This article shall be the "Rockland County Uniform Fire Prevention
Code."
A.
The intent of this code is to prescribe minimum requirements necessary
to establish a reasonable level of life safety and property protection
from the hazards created by fire and explosion.
B.
This code is designed to supplement and expand upon the requirements
of the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. Should
there be a discrepancy between this code and the New York State Uniform
Fire Prevention and Building Code, the more restrictive provision
shall apply.
Except as provided below, the provisions of this code shall
apply equally to new and existing conditions, except for the requirements
for sprinkler and fire alarm systems in existing premises. The provisions
of this code shall not apply to single-family and two-family dwellings.
The code shall apply to any dwelling(s) which contain three or more
dwellings not separated from each other by a fire wall, which contain
common areas or storage areas for three or more dwelling units or
have heating, furnace, water heater or air-conditioning equipment
which service three or more dwelling units. When existing premises
are renovated, converted or added to, and the cost of such addition,
conversion or renovation equals or exceeds 50% of the replacement
cost of the premises, such premises shall be brought into full compliance
with all provisions of this code. Existing conditions not in strict
compliance with the terms of this code may be permitted to continue
where the exceptions do not constitute a distinct hazard to life or
property. The Board of Appeals shall have the authority to grant a
waiver for the existing condition upon the written application of
the person owning the installation concerned.
The Board of Appeals shall consist of the Fire Inspector, the
Building Inspector, the local Fire Chief(s) and anyone else designated
by the Board of Trustees. All appeals shall be made in writing to
the Bureau of Fire Prevention.
This article shall be enforced by the Fire Inspector, Building
Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer and their deputies.
The Fire Inspector, Building Inspector and/or Code Enforcement
Officer may at all reasonable hours enter any building or premises
for the purpose of making any inspection or investigation which, under
the provisions of this code, may be deemed necessary.
A.
It shall be the duty of the Fire Inspector or Assistant or Deputy
Fire Inspectors to inspect all buildings and premises except single-family
and two-family dwellings as often as may be necessary for the purpose
of ascertaining and causing to be corrected any condition liable to
cause a fire, contribute to the spread of a fire, interfere with fire-fighting
operations or endanger life or any violation of the provisions or
intent of this chapter or any other ordinance or law affecting firesafety.
It is the intent of this section that in structures containing three
or more dwelling units not separated by a fire wall or which contain
common areas for three or more dwelling units or which have heating,
furnace, water heater or air-conditioning equipment which service
more than three dwelling units, that only the common areas, areas
containing such service facilities and common storage areas be inspected.
B.
The Fire Inspector or Assistant or Deputy Fire Inspectors shall investigate
the cause, origin and circumstances of every fire occurring in the
Village of Suffern which is of an unknown cause or of a suspicious
nature or involves the loss of life or injury to persons or has caused
substantial property damage. Such investigation shall be made as soon
as possible upon the occurrence of any such fire and, if it appears
that the fire is the result of arson, the Fire Inspector shall immediately
notify the property authorities designated by law to investigate such
matters.
A.
Adequate exits shall be provided in all buildings, structures and
premises within the Village of Suffern to ensure safe egress in case
of fire or other emergency. The location, number, type and other considerations
of exits shall be provided in accordance with requirements of the
New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the most
current edition of the National Fire Protection Association Life Safety
Code (NFPA 101).
B.
No furnishings, decorations or other objects shall be so placed as
to obstruct exits, access thereto, egress therefrom or visibility
thereof.
C.
Exit lights, emergency lighting and panic hardware shall be provided
in accordance with the requirements listed in Table 1.
All electrical appliances, fixtures and wiring shall be installed
in accordance with the current edition of the National Electrical
Code (NFPA 70). All electrical appliances, fixtures and wiring shall
be maintained so as not to be a fire hazard nor a source of ignition
for combustible or hazardous substances, materials or devices.
Where smoking is considered a fire hazard, the Fire Inspector
or Assistant or Deputy Fire Inspectors shall be authorized to order
the owner in writing to post NO SMOKING signs in conspicuous designated
locations where smoking is prohibited. In areas where smoking is permitted,
noncombustible ash trays shall be provided.
A.
Outdoor fires include all fires burning outdoors with the exception
of fires used to cook food in approved and/or recognized grills or
stoves.
B.
All outdoor fires are prohibited with the exception of live burn
drills conducted by the Fire Department, fires for religious purposes
or for other purposes as specifically approved by the Fire Inspector.
Prior approval from the Rockland County Health Department and a permit
from the Fire Inspector are required for all outdoor fires. Any other
person, firm or corporation starting, maintaining or having control
over an outdoor fire would be in violation of this code.
A.
The Fire Inspector or Assistant or Deputy Fire Inspector, in cooperation
with the Chief of Police and the Fire Chief, is authorized, pursuant
to the authority granted under § 1660-a of the Vehicle and
Traffic Law of the State of New York, to recommend to the Board of
Trustees the establishment of appropriate fire lanes and fire zones
at parking areas, driveways, private streets and roadways of all premises
except one- and two-family dwellings.
B.
Fire lanes shall be provided for all buildings that are set back
more than 100 feet from a public road or exceed 30 feet in height
and are set back 50 feet from a public road. Where buildings are protected
throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system, the provisions
of this section may be modified by the Fire Inspector.
C.
Fire lanes shall not be less than 20 feet of unobstructed width,
able to withstand live loads of fire apparatus and have a minimum
of 13 feet six inches of vertical clearance.
D.
Fire zones and fire lanes shall be marked with freestanding signs
that have the words "no standing — no parking — fire lane
(or zone)" and appropriate yellow pavement markings installed in conformance
with the New York State Uniform Traffic Code requirements.
E.
No motor vehicles shall park, stand or remain unattended in an established
fire zone or fire lane. Fire zones and lanes shall be maintained free
of all obstructions at all times.
A.
When a structure is protected by an automatic fire alarm system or
fire suppression system and access to or within the structure is unduly
difficult because of secured openings and where immediate access is
necessary for lifesaving or fire-fighting purposes, the Fire Inspector
may require a key box to be installed in an approved location.
B.
All new business, mercantile, industrial, storage, assembly, institutional
and three-or-more-story multiple residences constructed, altered or
changed in use after the effective date of this code shall have installed
a key box in an approved location. Such key boxes shall be installed
prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.
C.
The key box shall be of the type approved by the Fire Inspector and,
in order to maintain uniformity throughout Rockland County, order
forms for said key box must be obtained from the Fire Inspector.
D.
The key box shall contain:
(1)
Keys to locked points of ingress, whether on the interior or exterior
of such structures.
(2)
Keys to locked mechanical rooms.
(3)
Keys to locked electrical rooms.
(4)
Keys to elevator controls.
(5)
Keys to other areas as directed by the Fire Inspector or Fire Chief.
(6)
The layout of the building showing the locations of the above.
(7)
Other information as requested by the Fire Inspector or Fire Chief.
A.
Premises identification. New and existing buildings shall have approved
address numbers placed in a position to be plainly legible and visible
from the street or road fronting the property. These numbers shall
contrast with their background. The numbers should be at least four
inches in height and if possible made of a reflective material for
nighttime visibility.
B.
Shaftways to be marked. Every outside opening accessible to the Fire
Department that opens directly on any hoistway or shaftway communicating
between two or more floors in a building shall be plainly marked with
the word "shaftway" in red letters at least six inches high on a white
background; such warning signs shall be so placed as to be readily
discernible from the outside of the building.
C.
Stairway marking. Stairways serving four or more stories shall be
provided with signs indicating floor level, roof access or no roof
access, and reentry locations in accordance with the National Fire
Protection Association Life Safety Code (NFPA 101).
D.
Identification of lightweight construction.
(1)
Upon inspection and identification of a building, other than a one-
or two-family dwelling, of truss, wood I-beam or other lightweight-type
construction, the owner/occupant shall be notified by the Fire Inspector
of the requirements of this code.
(2)
Upon notification, the owner/operator will be required to permanently
affix an approved twelve-inch-by-eighteen-inch reflective truss construction
identification logo on the building. The exact location shall be identified
by the Fire Inspector. The identification logos shall be properly
installed with 10 days of receipt of written notice.
(3)
The Fire Inspector should notify the local Fire Chief of any building
with lightweight construction. This information should be provided
to the Rockland County Fire Control Center to be included in the Rockland
County computer dispatch system data base.
A.
Every person owning or having control of any vacant building shall
remove all combustible waste and refuse therefrom and lock, barricade
or otherwise secure all windows, doors and other openings in the building
to prohibit entry by unauthorized persons.
B.
Buildings that are vacant shall maintain all required and existing
fire detection and suppression systems in service and monitored by
a direct connection to Rockland County Fire Control (44-Control).
[Amended 11-3-2008 by L.L. No. 18-2008]
Where the use of security gates is permitted, such gates shall
provide unobstructed view of at least 50% of the door(s), window(s)
or other building opening which is protected by the security gate
when the security gate is in place.
A.
In accordance with Table I,[1] all buildings and structures occupied for purposes other
than residential buildings with less than six units that exceed 5,000
square feet of total floor area, or a place of assembly with an occupant
load of more than 100 persons, except assembly spaces used expressly
for religious purposes, shall be fully protected by an automatic sprinkler
system.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table I is included at the end of this chapter.
B.
All sprinkler systems shall be installed and maintained in accordance
with the most current edition of the National Fire Protection Association
Standard for Sprinkler Systems (NFPA 13) or the appropriate NFPA Standard
for special occupancies.
C.
All sprinkler system components shall be tested and inspected in
accordance with National Fire Protection Association Standard for
the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection
Systems (NFPA 25). Copies of all service, repair, inspection and testing
reports shall be forwarded to the Fire Inspector within 10 days of
such service, repair, inspection or testing.
D.
In order to ensure that fire fighters utilize the proper siamese
connection, all siamese connections and/or the protective covers installed
on the siamese connection shall be color coded as follows:
A.
All buildings and structures other than one-family and two-family
residences shall be equipped with fire-detection and alarm systems
as described in Table I,[1] with a direct connection to Rockland County Fire Control
(44-Control). A sprinkler system with a water flow device monitored
to immediately send an alarm with a direct connection to Rockland
County Fire Control (44-Control) shall be considered a fire-detection
system.
[1]
Editor's Note: Table I is included at the end of this chapter.
B.
Where a one-hundred-ten-volt (hard-wired) smoke detector is required
to be installed in any building (including a one- or two-family dwelling)
by the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code or
any other applicable regulation, such smoke detector shall be equipped
with a battery backup to ensure operation of the smoke detector in
the event of a power interruption.
C.
All fire detection and alarm systems shall be installed and maintained
in accordance with the most current edition of the National Fire Protection
Association Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72). Copies of all service, repair,
inspection and testing reports shall be forwarded to the Fire Inspector
within 10 days of such service, repair, inspection or testing.
D.
The Fire Inspector shall be notified in writing prior to the installation
of any fire alarm or fire detection system. Such notification shall
consist of plans sufficient to determine compliance with the fire
code.
E.
Fire alarm or fire detection systems shall have an annunciation or
remote located at or near the main entrance of the building. Such
annunciation shall show the location and type of alarm. A floor plan
of the protected premises shall also be provided at this location.
The location of any annunciator or panel not clearly visible upon
entry of the main entrance of a building shall be marked with a sign.
F.
Upon activation of a fire alarm, the persons in charge of a premises
shall cause the premises to be evacuated unless an evacuation plan
preapproved by the Fire Inspector and Fire Department is in place.
In such case the provisions of the plan shall be followed.
G.
No fire system shall be reset from an alarm condition unless approved
by the Fire Inspector or Fire Department Officer-in-Charge. A sign
stating such shall be provided on all fire alarm panels capable of
resetting an alarm.
H.
The owner or responsible party of any premises containing a fire
alarm or fire detection system shall ensure that a qualified technician
is available to respond within two hours of notification to initiate
needed repair or service of the system.
I.
If the fire alarm system signal transmission to the alarm receiving
station is not tested on a daily basis, all dedicated phone lines
used for the purpose of transmitting fire alarm signals shall be equipped
with a visual/audio signal on the exterior of the building to operate
in the event of a line failure or disablement. It shall be the sole
responsibility of the property owner to maintain all dedicated fire
alarm system phone lines active at all times.
Portable fire extinguishers, installed and maintained in accordance
with National Fire Protection Association Standard No. 10, the Standard
for Portable Fire Extinguishers, shall be provided in all occupancies
as required by Table I.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Table I is included at the end of this chapter.
A.
Protection of cooking equipment and ductwork.
(1)
All commercial cooking appliances, exhaust removal systems, ductwork
and related equipment shall be protected by an automatic fire extinguishing
system installed and maintained in compliance with current applicable
National Fire Protection Association Standards.
(2)
These systems shall be inspected by an approved service firm on a
semiannual basis. To ensure proper inspection, a uniform inspection
form, provided by the Fire Inspector, shall be utilized with a copy
of the completed form forwarded to the Fire Inspector within 10 days
of the inspection.
B.
Special extinguishing systems. Wherever deemed necessary for the
protection of a special hazard, the Fire Inspector may require the
installation of a special extinguishing system. Any such special extinguishing
system shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the most
current applicable National Fire Protection Association Standards.
A.
In order to notify responding fire fighters of conditions within
a building or structure equipped with sprinkler systems, fire alarm
systems or containing hazardous materials or other hazards to fire
fighters, identification strobe lights shall be installed on the exterior
of the building as follows:
(1)
Red strobe light: located above the Fire Department siamese connection
of a sprinklered building to indicated activation of the water flow
alarm.
(2)
Yellow strobe light: installed to indicate activation of a pull station,
smoke detector, heat detector or other alarm device.
(3)
Blue strobe light: installed to indicate the presence of hazardous
materials, conditions or other danger to fire fighters.
B.
The exact location of these lights shall be determined by the Fire
Inspector.
Where identification of buildings and structures containing
hazardous materials is required in accordance with the New York State
Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code, the National Fire Protection
Association Hazardous Materials Identification System (NFPA 704) shall
be utilized.
