ICC eNews


	Committee's Year-Long Effort Produces 2015 IFC Changes By Marc Sampson Fire Protection Engineer Longwood, Colo., Department of Public Safety The outcome of work by ICC's Fire Code Action Committee (FCAC) has moved forward to become part of the 2015 I-Codes, but the process to produce these results started more than a year ago and involved many hours of group effort and focus. Beginning in November 2012, the FCAC started its work on code change proposals for the Group B codes. These proposals were the product of input by the fire service and the four Regional Work Groups (RWG). The result of these meetings involved the FCAC submitting 64 proposed changes for the 2015 International Fire Code (IFC). In March 2013, the FCAC assembled in Chicago for a two-day meeting to review all fire-related code changes, formulate a position for each code change, and assign FCAC members to provide testimony for all FCAC-authored code changes and opposition to code changes FCAC members thought would lessen life safety requirements to the I-Codes. The code changes were presented at the April 2013 Group B Committee Action Hearings in Dallas. Members of the FCAC and RWGs collaborated with code officials and other stakeholders from around the world to establish a productive working relationship and sense of trust in what FCAC was trying to accomplish. That working relationship effort succeeded as only nine of the 64 proposed code changes were denied in the Dallas hearings. Last June, the FCAC reassembled in Chicago to develop public comments on the unsuccessful code changes to submit prior to the public comment period deadline. In early October, during the Group B Public Comment Hearings in Atlantic City which were held in conjunction with ICC's 2013 Annual Conference, two of the nine FCAC proposals that were denied in Dallas were overturned and approved with the public comments submitted by FCAC. Proposals that were successful (approved AS, AM or AMPC) for the 2015 IFC include:

	F9–13 Addresses nuisance fire ignitions requiring fire department response F15–13 Addresses vehicle impact protection (posts and other barriers) F24–13 Addresses training and duties for crowd managers F25–13 Addresses an editorial revision to better organize IFC Chapter 4 F43–13 Addresses requirements to improve building address identification F47–13 Addresses unnecessary storage in Fire Command Centers F53–13 Addresses requirements for Emergency and Stand-by Power systems; added definitions F56–13 Addresses an editorial revision to better organize IFC 604.2 (sections in alphabetical order) F59–13 Addresses emergency power requirements for voice/alarm communication systems F62–13 Addresses requirements for Solar Photovoltaic systems F91–13 Addresses requirements for prevention of grease accumulation/cleaning of cooking exhaust hoods F93–13 Addresses requirements for tags on kitchen hood or duct systems (re; cleaning) F97–13 Addresses correlation of fire resistance requirements with IBC F115–13 Addresses minimum size of fire pump rooms F124–13 Addresses egress requirements for rooftop assembly uses F128–13 Addresses definition for Commercial Motor Vehicle F138–13 Addresses maximum number of sprinkler heads for limited area sprinkler systems F141–13 Addresses requirements for fire department connections F144–13 Addresses recognition of water MIST systems as an automatic fire-extinguishing system F158–13 Addresses requirements for voice/alarm communication systems in Educational occupancies F163–13 Addresses allowance of building fire alarm system smoke detectors as an alternative to single and multiple-station smoke alarms F173–13 Addresses requirements for monitoring of a fire alarm system F174–13 Addresses requirements to mandate point addressable fire alarm systems F180–13 Addresses an editorial revision to better organize carbon monoxide detector requirements into new section of the IFC F199–13 Address clarification of explosion venting requirements F213–13 Addresses requirements for historic buildings to develop a fire protection plan (adds reference to NFPA 914-1o Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures) F223–13 Addresses requirements for retroactive automatic fire sprinkler installation in high-rise buildings F235–13 Addresses egress requirements for “stepped aisle and aisle stair to correlate with IBC F266–13 Addresses what is considered a temporary structure F268–13 Addresses structural requirements for temporary structures F280–13 Addresses a prohibiting of pipe cleaning with flammable gasses F281–13 Addresses clarification to standpipe requirements in buildings under construction or demolition F282–13 Addresses safety requirements for hot work on flammable and combustible liquid storage tanks F292–13 Addresses correlation of IFC Table 5003.1.1(1) and (2) with IBC Table 307.1(1) and 307.1(2) F298–13 Addresses correlation of IFC and IBC emergency and stand-by power requirements F310–13 Addresses requirements for liquid carbon dioxide soda systems F312–13 Addresses correlation of explosive materials requirements with DOT regulations F337–13 Addresses modifications to IFC Appendix C (Fire Hydrant Locations and Distribution) F339–13 Addresses modifications to IFC Appendix D (Fire Apparatus Access F340–13 Addresses modifications to IFC Appendix B F346–13 Addresses addition of new IFC Appendix (Requirements for Firefighter Air Replenishment Systems) F347–13 Addresses addition of new IFC Appendix (High-rise Buildings – Retroactive Automatic Sprinkler Requirement) G7–13 Addresses deletion of terminology no longer necessary in IFC G17–13 Addresses clarification of IBC and IFC requirements for emergency and stand-by power in H Occupancies F359–13 Addresses requirements to reduce nuisance alarms attributed to improper location of smoke Alarms F360–13 Addresses clarification of requirements for installation of Carbon Monoxide Alarms, includes retroactive requirements for specific R and I Occupancies One item of interest: F13-13 Prohibits "Sky Lanterns" As Modified by a Fire-CAC Public Comment

	Unsuccessful proposals were as follows:

	F16-13 Addresses combustible storage in corridors F17-13 Addresses combustible storage in rooms or areas exempted from fire sprinkler coverage F21-13 Addresses fire alarm verification when approved by the Fire Chief F23-13 Addresses requirements for crowd managers at 250 persons F63-13 Addresses requirements for Solar Photovoltaic systems F98-13 Addresses maintenance requirements for fire and smoke barriers F116-13 Addresses notification requirements for fire protection systems that are out of service F162-13 Addresses requirements for testing, maintaining and replacing smoke alarms F176-13 Addresses fire alarm verification when approved by the Fire Chief F178-13 Addresses requirements for problematic fire alarm systems F222-13 Addresses requirements for retroactive automatic fire sprinkler installation in A-2 Occupancies F245-13 Addresses clarification of requirements to mitigate hazards associated with combustible dust F322-13 Addresses requirements for liquid biofuels G6-13 Addresses requirements for hazardous material use and storage