Apartment Buildings

Any building containing 3 or more living units with independent cooking facilities.

Must consider edition of NFPA 101.

Divided into NEW and EXISTING.

Since many current laws and regulations prevent fire inspectors from entering individual living units, adequate fire protection features must be designed and constructed during initial stages of the building project.

Fire Protection

1. Buildings without fire suppression or detection
2. Complete protection with fire detection and notification
3. Partially sprinklered
4. Complete automatic sprinkler protection

All new apartment buildings are required to be sprinklered unless:

1. Exit directly outside
2. Direct access to outside stair that serves a max of 2 units per floor
3. Direct access to interior stair serving only that unit & separated by 1 hr. fire resistance door

Smoke detectors MUST be powered by building electrical service in all APT buildings

High Rise

• New Construction
• Auto sprinklers, voice alarm, stand by, emergency lighting & central control room

Inspecting

• Focus on public and common areas
• (corridors, stairs, storage areas, utility areas, building exterior, exits)

Alarm Systems

• 4 or more stories or a building with 11 or more apartment units must have a manual fire alarm system.
• Buildings more than 3 stories high & buildings that contain more than 50 dwelling units are required to have an annunciator panel.

Lighting

• Emergency lighting is required in apartment buildings with more than 12 living units or over 3 stories in height.  Exit signs must be provided, unless the living units have direct access to the outside.

           
INDEX Occupancies

FPT 102 - Fire Prevention and Inspection // Instructor: Kevin M. Kolb        Slide #11