Title
Amending portions of Title 4, Sub Code "F" of The Philadelphia Code to establish inspection and certification requirements for all smoke control systems and smoke and fire dampers in limited occupancies and amending the periodic testing requirements of fire protection systems; all under certain terms and conditions.
Body
THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA HEREBY ORDAINS:
SECTION 1. Title 4, Subcode F of The Philadelphia Code is amended to read as follows.
TITLE 4. THE PHILADELPHIA BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
AND OCCUPANCY CODE.
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Subcode "F" (The Philadelphia Fire Code)
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CHAPTER 7
FIRE-RESISTANCE-RATED CONSTRUCTION
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SECTION F-703
FIRE-RESISTANCE-RATED CONSTRUCTION
F-703.1 Maintenance. The required fire-resistance rating of fire-resistance-rated construction (including walls, firestops, shaft enclosures, partitions, smoke barriers, floors, fire-resistive coatings and sprayed fire-resistant materials applied to structural members and fire-resistant joint systems) shall be maintained. Such elements shall be visually inspected by the owner annually and properly repaired, restored or replaced when damaged, altered, breached or penetrated. Where concealed, such elements shall not be required to be visually inspected by the owner unless the concealed space is accessible by the removal or movement of a panel, access door, ceiling tile or similar movable entry to the space. Openings made therein for the passage of pipes, electrical conduit, wires, ducts, air transfer openings and holes made for any reason shall be protected with approved methods capable of resisting the passage of smoke and fire. Openings through fire-resistance-rated assemblies shall be protected by self- or automatic-closing doors of approved construction meeting the fire protection requirements for the assembly.
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F-703.1.2 Smoke barriers and smoke partitions. Required smoke barriers and smoke partitions shall be maintained to prevent the passage of smoke. All openings protected with approved smoke barrier doors or smoke dampers shall be maintained in accordance with NFPA 105.
F-703.1.3 Fire walls, fire barriers and fire partitions. Required fire walls, fire barriers and fire partitions shall be maintained to prevent the passage of fire. All openings protected with approved doors or fire dampers shall be maintained in accordance with NFPA 80.
F-703.1.4 Periodic inspection of dampers. Where ready access to required fire dampers, smoke dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers is available, such dampers shall be inspected and certified in accordance with Sections F-703.1.4.1 through F-703.1.4.5 where installed in the following locations:
1. Special Assembly Occupancies, including any exit enclosures providing a means of egress from spaces containing such occupancies.
2. Group I-2 occupancies, including any exit enclosures providing a means of egress from spaces containing such occupancies.
3. Vertical ventilation shafts located within high-rise buildings where the shaft has a minimum fire resistance rating of one-hour.
In this section, ready access shall mean that the damper has been provided with a means of access, which is large enough to permit inspection and maintenance of the damper and its operating parts in accordance with the Building Code at the time of construction.
Exception: This section shall not apply to the inspection of dampers that are part of a smoke control system as regulated by Section F-915.5.
F-703.1.4.1 Inspection methods. Inspection and testing shall be performed to ensure the following:
1. Unobstructed access to the damper shall be verified and corrected as required.
2. An operation test of the damper shall verify that the damper closes and that there is no damper interference due to rusted, bent, misaligned or damaged frame or blades, or defective hinges or parts.
3. The damper frame shall not be penetrated by any foreign objects that would affect fire damper operations.
4. The damper shall not be blocked from closure in any way.
5. The fusible link (if applicable) shall be reinstalled after the completion of the operation testing.
6. If the fusible link (if applicable) is damaged or painted, it shall be replaced with a link of the same size, temperature and load rating.
7.
F-703.1.4.2 Qualifications of Contractors. Any contractor who conducts periodic inspection of required fire dampers, smoke dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers shall be licensed in one of the following categories in accordance with Chapter 9 of The Philadelphia Code:
1. Master Plumber (9-1003)
2. Contractor (9-1004)
3. Fire Suppression System Contractor (9-1005)
4. Electrical Contractor (9-1006)
F-703.1.4.3 Qualifications of Inspectors. Any individual performing periodic inspection of required fire dampers, smoke dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers shall be a Sheet Metal Systems Technician, certified by the Department of Licenses and Inspections pursuant to Chapter 9-3000 of The Philadelphia Code. The Technician shall also hold a certification from the Sheet Metal Industry International Certification Board (ICB) as a Fire Life Safety Level 1 or Level 2 Technician, or a similar certification from an independent personal certification program approved by the Department.
F-703.1.4.4 Frequency. Each fire damper, smoke damper and combination fire/smoke damper with ready access shall be inspected upon initial installation and thereafter every four years, except in Group I-2 occupancies where the frequency shall be every six years.
F-703.1.4.4.1 Initial inspection. The initial inspection and certification of each fire damper, smoke damper and combination fire/smoke damper, installed prior to the effective date of this Ordinance, and regulated by this Section, shall be completed by January 1, 2020.
F-703.1.4.5 Certification reporting. All inspections shall be documented by the Contractor on a certification form established by the fire code official indicating the locations of the fire damper, smoke damper and combination fire/smoke damper inspected, date of inspection, name of inspector and Sheet Metal Technician Certification number of the inspector. The report must be presented by the Contractor to the building owner upon completion, and shall be maintained on the property and made available for inspection upon request by the fire code official. The report shall also be submitted to the Department of Licenses and Inspections who may, by regulation, establish a fee to be paid upon submission of the report.
F-703.1.4.6 Submission of deficiencies. When deficiencies are not corrected within ninety (90) days, the Contractor performing the required inspections and testing shall submit a list of deficiencies that preclude inspection certification of the dampers, in an approved form to the fire code official.
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CHAPTER 9
FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
SECTION 901
GENERAL
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F-901.10 Certification and licensing. No person shall install, alter, repair, service or test fire alarm systems, automatic fire extinguishing systems, smoke control systems or standpipe systems unless that person is certified or licensed as required by the Philadelphia Administrative Code, this code and any regulations issued pursuant thereto.
F-901.10.1. Smoke control systems. Periodic testing of smoke control systems shall be performed by a Sheet Metal Systems Technician, certified by the Department of Licenses and Inspections pursuant to Chapter 9-3000 of The Philadelphia Code and employed by a contractor licensed in one of the following categories in accordance with Chapter 9 of The Philadelphia Code:
1. Master Plumber (9-1003)
2. Contractor (9-1004)
3. Fire Suppression System Contractor (9-1005)
4. Electrical Contractor (9-1006)
F-901.10.1.1 Additional certification required. The Technician performing periodic testing of smoke control systems shall also hold a mechanical system testing certification from the Sheet Metal Industry International Certification Board (ICB) as a Fire Life Safety Level 2 Technician; a similar certification from an independent personal certification program approved by the Department; or certification as an air balancer from one of the following:
1. Associated Air Balance Council (AABC);
2. Testing & Balancing Bureau (TABB);
3. National Environmental Balancing Bureau (NEBB); or
4. National Balancing Council (NBC).
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SECTION 915
PERIODIC TESTING OF FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS
F-915.1 Periodic testing. Fire protection systems, standby/emergency generators and other emergency electrical systems shall be inspected, tested and maintenance performed in accordance with this code and the referenced standards. Annually the owner of each building that contains standby/emergency generators, automatic fire extinguishing systems, standpipe systems, smoke control systems or fire alarm systems shall have such systems certified as operating properly by a person certified or licensed by the Department of Licenses and Inspections to provide such certifications in accordance with Section 901.10. Inspection and testing certification forms shall be maintained on the property and made available for inspection upon the request of a fire code official. The certification form shall be submitted to the Department of Licenses and Inspections who may, by regulation, establish a fee to be paid upon submission of the form. Systems with deficiencies shall be corrected within the annual certification time frame or comply with Section 915.1.1.
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F-915.1.2 [Seal on annual] Submission of certifications. The Department of Licenses and Inspections is authorized to require that [C]certification forms [shall] be [embossed with the impression seal of] submitted to the Department electronically by the company that performed the certification.
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F-915.5 Smoke control systems. The periodic inspection and testing of smoke control systems shall follow the operational testing program established by the system design professional and initiated immediately after the smoke control system passed the acceptance tests required by the Building Code. If such a testing program does not exist, the contractor is authorized to develop one in accordance with generally accepted engineering practice and, where possible, based upon published standards for the existing system.
F-915.5.1 Initial inspection and testing. The initial inspection and testing of each smoke control system, installed prior to the effective date of this Ordinance, and regulated by this Section, shall be completed by January 1, 2020.
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SECTION 2. The provisions of this Ordinance shall become effective immediately.
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Explanation:
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted.
Italics indicate new matter added.
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