15.08.110 Automatic fire sprinkler systems (CBC Chapter 9).
A. Findings. The amendments set forth in this section are reasonably necessary because of the following local geological, topographical and climatic conditions:
1. Marina is within a very active seismic area (Seismic Zone 4). Severe seismic action could disrupt communications, damage gas mains, cause extensive electrical hazards, and place extreme demands on the limited and widely dispersed resources of the fire department resulting in failure to meet the fire and life safety needs of the community.
2. The local geographic, topographic and climatic conditions pose an increased hazard in the acceleration, spread, magnitude, and severity of potential fires in the City of Marina, and may cause a delayed fire response time, allowing further growth of the fire.
3. This section adopts the latest standards currently listed by the state of California Fire Marshals Office for automatic fire protection systems and includes references to the amendments to the standards made in the Uniform Fire Code.
4. The type of automatic fire sprinkler systems set forth in the amendment is a more restrictive standard, which will better prevent fire damage, which can result from local conditions.
B. Cross-References to California Fire Code. The provisions of this chapter contain cross-references to the provisions of the California Fire Code or CFC, 2007 Edition, in order to facilitate reference and comparison to those provisions.
C. Automatic Fire-Extinguishing Systems. The text of CBC 903.2 is deleted and replaced with the following:
An automatic sprinkler system shall be installed in all occupancies.
Exception:
a. When sprinklers are considered undesirable because of the nature of the contents or in rooms or areas which are of noncombustible construction with wholly noncombustible contents and which are not exposed by other areas. Sprinklers shall not be omitted from any room merely because it is damp, of fire-resistive construction or contains electrical equipment.
b. Temporary Buildings under 1000 Sq. ft.
c. Airport control towers.
d. One story detached accessory buildings to a group R-3 dwelling unit.
e. Open parking structure.
f. Sprinklers shall not be installed when the application of water or flame and water to the contents may constitute a serious life or fire hazard, as in the manufacture or storage of quantities of aluminum powder, calcium carbide, calcium phosphide, metallic sodium and potassium, quicklime, magnesium powder and sodium peroxide.
g. Existing mobile home parks within the City regulated by the Department of Housing and Community Development are exempt. Authority, Health and Safety Code, Mobile Home Parks Act, Section 18300.
h. Where the existing conditions would constitute an existing hardship prohibiting the installation of the fire sprinkler system in existing One and Two Family Dwellings. Existing factors constituting the hardship shall be submitted to the Fire Chief for verification and approval. Existing hardship is defined as “an insufficient amount of water at the street side of the water meter.”
D. Standpipes Location of Class I Standpipes (CBC 905.4). The text of CBC 905.4 is deleted and replaced with the following:
There shall be a Class I standpipe outlet connection at every intermediate landing between floor levels at every required stairway above or below grade and each side of the wall adjacent to the exit opening of a horizontal exit. Outlets at stairways shall be located within the exit enclosure.
Risers and laterals of Class I standpipe systems not located within an enclosed stairway or pressurized enclosure shall be protected by a degree of fire resistance equal to that required for vertical enclosures in the building in which they are located.
EXCEPTION: In buildings equipped with an approved automatic sprinkler system, risers and laterals that are not located within an enclosed stairway or pressurized enclosure need not be enclosed within fire-resistive construction.
There shall be at least one outlet above the roofline when the roof has a slope of less than 4 units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33.3% slope).
In buildings where more than one standpipe is provided, the standpipes shall be interconnected at the bottom.
(Ord. 2007-14 § 1 (Exh. A (4)), 2007)