Chapter 9 — FIRE-PROTECTION SYSTEMS.

901.8.3. Subsurface Construction.

Any person performing any subsurface work in close proximity or adjacent to any valve, gate, hydrant, main, street cistern, or other part of the auxiliary water supply system (high pressure system), any hydrant, hydrant piping, or hydrant gate valve connected to the mains of the San Francisco Water Department shall comply with all Fire Department regulations and specifications, which are on file with the Department of Public Works B ur eau of Engineering.

The following definition shall be added to Section 902.1 of the California Fire Code:

[For SF] CERTIFICATED FIRE ALARM SYSTEM is a fire alarm system for which a serially numbered certificate has been issued to the property owner by an organization that is part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program. The certificate is a tool for assuring the reliability of fire alarm systems and is the alarm company’s declaration that the system will be installed, maintained, tested and monitored in accordance with the applicable codes and standards. San Francisco Fire Department Administrative Bulletin 3.03 c on tains details of the fire alarm certification program.

Table 903.2.11.6. Add a new line to the Table as follows:

TABLE 903.2.11.6. – ADDITIONAL REQUIRED FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS.

903.3.6.1. Fire Department Hose Connection Type.

Fire Department Connections (FDC) shall have 3-inch national standard hose threads.

903.3.10. Installation Personnel Qualifications.

Contractors and personnel installing life safety equipment in San Francisco including, but not limited to, sprinkler systems, standpipes, and other automatic extinguishing systems must possess a valid current C-16 (fire protection) contractor license issued by the California Contractors State

License Board (CA-CSLB). The SFFD does not approve or accept work of the types listed above conducted by persons or companies known not to hold the required license. Employees of companies hired to work on these life safety systems are also required to maintain a valid current Fire Sprinkler Fitter Certificate (sprinkler/standpipes) issued by the CA Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL-OSFM).

903.5.1. Testing, and Maintenance Personnel Qualifications.

Contractors and personnel testing, maintaining, or repairing life safety equipment in San Francisco, including, but not limited to, sprinkler systems, standpipes, or other automatic extinguishing systems, must possess a valid current C-16 (fire protection) contractor license issued by the California Contractors State License Board (CA-CSLB). The SFFD does not approve or accept work of the types listed above conducted by persons or companies known not to hold the required license. Employees of companies hired to work on these life safety systems are also required to maintain a v al id current Fire Sprinkler Fitter Certificate (sprinkler/standpipes) issued by the CA Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL-OSFM).

The following San Francisco Fire Code section replaces the corresponding California Fire Code section:

904.13.5.2. [For SF] Extinguishing System Service.

Automatic fire-extinguishing systems shall be serviced at least every 6 months and after activation of the system. Inspection shall be by qualified i nd ividuals per Section 903.5.1, and the owner shall maintain the certificate of inspection on site for at least 1 year following the inspection.

905.2.1. Local Installation Standard.

Standpipe systems shall be installed using 3-inch (76.2 mm) national standard hose thread. Each standpipe outlet shall be placed to provide a minimum of six inches on all sides of the handle and 18 inches on all sides of the outlet or located as approved by the fire code official.

The following San Francisco Fire Code section replaces the corresponding California Fire Code section:

905.3.4. [For SF] Stages.

Stages greater than 1,000 square feet in area (93 m2) [1] shall be equipped with a Class III wet standpipe system with 1-1/2-inch and 3-inch (38 mm and 76.2 mm) hose connections on each side of the stage.

CODIFICATION NOTE

1. So in Ord. 248-22.

905.3.12. Buildings with Limited Fire Department Access.

Horizontal and/or vertical Class I standpipes shall be installed and maintained in any building, regardless of height, in which, in the opinion of the fire code official, standpipes are necessary to make those connections available to firefighters.

905.4.3. Local Requirement for Location of Class I Standpipe Hose Connections.

There shall be at least one two-way outlet above the roofline when the roof has a slope of less than 4 units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33.3% sl op e).

907.1.6. Installation Personnel Qualifications.

Contractors installing any life safety equipment in San Francisco including, but not limited to, fire alarms, elevator recall systems, and sprinkler monitoring systems, must possess a valid current C-10 (electrical) contractor license issued by the California Contractors State License Board (CACSLB). The SFFD does not approve or accept work of the types listed above conducted by persons or companies known not to hold the required license. Employees of companies hired to work on life safety systems are required to maintain a valid current Electrician Certificate (fire alarms) issued by the CA Department of Industrial Relations (CA-DIR).

The following parts of the San Francisco Fire Code section replace the corresponding parts of the California Fire Code section:

907.2.9.1. [For SF] Manual fire alarm system.

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3. The building contains more than 6 dwelling units or sleeping units.

4. Congregate living facilities or congregate residences three or more stories in height or having an occupant load of 11 or more.

Exceptions:

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907.2.11.9. Smoke Alarm Information Disclosure.

(a) Annual Smoke Alarm Information Notice. On or before January 31, 2017, and on or before January 31 of each year thereafter, owners of a dwelling unit intended for human occupancy in which one or more units is rented or leased shall provide each tenant with a written notice regarding smoke alarm requirements on a form provided by the Fire Department. The Fire Department shall develop the notice in consultation with the Department of Building Inspection and shall make the notice available on its website in English, Spanish, and Chinese. The Fire Department shall update the notice as necessary from time to time to reflect changes in the law, and the owner shall provide the most recent notice to tenants. The notice shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:

(1) information regarding the importance of maintaining smoke alarms in working condition for life safety;

(2) a brief summary of legal requirements for smoke alarms in dwelling units;

(3) a statement that the landlord is obligated to provide operable smoke alarms in good working condition in the dwelling unit in accordance with the Housing Code and Fire Code and the landlord must promptly repair or replace inoperable smoke alarms upon request; and

(4) attached as a separate appendix to the notice, a list, to be prepared by the Rent Board, of tenants’ rights organizations that provide counseling to tenants on issues related to fires, and contact information [or [1] those organizations.

(b) Posting Requirement. For all Apartment Houses as defined in the Housing Code, the building owner shall post the notice referenced in subsection (a) in at least one conspicuous location in a common area of each floor of the building.

CODIFICATION NOTE

1. So in Ord. 248-22.

907.6.4.1.1.1. Local Annunciation Requirement.

Building fire alarm systems shall include visible annunciation in buildings with more than four floors, or when required by the fire code official. Visible annunciation shall be a light-emitting diode (LED) type display. The annunciator panel shall indicate the type of device by floor, zone or other approved designation from which the signal originated.

907.6.4.1.1.2. Graphic Annunciation.

Graphic annunciation shall be installed when required by the fire code official.

The following part of the San Francisco Fire Code section is added to the corresponding California Fire Code section:

907.6.4.3. [For SF] High-rise Buildings Zoning Annunciator Panel.

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6. Status of emergency equipment such as the emergency generator, fire pump, and secondary water supply. Shall comply with San Francisco Fire Department Administrative Bulletin 3.01.

907.7.4. Fire Alarm Certification Required.

All new fire alarm systems shall be certificated. Fire alarm systems providing service that complies with all requirements of this code shall be certificated by an organization that is part of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory Program. A document attesting to the certification shall be located on or near the fire alarm system control unit or, if no control unit exists, on or near a fire alarm system component.

Exceptions:

1. Household fire-warning systems and fire alarm systems in one- or two-family dwellings or three-unit apartment houses.

2. Fire alarm control units whose primary function is to monitor a sprinkler system or other dedicated function fire alarm systems.

The following San Francisco Fire Code section replaces the corresponding California Fire Code section:

907.8.4. [For SF] Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance.

(a) Testing, Inspection and Filing Requirements. The building owner is responsible to maintain the fire and life safety systems in an operable condition at all times. The building owner must have the system(s) tested and inspected every year by service personnel who meet the qualification requirements of Section 907.8.8 and NFPA 72, as amended from time to time, for maintaining, inspecting, and testing of the systems.

and Filing Requirements.** The building owner is responsible to maintain the fire and life safety systems in an operable condition at all times. The building owner must have the system(s) tested and inspected every year by service personnel who meet the qualification requirements of Section 907.8.8 and NFPA 72, as amended from time to time, for maintaining, inspecting, and testing of the systems.

(1) Filing Statement of Compliance. With regard to fire alarm systems in Apartment Houses, as defined in the Housing Code, the building owner shall file a Statement of Compliance with this annual testing and inspection requirement with the Fire Department, on a form provided by the Fire Department, in accordance with the following schedule: (A) for buildings with nine or more units, on or before January 31, 2017, and thereafter on or before January 31 of each odd-numbered year, and (B) for buildings with less than 9 nine units, on or before January 31, 2018, and thereafter on or before January 31 of each even-numbered year. The Fire Department shall consult with the Department of Building Inspection in developing the Statement of Compliance form. The Fire Department shall post all Statements of Compliance it receives on a City website maintained by the Fire Department no later than 60 days from January 31 each year.

(2) Posting Statement of Compliance in Common Area. In addition to filing the Statement of Compliance, the building owner shall post a copy of the most recently filed Statement of Compliance in at least one conspicuous location in a common area of each floor of the building or, if no such common area(s) exist, the building owner shall provide a copy to each residential tenant in the building. The building owner shall comply with this requirement no later than 60 days from the date of filing of the Statement of Compliance.

(3) Enforcement. For purposes of enforcement of this subsection (a), the Fire Department shall be responsible only for posting the Statement of Compliance forms on the City website, and the Fire Department and/or the Department of Building Inspection shall respond to any complaint received by the respective department pertaining to compliance with this subsection in the case of the Fire Department, or compliance with Section 908 of the Housing Code in the case of the Department of Building Inspection. The Departments may also enforce these requirements pursuant to periodic health and safety inspections required by code.

(b) Recordkeeping. The building owner shall maintain written records of inspection and testing, as specified in NFPA 72, as amended from time to time, until the next test and for one year thereafter.

(c) Sticker. The building owner shall place, or shall cause service personnel to place, a sticker on the exterior of the fire alarm control panel cover that includes the company name, phone number, C10 license number, the type of last inspection or test, technician name (printed and legible), and the date of service.

907.8.6. Certificated Fire Alarm Systems for Existing Buildings.

Existing buildings are required to have certificated fire alarm systems in accordance with San Francisco Fire Department Administrative Bulletin 3.03.

907.8.7. Reporting of Fire Alarm System Operational Matrix.

All fire alarm inspection and testing reports for high-rise buildings shall clearly state how the fire alarm system’s matrix was designed and approved to operate. The report shall indicate if the system is designed as a Full Evacuation System (all floors are notified and shall evacuate), a Partial Evacuation System (only some floors are notified of the alarm and must evacuate), or as a Relocation System (only some floors are notified and asked

to relocate to another floor within the same building). The report shall indicate which floors are designed for the full evacuation of occupants and on which floors the occupants shall relocate to another floor. High-rise evacuation and relocation procedures shall comply with San Francisco Fire Department Administrative Bulletin 3.05.

907.8.8. Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance Personnel Qualifications.

Personnel inspecting, repairing, or testing any life safety equipment in San Francisco including, but not limited to, fire alarms, elevator recall systems, and sprinkler monitoring systems, must possess a valid current C-10 (electrical) contractor license issued by the California Contractors State License Board (CA-CSLB). The SFFD does not approve or accept work of the types listed above conducted by persons or companies known not to hold the required license. Employees of companies hired to work on life safety systems are also required to maintain a valid current Electrician Certificate (fire alarms) issued by the CA Department of Industrial Relations (CA-DIR) [1]

CODIFICATION NOTE

1. So in Ord. 248-22.

The following San Francisco Fire Code section replaces the corresponding California Fire Code and International Fire Code sections:

909.4. [For SF] Analysis.

A rational analysis supporting the types of smoke control systems to be employed, the methods of their operations, the systems supporting them, and the methods of construction to be utilized, shall accompany the construction documents submission and include, but not be limited to, the items described in Sections 909.4.1 through 909.4.8.

909.4.8. Active and Passive Zones.

The design of the smoke control system may incorporate rooms or areas designated as either active zones or passive zones. A passive zone shall be defined as any room/area that uses compartmentation only to prevent smoke migration and does not utilize the methods prescribed under Sections 906, 907, and 908. An active zone shall be defined as any room/area that uses any of the methods prescribed under Sections 906, 907, and 908. Passive zones shall be enclosed by smoke barriers or smoke partitions unless the analysis required by Section 909.4 provides technical justification for the omission of smoke barriers and/or smoke partitions. The fire code official may require a tenability analysis where the design of the smoke control system incorporates passive zones in rooms/areas that would normally be designed as active zones, or where a building that is required to be protected by a smoke control system complying with Section 909 is designed with most or all rooms/areas arranged as passive zones. The tenability analysis shall demonstrate that tenability is maintained within the means of egress and within zones other than the zone of fire origin for the duration required b y Section 909.4.6.

SECTION 912 – FIRE DEPARTMENT CONNECTIONS.

912.8. Number of connections required.

Sprinkler systems requiring a 4-inch (101.6 mm) or larger water service shall have two or more inlet connections as necessary to meet hydraulic d em and.

SECTION 913 – FIRE PUMPS.

913.2.3. Integrity of the fire pump room.

The integrity of the fire pump room shall not be compromised. All non-fire pump related equipment, piping, drains, electrical equipment, and electrical services shall not be routed through or located within the fire pump room. Examples include, but are not limited to:

1. Non-fire water system piping

2. Domestic water equipment and piping

3. Drain piping

4. HVAC equipment, ducts, fans, and piping

5. Boilers or furnaces, fuel equipment, and piping (unless feeding a diesel fire pump motor)

6. Electrical equipment and service (e.g. transformers and switchgear)

The following San Francisco Fire Code section replaces the corresponding California Fire Code section:

914.3.1.1. [For SF] Number of Sprinkler System Risers and System Design.

Each zone of any sprinkler system shall connect to at least two risers on each floor. Hydraulic calculations shall be based solely on the riser with the greatest hydraulic demand.

914.3.1.2.2. Fire pump drives.

The drive for each pump (including power sources, power supply lines, motors or engines, fuel supplies, and controllers) shall be independent of the drive for any other pump.

914.3.1.3. Fire Department Connections.

A Fire Department connection shall be located on each side of a building that fronts a street, and shall provide four inlets for each connection.

914.3.2.1. Integrity of fire water storage tank.

The integrity of any fire water storage tank shall not be compromised. Any non-fire water related system piping, electrical wiring, or drain piping shall not be routed through or located within a fire water storage tank. Examples include, but are not limited to:

1. Domestic water lines

2. Sanitary sewer lines

3. Electrical conduit

914.3.2.2. Tank overflow line and drain routing.

Any tank overflow line or drain line shall be routed to a remote drain that is designed to handle the maximum flow without flooding or damaging the fire pump room, its equipment, or any other room in the building. The routing shall not be located in a fire pump room.

914.3.2.2.1. Drain ejector pumps (Sump Pumps).

Drain ejector pumps shall be permitted to manage fire water tank overflow. Ejector pumps are only to be used when gravity drainage is not available (CPC 709.1). Where overflow lines route to a drain-ejector pump, the following shall apply:

1. Redundant or backup drain ejector pump(s) shall be provided.

2. All drain ejector pumps shall be installed in a remote location approved by the Fire Department and shall not be located inside or near a fire

pump room.

3. All drain ejector pumps shall be sized and rated for the maximum fill flow rate of the water tank.

4. All drain ejector pumps shall be provided with approved emergency/standby power.

5. All drain ejector pumps shall discharge to a safe location that will not subject any portion of the building to flooding.

914.12. Piers.

Group A and F occupancies located on piers of combustible construction shall be protected by approved automatic sprinkler systems.