Fire Sprinkler System Presentation By Harold Stewart City Manager November 17, 2014

Presentation Outline Fire Code History Fire Code Key Factors Required vs. Recommended Upcoming Requirements Staff recommendations for moving forward

Fire Code History In the late 90’s early 2000’s there were three fire codes – Uniform Fire Code (International Council of Building Officials (ICBO)) – International Fire Code (International Code Council (ICC)) – Uniform Fire Code (National Fire Protection Association (NFPA))

Fire Code History con’t Knoxville adopted the 1994 Uniform Fire Code created by the ICBO In 1994 the International Code Council (ICC) was created, which the ICBO was absorbed into. All subsequent versions of the UFC were published by the ICC as the International Fire Code (IFC) The NFPA at this time was participating in the development of the IFC with the ICC but then separated from the group to create its own recommended code, now known as NFPA 1

Fire Code History con’t The ICC also provides the following codes: – International Building Code – International Energy Conservation Code – International Existing Building Code – International Fire Code – International Fuel Gas Code – International Green Construction Code – International Mechanical Code – ICC Performance Code – International Plumbing Code – International Private Sewage Disposal Code – International Property Maintenance Code – International Residential Code – International Swimming Pool and Spa Code – International Wildland Urban Interface Code – International Zoning Code *The ones in bold are adopted by the City of Knoxville

Fire Code History con’t The NFPA provides the following pertinent codes: – NFPA 1: Fire Code – NFPA 13: Installation of Sprinkler Systems – NFPA 101: Life Safety Code – NFPA 70: National Electrical Code *The one in bold is adopted by the City of Knoxville

Fire Code Key Factors New Construction vs. Existing Building Use (Assembly, Residential, Industrial, etc.) Occupancy and Size (how many people and square feet) Construction (paint, walls, carpet, compartmentalization etc.) Egress (ability to get in and out)

Key Factors-New vs. Existing New construction is required to adhere to all aspects of the adopted code Existing buildings in some instances can be required to update, and in others not be required Usually with existing buildings a change in one of the other key factors triggers upgrades to comply with the current code (change in use, expansion, structural change). Remodeling may or may not trigger compliance

Key Factors-Use This and some following slides come from

Key Factors-Use

Key Factors-Use con’t Requirements vary depending on use Mixed uses, such as commercial and residential use in the same building, can trigger additional requirements

Key Factor-Occupancy & Size How many people fit into a building or space is also taken into account (employees, public, etc.) – For Movie Theaters 300 maximum occupancy is the delineation number How many square feet the building and floors are is also evaluated and can trigger requirements

Key Factors-Construction This factor takes into account two key aspects: – Materials of construction: Paints, drywall, fabrics and other materials all have fire ratings and can include flame resistant chemicals This often determines how long the material can resist flames and to what temperature, as well as how quickly it burns once it is ignited Using higher fire rated materials is one alternative in ensuring better safety – Compartmentalization: this relates to how areas of the building is sectioned off with walls and doors and can help or hinder the spread of fire In the case of the Grand Theater the issue of the screens being on two levels is a factor

Key Factors-Egress

Required vs. Recommended Depending on the assessment of key factors the adopted code will require safety improvements In the case of existing buildings sometimes a recommended alternative may result in a safer and more cost effective solution – For example, in the case of the Grand Theater a sprinkler system is not required by the code but could be substituted in place of other required improvements to address egress deficiencies

Upcoming Requirements ICC has indicated that future versions of the IFC will include retroactive requirements for the installation of sprinkler systems into existing buildings, including Movie Theaters It is likely that in the future some commercial uses such as restaurants will also be subject to similar requirements

Staff Recommendations for Moving Forward Recommend adopting the 2009 International Fire Code as published by the International Code Council (ICC) Given the facts that the current movie theater has egress challenges and that the screens are on two different levels, and that sprinklers will be retroactively required in the future: – Staff strongly recommends that a sprinkler system be installed into the movie theater as part of the current renovation and improvement efforts Staff also recommends that Council consider budgeting funding in the upcoming and continuing future budgets to assist with the costs associated with the current recommendation and future required compliance