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 Mt. Pleasant
Sec. 34-1. Fire prevention codes and statutes adopted.
(a) For the purpose of prescribing regulations governing conditions hazardous to life and property from fire or explosion arising from the storage, handling and use of hazardous substances, materials and devices and from conditions hazardous to life and property in the use or occupancy of buildings or premises, and the safeguarding of firefighting personnel as it relates to job requirements, duties, medical and physical conditions, the following orders, rules and regulations of the department of commerce, all of which are set forth in the Wisconsin Administrative Code as amended from time to time, and the Wisconsin Statutes that may apply to the fire service, and the Codes and Standards and Recommended guides as set forth by the National Fire Protection Association as amended from time to time amended, and as they apply to the fire service, are incorporated in this section by reference and adopted as part of this section:
(1) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 7, Explosives and Blasting Agents.
(2) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 10, Flammable and Combustible Liquids.
(3) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 14, Fire Prevention.
(4) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 15, Cleaning and Dying.
(5) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 30, Fire Department Health and Safety Standards.
(6) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 43, Anhydrous Ammonia Code.
(7) Wis. Admin. Code ch. Comm. 66, Multifamily Dwelling: (a) Wis. Stats
(8) NFPA Codes and Standards, Volumes 1–12.
(b) Whenever the provisions of the codes or statutes set forth in subsection (a) of this section conflict, the stricter inte1pretation shall apply.
Sec. 34-122. Installation and maintenance.
Approved automatic fire sprinkler equipment shall be installed and maintained in the following types of facilities:
(4) Government buildings;
Sec. 34-124. Accessory buildings requiring protection.
Approved automatic fire sprinkler equipment shall be installed and maintained in accessory buildings and special principal building areas, as follows:
(1) Garages. In garages, as follows:
a. Garages within, attached to, above or below other occupancies.
b. Garages used as passenger terminals.
(4) Day care centers, including adult day care centers. All day care center, including adult day care center, buildings, regardless of size, shall have complete sprinkler protection throughout as per NFPA 13.
(5) Community based residential facilities (CBRF). All CBRF buildings, regardless of size, shall have sprinkler protection throughout as per NFPA 13.
(6) Theaters and assembly buildings. Theater and assembly buildings shall have sprinkler protection throughout all buildings as per NFPA 13.
(7) Hospitals, nursing, convalescent, old age and other similar institutional buildings. Hospitals, nursing, convalescent, old age and other similar institutional buildings shall have sprinkler protection throughout all buildings of nonfire resistive construction as per NFP A 13.
(8) Schools, colleges and universities. Schools, colleges and universities shall have sprinkler protection throughout all buildings of nonfire resistive construction as per NFPA 13.
(9) Dormitories, fraternities and sorority houses. Dormitories, fraternities and sorority houses shall have sprinkler protection throughout all buildings as per NFPA 13.
(10) Hotels, motels and roominghouses. Hotels, motels and roominghouses shall have sprinkler protection throughout all buildings of nonfire resistive construction as per NFPA 13.
(11) Commercial, industrial and institutional garages and service centers. Any commercial, industrial and institutional garage and service center building with a total area of 3,000 square feet or greater shall have sprinkler protection. NFPA 13 shall apply.
Sec. 34-125. Buildings with high hazard occupancy requiring protection.
When it is expected there will be a high hazard occupancy, approved automatic fire suppression equipment shall be installed and maintained in newly constructed buildings, including, but not limited to:
(1) Aircraft hangers;
(2) Chemical works and/or storage facilities;
(3) Dry cleaning establishments using or storing gasoline or other volatile flammable liquids;
(4) Enameling or Japanning operations;
(5) Explosive and pyrotechnics manufacturing;
(6) Manufacture and storage of pyroxylin products;
(7) Oil refineries;
(8) Paint and varnish manufacturing, storing, handling, spraying and other related operations;
(9) Paint stripping establishments;
(10) Smokehouses;
(11) Storage of explosive gases under pressure (15 psi and over 5,400 cubic feet), such as acetylene, hydrogen and natural gas;
(12) Storage of materials with a flash point under 200 degrees Fahrenheit, such as celluloid products, kerosene, etc.;
(13) Sugar, starch, cereal, feed, hay, flour and grist mills;
(14) Woodworking and other such establishments with combustible dust.
Sec. 34-126. Additions, remodeled buildings and change of use.
All public buildings or places of employment existing on the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived and all additions shall conform to this article, as follows:
(1) More than 50 percent remodeled or added. If more than 50 percent of the gross area of a building is remodeled and/or added, the entire building shall be in conformance with the requirements of this article.
(4) Total percentages added together. If percentages remodeled or added are done from the date of the ordinance from which this article is derived forward, all percentages are added together every time to get the total percentages remodeled or added.
(5) Change of use. If the use of a building existing on the date of the ordinance from which this article is derived is changed to a new use, the building shall be made to comply with this chapter.
Sec. 34-128. Method of installation.
(a) Approved fire suppression systems shall be installed in accordance with current National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards and/or recommended practices which are applicable.
(b) All fire sprinkler systems shall use hydrant water flow test data which is dated no more than six months prior to the submission of the sprinkler plans for review. The data shall be obtained during peak water demand conditions, and conducted in such a manner that it represents true orientation (direction of flow) of the supply to the system being designed.
(2) A system of heat and smoke detectors, monitored 24 hours per day, shall be installed.
(3) Within 90 days after a municipal water supply becomes available, the sprinkler system shall be connected to the municipal water supply.
(c) All sprinkler system designs shall be based on no more than 90 percent of the available water supply. A minimum safety factor of ten percent shall be maintained.
(d) All fire suppression systems shall be installed in accordance with all applicable state codes.
(e) The location of all fire department connections shall be approved by the fire chief.
(f) Audible alarm bells are required inside and outside of all buildings.