprinkler system that is already installed.
E. Exceptions. Provided that an alternate fire suppression system approved by the Bureau is in use, any portion of a building housing a process or material which would interact with water to create a greater fire hazard than without water, may be exempt from the requirement of Automatic Fire Sprinkler System.
F. Water Supply System. The water service line providing water to an Automatic Fire Sprinkler System may be connected to the general water service lateral, or may be a separate lateral, providing however, that if connected to the general water service lateral, the line must be separated and valved before the water meter which measures the domestic water supply. The size, location and metering of the required water supply line must be authorized and approved by the Kenosha Water Utility in accordance with the Rules and Regulations governing water service in the City of Kenosha. The owner of any premise requiring Automatic Fire Sprinkler Service is required to pay for the full cost of installing a new or separate fire service water supply line in addition to all necessary valves, fittings and meter settings required to provide such service; and shall further be required to sign a contract for a water supply line service connection with the City of Kenosha Water Utility
G. Fire Department Connections.
1. Requirements. Every Automatic Fire Sprinkler System shall have the following:
b. A Fire Department Connection. The Fire Department Connection shall be operationally connected to the Automatic Fire Sprinkler System. The Fire Department Connection shall have a Siamese connection with two and one-half (2.5″ ) inch national standard threads, and a five (5″ ) inch Storz connection. The Fire Department Connection shall be located to comply with all of the following: no further than five (5′) feet from the pumper pad; no further than five (5′) feet from a fire hydrant; and no closer to the building it services than the height of the building that it services. There may not be any obstruction between the fire hydrant and the Fire Department Connection that would impede a firefighters access to the Fire Department Connection, or that would inhibit the operation of a hose extending from the fire hydrant to the Fire Department Connection. There may not be any obstruction between the pumper pad and the Fire Department Connection that would impede a firefighter’s access to the Fire Department Connection, or that would inhibit the operation of a hose extending from the pumper pad to the Fire Department Connection.
I. Installation Standards.
1. NFPA Standards. Approved Automatic Fire Sprinkler System equipment shall be installed in accordance with one (1) or more of the following NFPA standards as the Fire Chief may determine are applicable:
a. NFPA #13, “Standards for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems”.
b. NFPA #13D, “Sprinkler Systems – One and Two-Family Dwellings”.
c. NFPA #13R, “Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies Up To and Including Four Stories in Height”.
d. NFPA #231, “General Storage”.
e. Such other NFPA standards as the Fire Chief may determine are applicable.
3. Outdoor Rated Hom/Strobe Notifier. An outdoor rated horn/strobe notifier with an excess of 100 candle power shall be installed in lieu of the required bell. The normal placement is above the Fire Department connection, but shall be approved by the Fire Chief.
4. Water Flow Monitoring. All Automatic Fire Sprinkler Systems shall be monitored for water flow by a central or remote station pursuant to the current version of NFPA 72.
3.24 FIRE DEPARTMENT STANDPIPES
A. Class Three Standpipe. A Class Three Standpipe will be installed in all buildings meeting one (1) or more of the following:
1. Any building of three (3) stories or more.
2. Any building having occupancy of one hundred (100) or more.
3. Any building with one floor of seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet or more in area.
4. Any building over one story in height and six thousand (6,000) square feet or more in area on a floor.
B. Approved Devices/Materials. All devices and materials used in standpipe systems shall be of approved type.
C. Other Standards and Specifications. All other standards and specifications will be taken from the current edition of NFPA Pamphlet #14, “Standards for the Installation of Standpipe and Hose Systems”. The installation of a Automatic Fire Sprinkler System will not supersede the requirements for the installation of Fire Department standpipes.
D. Parking Structures. Any parking structure built whether aboveground or below ground will have a standpipe system approved by the Bureau prior to installation.
3.25 FIRE ALARMS
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, pullboxes, horns, and strobes and alarm panels. All Fire Alarm Systems shall be installed per NFPA 72. All required alarm systems (required per NFPA 101 or the orders of the Kenosha Fire Department shall be monitored by an Underwriters’ Laboratory listed monitoring company.
3.28 PERMANENT ROOF ANCHORAGE REQUIRED
Responsible parties for any building which is over three (3) stories shall install and maintain anchorages on the roof of each such building in a number and manner to provide firefighting connection to allow for access to each point of potential emergency rescue, including, but not limited to, all windows, platforms, and all other points of emergency egress, which points of potential emergency rescue are located above the second story above a location that a ladder fire truck could reasonably be positioned. Anchorages required herein shall be of a type used for attachment of personal fall arrest equipment and capable of supporting at least five thousand (5,000 lbs.) Pounds (22.2 kN), and shall be approved by the Fire Department in advance of installation. Anchorages shall be inspected annually and after each use.
3.29 HOOD SYSTEMS AND DUCT-FIRE EXTINGUISHER SYSTEM
B. Requirement. All commercial kitchens and all industrial kitchens shall have at least one (1) adequate hood system and at least one (1) duct fire extinguishment system.
C. Hood System. All hood systems installed or maintained pursuant to this Section must be approved by the Underwriters’ Laboratories, must conform to the requirements of NFPA 96 and be approved by the Bureau.
D. Duct-Fire Extinguishment System. All duct-fire extinguishment systems installed or maintained pursuant to this Section must conform to the requirements of NFPA 96 and be approved by the Bureau.