Fire Code

Fire Code Enforcement

by Michael O'Brian on March 11, 2011

What’s “Right” and What’s “Wrong”?

A special guest post by Jon Nisja

Editor’s note: the opinions and views expressed in this article are the those of the author; they do not represent the opinions and/or views of this association or the author’s employer.

I am starting my 29th year in fire code enforcement. I started doing fire prevention inspections in late- 1982. Like many careers, after a while you begin to look back and reflect on things you have seen happen and where you perceive that things are heading.

For the record I wish to categorically state that I strongly believe in fire codes and fire code inspections. I feel it necessary to make this statement as you may be tempted to think otherwise as you read this article. I am certain that a few of my fire code enforcement counterparts will consider some of my comments to be blasphemous.

It is my sincere belief that fire codes have saved thousands and potentially hundreds of thousands of lives over the years. This is evidenced by the reduction in annual fire deaths from 12,000-plus to under 4,000 in the past three decades at the same time that the population has almost doubled in this country.

While we [click to continue…]

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Needed Fire Flow

by Michael O'Brian on April 5, 2009

How Many Hydrants do you Need?

Needed fire flow is a requirement that is typically enforced during site plan approval.  Communities adopted procedures for determining how much water is needed during a fire emergency.

IFC 508.1 States:

An approved water supply capable of supplying the required fire flow for fire protection shall be provided to premises upon which facilities, buildings or portions of buildings are hereafter constructed or moved into or within the jurisdiction.

NFPA 1, 18.3.1 (2009 edition)

An approved water supply capable of supplying the required fire flow for fire protection shall be provided to all premises upon which facilities, buildings, or portions of buildings are hereafter constructed or moved into the jurisdiction.

If the community has adopted the appendix B and C of the IFC (Section 18.4 of NFPA 1), there are specific [click to continue…]

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