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Is a fire sprinkler flow alarm bell intended to be an "emergency warning system" for residents, or is it intended as an aid for firefighters, maintenance or other personnel?
The answer will help me solve an accessibility issue.
BACKGROUND:
A proposed apartment development has multiple separate buildings with about 8 dwelling units per building.
The buildings have no corridors (each apartment exits directly to the exterior), and no common areas.
Thus there is no building-wide fire alarm system, only the typical individual smoke detector alarms inside each dwelling unit, interconnected only to the other detectors in the unit.
There is an NFPA 13R sprinkler system at each building, so each building has its own flow alarm bell mounted on an exterior wall.
The owner is considering accepting federal funds for development, which triggers compliance with UFAS and the HUD Deeming Notice.
UFAS 4.1.2 item (13) states: "If emergency warning systems are provided, then they shall include both audible alarms complying with 4.28.2 and visual alarms complying with 4.28.3. In facilities with sleeping accommodations, the sleeping accommodations shall have an alarm system complying with 4.28.4."
4.28.4 states: "Auxiliary alarms:. Accessible sleeping accommodations shall have a visual alarm connected to the building emergency alarm system or shall have a standard 110-volt electrical receptacle into which such an alarm could be connected. Instructions for use of the auxiliary alarm or connection shall be provided."
Question: is the flow alarm bell considered an "emergency warning system" that would trigger strobes in all of the apartment bedrooms?
This leads me back to my original question at the top: Is the flow alarm bell intended to be an emergency warning for residents, or is it intended as an aid for firefighters?
The answer will help me solve an accessibility issue.
BACKGROUND:
A proposed apartment development has multiple separate buildings with about 8 dwelling units per building.
The buildings have no corridors (each apartment exits directly to the exterior), and no common areas.
Thus there is no building-wide fire alarm system, only the typical individual smoke detector alarms inside each dwelling unit, interconnected only to the other detectors in the unit.
There is an NFPA 13R sprinkler system at each building, so each building has its own flow alarm bell mounted on an exterior wall.
The owner is considering accepting federal funds for development, which triggers compliance with UFAS and the HUD Deeming Notice.
UFAS 4.1.2 item (13) states: "If emergency warning systems are provided, then they shall include both audible alarms complying with 4.28.2 and visual alarms complying with 4.28.3. In facilities with sleeping accommodations, the sleeping accommodations shall have an alarm system complying with 4.28.4."
4.28.4 states: "Auxiliary alarms:. Accessible sleeping accommodations shall have a visual alarm connected to the building emergency alarm system or shall have a standard 110-volt electrical receptacle into which such an alarm could be connected. Instructions for use of the auxiliary alarm or connection shall be provided."
Question: is the flow alarm bell considered an "emergency warning system" that would trigger strobes in all of the apartment bedrooms?
This leads me back to my original question at the top: Is the flow alarm bell intended to be an emergency warning for residents, or is it intended as an aid for firefighters?
