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Height of fire alarm

Mr. Inspector

Mr. Inspector

SAWHORSE
Joined
Nov 28, 2009
Messages
4,107
Location
Poconos/eastern PA
I am inspecting a 850,000 sq. ft. building that will be used by a major delivery company with many miles of conveyors on many different levels of platforms and mezzanines. The mezzanines are concrete floor and the platforms and catwalks have a grate and diamond plate floors. Some platforms hang under the mezzanines and some are over the mezzanines and other platforms. In other words this building has a complicated number of different floors and many different heights. How do I check to see the alarms are at the right height?
 
Rick18071 said:
How to I check to see the alarms are at the right height?
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Are you talking about the activator, The manual fire pull?
According to Section 5.13.4 of NFPA 72, mounting height must be between 3½ and 4½ feet from floor to handle.
Section 4.2.5 of the ADA states, “If the clear floor space only allows forward approach to an object, the maximum high forward reach allowed shall be 48 inches. The minimum low forward reach is 15 inches.”
When considering side reach, the mounting height can be up to 54 inches to the handle.
 
Does the ADA dictate the height off the FF or does the IFC or the NFPA?

Seams like there's a lot of numbers being thrown at us inspectors.
 
Walk through during system commissioning and make sure the visual signals are visible from all floor areas. With complicated process buildings like this, building and fire officials cannot be expected to catch this on plan review.
 
Seeing a lot more hotels with exit signs near the floor, will or are any other required emergency devises at that level?
 
You can have wall mount notification
You can have ceiling notification

Just be aware that on the ceiling there is a mx height

So in this case you could do a mix, plus install some walls on the mezzanine levels
 
mark handler said:
Some one can have a reaching disability and not be a chair user....
Who's to say it is not it is "non-accessible"
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Grate flooring was mentioned and it can't be more than 1/2" in accessible areas....It's a stretch, I know...

1103.2.3 Employee work areas. Spaces and elements within
employee work areas shall only be required to comply with
Sections 907.9.1.2, 1007 and 1104.3.1 and shall be designed
and constructed so that individuals with disabilities can
approach, enter and exit the work area. Work areas, or portions
of work areas, that are less than 300 square feet (30 m2)
in area and located 7 inches (178 mm) or more above or
below the ground or finish floor where the change in elevation
is essential to the function of the space shall be exempt
from all requirements.

Wherein some of the platforms may be greater than 300 I think you can still get there, just take me a bit longer to come up with code..
 
steveray said:
.... Work areas, or portions of work areas, that are less than 300 square feet in area and located 7 inches or more above or below the ground or finish floor where the change in elevation is essential to the function of the space shall be exempt from all requirements....
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Not necessarily per ADA. not your call on defining what is a disability is.
 
I was talking about The 2007 NFPA 72 section for visible alarm location:

7.5.4 Appliance Location.
7.5.4.1* Wall-mounted appliances shall be mounted such that
the entire lens is not less than 2030 mm (80 in.) and not
greater than 2440 mm (96 in.) above the finished floor or at
the mounting height specified using the performance-based
alternative of 7.5.4.5.
7.5.4.2 Where low ceiling heights do not permit mounting at
a minimum of 2030 mm (80 in.), visible appliances shall be
mounted within 150 mm (6 in.) of the ceiling. The room size
covered by a strobe of a given value shall be reduced by twice
the difference between the minimum mounting height of
2030 mm (80 in.) and the actual, lower mounting height.

Nothing to do with ADA or accessibility This building has so many complicated floors, platforms, and cat walks at all different heights I'm not sure how to enforce this..
 
Rick18071 said:
I was talking about The 2007 NFPA 72 section for visible alarm location:

7.5.4 Appliance Location.
7.5.4.1* Wall-mounted appliances shall be mounted such that
the entire lens is not less than 2030 mm (80 in.) and not
greater than 2440 mm (96 in.) above the finished floor or at
the mounting height specified using the performance-based
alternative of 7.5.4.5.
7.5.4.2 Where low ceiling heights do not permit mounting at
a minimum of 2030 mm (80 in.), visible appliances shall be
mounted within 150 mm (6 in.) of the ceiling. The room size
covered by a strobe of a given value shall be reduced by twice
the difference between the minimum mounting height of
2030 mm (80 in.) and the actual, lower mounting height.

Nothing to do with ADA or accessibility This building has so many complicated floors, platforms, and cat walks at all different heights I'm not sure how to enforce this..
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They can also do ceiling notification devices.

There is a max height in 72

And can do mix ceiling/wall

So the area can comply with 72. Someone just needs to lay it out
 
What's the occupancy, what is the adopted fire code, and what is the occupant load of said building? Also, what edition of NFPA 72 is the jurisdiction enforcing? And one more question: what's the height of the building from the finished floor to the bottom of the roof deck. Does the building even require a fire alarm system?
 
I have the same question for the same kind of place. 2007 NFPA says the strobe alarms are to be between 80 and 96 inches. Many places in this building they would not to be visible at these heights. Is there a section in this code that let's you have them somewhere else? Would you still need the strobe between 80 and 96 inches but can add more at different heights?
 
Rick18071 said:
I have the same question for the same kind of place. 2007 NFPA says the strobe alarms are to be between 80 and 96 inches. Many places in this building they would not to be visible at these heights. Is there a section in this code that let's you have them somewhere else? Would you still need the strobe between 80 and 96 inches but can add more at different heights?
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Yes will have to look at the book
 
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