ok here is the whole mess from ICC with links
http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/codes/Pages/09-10cycle.aspx
http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/codes/Documents/2009-10cycle/ProposedChanges/IFC.pdf
F109–09/10
907.2.9 (IBC [F] 907.2.9), 907.2.9.3 (New) [iBC [F] 907.2.9.3 (New)]
Proponent: William Freer, Fire Protection Specialist, NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control
1. Revise as follows:
907.2.9 (IBC [F] 907.2.9) Group R-2. Fire alarm systems and smoke alarms shall be installed in Group R-2
occupancies as required in Section 907.2.9.1 and 907.2.9.2 through 907.2.9.3.
907.2.9.3 ([F] 907.2.9.3) Group R-2 college and university buildings. An automatic smoke detection system that
activates the occupant notification system in accordance with Section 907.6 shall be installed in Group R-2 college and
university buildings in the following locations:
1. Common spaces outside of dwelling units and sleeping units
2. Laundry rooms, mechanical equipment rooms, and storage rooms
3. All interior corridors serving sleeping units or dwelling units.
Required smoke alarms in dwelling units and sleeping units in Group R-2 college and university buildings shall be
interconnected with the fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72.
Exception: An automatic smoke detection system is not required in buildings that do not have interior corridors
serving sleeping units or dwelling units and where each sleeping unit or dwelling unit either have a means of
egress door opening directly to an exterior exit access that leads directly to an exit or a means of egress door
opening directly to an exit.
Reason: This code change would add new requirements to the code. The current code only requires single and multiple station smoke alarms in
new R-2 student housing. Single and multiple station smoke alarms are not required to be connected to a building fire alarm which would evacuate
the building in event of a fire or smoke condition. They are also not required to be in all areas of the building which have been shown to be frequent
areas of ignition. In a study completed by the New York State Governor’s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety it was cited that 43% of fires in college
dormitories are located in dorm rooms or kitchens, leaving the other 57% to be located in areas that would not require smoke detection under the
current code. The study also showed that there were approximately 300 fires on college campus over a 3 year period while only 160 and were
reported to the Fire Department. The Center for Campus Fire Safety reports 99 deaths have been “reported” in fires in student housing since 2000.
An NFPA study on student housing showed 3,300 structural fires in Dormitories, Fraternities, Sororities and Barracks between 2002-2005. Since
1980 there has been an increase of 3% in reported fires in dormitory type occupancies, while there has been a 52% decrease in overall reported
structural fires. New York State has required Fire Alarm and detection system in new dormitories since 2003 and has not had any deaths reported
in these buildings since that change.
Cost Impact: The code change proposal will increase the cost of construction.
Public Hearing: Committee: AS AM D
Assembly: ASF AMF DF
ICCFILENAME: FREER-F2-907.2.9.DOC
http://www.iccsafe.org/cs/codes/Documents/2009-10cycle/FAA/IFC_%20F2-F120.pdf
F109-09/10
907.2.9 (IBC [F] 907.2.9), 907.2.9.3 (New) [iBC [F] 907.2.9.3 (New)]
Proposed Change as Submitted
Proponent: William Freer, Fire Protection Specialist, NYS Office of Fire Prevention and Control
1. Revise as follows:
907.2.9 (IBC [F] 907.2.9) Group R-2. Fire alarm systems and smoke alarms shall be installed in Group R-2
occupancies as required in Section 907.2.9.1 and 907.2.9.2 through 907.2.9.3.
2010 ICC FINAL ACTION AGENDA 893
907.2.9.3 ([F] 907.2.9.3) Group R-2 college and university buildings. An automatic smoke detection system that
activates the occupant notification system in accordance with Section 907.6 shall be installed in Group R-2 college and
university buildings in the following locations:
1. Common spaces outside of dwelling units and sleeping units
2. Laundry rooms, mechanical equipment rooms, and storage rooms
3. All interior corridors serving sleeping units or dwelling units.
Required smoke alarms in dwelling units and sleeping units in Group R-2 college and university buildings shall be
interconnected with the fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72.
Exception: An automatic smoke detection system is not required in buildings that do not have interior corridors
serving sleeping units or dwelling units and where each sleeping unit or dwelling unit either have a means of
egress door opening directly to an exterior exit access that leads directly to an exit or a means of egress door
opening directly to an exit.
Reason: This code change would add new requirements to the code. The current code only requires single and multiple station smoke alarms in
new R-2 student housing. Single and multiple station smoke alarms are not required to be connected to a building fire alarm which would evacuate
the building in event of a fire or smoke condition. They are also not required to be in all areas of the building which have been shown to be frequent
areas of ignition. In a study completed by the New York State Governor’s Task Force on Campus Fire Safety it was cited that 43% of fires in college
dormitories are located in dorm rooms or kitchens, leaving the other 57% to be located in areas that would not require smoke detection under the
current code. The study also showed that there were approximately 300 fires on college campus over a 3 year period while only 160 and were
reported to the Fire Department. The Center for Campus Fire Safety reports 99 deaths have been “reported” in fires in student housing since 2000.
An NFPA study on student housing showed 3,300 structural fires in Dormitories, Fraternities, Sororities and Barracks between 2002-2005. Since
1980 there has been an increase of 3% in reported fires in dormitory type occupancies, while there has been a 52% decrease in overall reported
structural fires. New York State has required Fire Alarm and detection system in new dormitories since 2003 and has not had any deaths reported
in these buildings since that change.
Cost Impact: The code change proposal will increase the cost of construction.
ICCFILENAME: FREER-F2-907.2.9.DOC
Public Hearing Results
Committee Action: Approved as Submitted
Committee Reason: The committee approved the proposal due to the unique hazards that are present in Group R-2 college and university
buildings. More specifically, there are often more common areas than found in other types of Group R-2 occupancies where occupants congregate.
Also it is not uncommon to have activities such as cooking in these common areas.
Assembly Action: None
Individual Consideration Agenda
This item is on the agenda for individual consideration because a public comment was submitted.
Public Comment:
Jeffrey Shapiro, International Code Consultants, representing National Multi Housing Council, requests
Disapproval.
Commenter=s Reason: The justification for approving this proposal failed to consider the inclusion of residential fire sprinkler systems in cited fire
statistics, and it failed to look at whether the existing requirement for manual fire alarm systems adequately addresses the need for a supplemental
evacuation warning.
Of greater concern however, is the lack of consideration for the increased number of alarms that will be associated with placing smoke
detectors in common areas and dorm rooms that will ultimately lead students to ignore the alarm system. Consider that small dorm rooms with
cooking equipment (microwaving popcorn being one example) will take very little time to fill with enough smoke to activate the alarm system.
Finally, there is a concern with respect to defining exactly what constitutes “college and university buildings.” Are these only buildings that are
owned by the school, or do they include off-campus housing. If off-campus housing is included, at what point does the tenant population’s student
percentage cause the building to differ from any other apartment building? Granted, the code already uses this text in Chapter 4 for emergency
planning, but that is a far less ominous requirement to leave vague than what is proposed here.
With all of these concerns and the lack of a comprehensive basis of justification, the proposal should be rejected.
Final Action: AS AM AMPC D
Final action was AS