Mountain View Municipal Code Div. 10 Automatic Sprinklers and Other Life Safety Features

A new subsection 901.6.4 of section 901.6 (Inspection, Testing and Maintenance) is added to the 2025 California Fire Code to read as follows:

901.6.4 Existing systems.

a. Fire alarm and detection systems installed prior to the effective date of this Code shall be maintained per NFPA 72.

b. Inoperable or unserviceable fire alarm systems shall be restored to operable conditions, which are equivalent to their original design and installation.

c. Existing multi-family residential (R-2) occupancies with interior exit corridors containing five (5) or more units shall not be occupied without an operable thermal detection system or equivalent detection system.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 903.2 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

903.2 Where required. Approved automatic sprinkler systems in new buildings and structures, and in existing buildings and structures, shall be provided in the locations described in this Section, or as required in Sections 903.2.1 through 903.2.12 and Sections 903.2.14 through 903.2.21, whichever is more restrictive.

a. New buildings. An approved automatic sprinkler system shall be installed throughout all new buildings and structures.

Exceptions:

1. Buildings and structures that do not exceed one thousand (1,000) square feet of building area. This exception does not apply to residential buildings that require the installation of fire sprinklers in accordance with the California Residential Code, except as noted in Exception a.3 below.

2. Group S-2 or U occupancies that are used exclusively for vehicle parking, which meet all of the following conditions:

i. Noncombustible construction;

ii. Maximum building area does not exceed five thousand (5,000) square feet;

iii. Structure is open on three (3) or more sides; and

iv. Minimum of ten (10) feet of separation from existing buildings, unless the area is separated by fire walls complying with California Building Code Section 706.

3. Accessory dwelling units (ADU) shall not be required to provide fire sprinklers if they are not required for the primary residence on the property. The construction of an accessory dwelling unit shall not trigger a requirement for fire sprinklers to be installed in the existing primary dwelling.

b. Change in Occupancy or Use. Any change in the character of occupancy or in the use of any building with a building area at or over one thousand (1,000) square feet which, as required by the fire code official would place the building into a more hazardous division of the same occupancy group or into a different group of occupancies and constitutes a greater degree of life safety, or increased fire risk, shall require the installation of an approved automatic fire sprinkler system.

1. For purposes of subsection b, the following terms shall mean:

i. "building area" as defined in the California Building Code Section 202;

ii. "life safety" includes, but is not limited to, increased occupant load, public assembly areas, public meeting areas, churches, indoor amusement attractions, buildings with a complex exiting system due to increased occupant loads, and large schools/day-care facilities and large residential care facilities with nonambulatory clients.

iii. "fire risk" includes, but is not limited to, high-piled combustible storage, woodworking operations, hazardous operations using hazardous materials, increased fuel loads (e.g. storage of moderate to highly combustible materials), and increased sources of ignition (e.g. welding, automotive repair with the use of flammable liquids and open flame).

c. Existing nonsprinklered buildings. For existing nonsprinklered buildings, an approved automatic sprinkler system shall be required when additions meet one of the following criteria:

1. Additions equal to or greater than one hundred (100) percent of the existing square footage, inclusive of the cumulative total of all additions in the preceding three (3) years;

2. Additions that increase the total building area to be over four thousand one hundred (4,100) square feet;

3. Additions or alterations where more than fifty (50) percent of the existing building is modified and meets the definition of new construction; or

4. Where any basement is added to a structure.

d. Telecommunication buildings.

Exception: Spaces or areas in telecommunication buildings used exclusively for telecommunications equipment, associated electrical power distribution equipment, batteries not required to have an automatic sprinkler system by Section 1207 for energy storage systems and standby engines, provided that those spaces or areas are equipped throughout with an automatic smoke detection system in accordance with Section 907.2 and are separated from the remainder of the building by not less than 1-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 of the California Building Code or not less than 2-hour horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711 of the California Building Code, or both.

e. Criteria for determining when an automatic fire sprinkler system is required for any building or occupancy. In determining whether an automatic fire sprinkler system is required for any building or occupancy, the fire code official shall use the following criteria:

1. Determine the building area as defined in the California Building Code Section 202, except that eave projections twenty-four (24) inches or less shall not be counted.

2. Multiply the building area as determined herein by the number of stories. A full basement shall be counted as a story, and the floor area of mezzanine(s) shall be added to the building area of the story in which they are located.

3. For the purpose of determining whether automatic fire sprinklers are required in a building, the installation of fire walls and fire barriers will not be considered to create separate buildings.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 903.3.1 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

903.3.1 Standards. Automatic sprinkler systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, unless otherwise permitted by Sections 903.3.1.2 and 903.3.1.3 and other chapters of this code, as applicable, and designed and installed in accordance with city of mountain view standards, provisions, and details as published on the city's website.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 903.3.1.1.4 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

903.3.1.1.4 Solar photovoltaic power systems. Automatic sprinklers shall not be required in the following areas:

1. Solar photovoltaic panel structures with no use underneath. Signs are required, as determined by the fire code official prohibiting any use underneath, including storage.

2. Ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels supported by non-combustible framing that have sufficient uniformly distributed and unobstructed openings throughout the top of the array (horizontal plane) to allow heat and gases to escape, as determined by the fire code official. The solar photovoltaic array shall comply with all of the following requirements:

a. The area within the perimeter of the solar photovoltaic array has maximum rectangular dimension of 40 feet by 250 feet. or as determined by the fire code official;

b. Completely open on all sides (other than necessary structural supports) with no interior partitions;

c. The solar photovoltaic array structure is used only for parking purposes with no storage;

d. The driveway aisle separating the solar photovoltaic array structures has a minimum unobstructed width of 20 feet or 26 feet, depending on the width of the driveway aisle, or as determined by the fire code official; and

e. Minimum 10 feet of separation from existing buildings or other solar photovoltaic array structures.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 905.3 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

905.3 Required installations. Standpipe systems shall be installed where required by Sections 905.3.1 through 905.3.10 and in the locations indicated in Sections 905.4, 905.5 and 905.6. Standpipe systems are required to be combined with automatic sprinkler systems.

Exceptions:

1. Standpipe systems are not required in Group R-2 townhouses.

2. Standpipe systems are not required in Group R-3 occupancies

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 905.3.1 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

905.3.1. Height.

Class III standpipe systems shall be installed in buildings where the floor level of the highest story is located more than 20 feet above the lowest level of the fire department vehicle access or where the floor level of the lowest story is located more than 20 feet below the highest level of fire department vehicle access.

Exceptions:

1. Class I wet standpipes are allowed in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2.

Exception 2 is deleted.

3. a.

Class I wet standpipes are allowed in open parking garages where the highest floor is located not more than 150 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.

b. Class I manual dry standpipes are allowed in open parking garages that are subject to freezing temperatures, provided the hose connections are located as required for Class II standpipes in accordance with Section 905.5.

4. Class I wet standpipes are allowed in basements equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system.

Exception 5 is deleted.

6. In determining the lowest level of fire department vehicle access, it shall not be required to consider either of the following:

a. Recessed loading docks for four vehicles or less; or

b. Conditions where topography makes access from the fire department vehicle to the building impractical or impossible.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 905.3.4 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

905.3.4 Underground buildings and parking garages. Underground buildings and parking garages shall be equipped throughout with a Class I standpipe system.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 905.4 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

905.4 Location of Class I standpipe hose connections. Class I standpipe hose connections shall be provided in all of the following locations:

1. In every required stairway, a hose connection shall be provided for each floor level above or below grade. Hose connections shall be located at each floor-level landing, unless otherwise approved by the fire code official.

Exception is deleted in its entirety.

2. On each side of the wall adjacent to the exit opening of a horizontal exit.

Exception: Where floor areas adjacent to a horizontal exit are reachable from exit stairway hose connections by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose, a hose connection shall not be required at the horizontal exit.

3. In every exit passageway, at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of a building.

Exception: Where the floor areas adjacent to an exit passageway are reachable from exit stairway hose connections by a 30-foot (9144 mm) hose stream from a nozzle attached to 100 feet (30 480 mm) of hose, a hose connection shall not be required at the entrance from the exit passageway to other areas of the building.

4. In covered mall buildings, adjacent to each exterior public entrance to the mall and adjacent to each entrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall. In open mall buildings, adjacent to each public entrance to the mall at the perimeter line and adjacent to each entrance from an exit passageway or exit corridor to the mall.

5. Where the roof has a slope less than 4 units vertical in 12 units horizontal (33.3-percent slope), a hose connection shall be located to serve the roof or at the highest landing of an interior exit stairway with access to the roof provided in accordance with Section 1011.12.

6. Where the most remote portion of a sprinklered or nonsprinklered floor or story is more than 150 feet (45 720 mm) from a hose connection, additional Class I standpipe hose connections shall be provided within one 150 feet of all areas. The distance from a hose connection shall be measured along the path of travel.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 907.2 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

907.2 Where required—New buildings and structures. An approved fire alarm system installed in accordance with the provisions of this code and NFPA 72 shall be provided in new buildings and structures in accordance with Sections 907.2.1 through 907.2.29 and provide occupant notification in accordance with Section 907.5, unless other requirements are provided by another section of this code.

Not fewer than one manual fire alarm box shall be provided in an approved location to initiate a fire alarm signal for fire alarm systems employing automatic fire detectors or waterflow detection devices. Where other sections of this code allow elimination of fire alarm boxes due to sprinklers or automatic fire alarm systems, a single fire alarm box shall be installed at a location approved by the city.

Exceptions 1, 2 and 3 are deleted in their entirety.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 907.6 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

907.6 Installation and monitoring. A fire alarm system shall be installed and monitored in accordance with Sections 907.6.1 through 907.6.6.4, NFPA 72, and city of mountain view standards, provisions, and details as published on the city's website.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 1010.2.6 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

1010.2.6 Stairway doors. Interior stairway means of egress doors shall be openable from both sides without the use of a key or special knowledge or effort.

Exceptions:

1. Stairway discharge doors shall be openable from the egress side and shall only be locked from the opposite side.

2. This section shall not apply to doors arranged in accordance with Section 403.5.3 of the California Building Code.

3. Stairway exit doors shall not be locked from the side opposite the egress side, unless they are openable from the egress side and capable of being unlocked simultaneously without unlatching by all of the following methods, or as approved by the fire code official:

a. Shall be capable of being unlocked individually or simultaneously upon a signal from the fire command center, where present, or a signal by emergency personnel from a single location inside the main entrance to the building, or as directed by the fire code official;

b. Shall unlock simultaneously upon activation of an automatic fire alarm signal when a fire alarm system is present in an area served by the stairway; and

c. Shall unlock upon failure of the power supply to the electric lock or the locking system.

4. Stairway exit doors shall be openable from the egress side and shall only be locked from the opposite side in Group B, F, M and S occupancies where the only interior access to the tenant space is from a single exit stairway where permitted in Section 1006.3.4.

5. Stairway exit doors shall be openable from the egress side and shall only be locked from the opposite side in Group R-2 occupancies where the only interior access to the dwelling unit is from a single exit stairway where permitted in Section 1006.3.4.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 1103.7.6 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

1103.7.6 Group R-2. A manual fire alarm system that activates the occupant notification system in accordance with Section 907.5 shall be installed in existing Group R-2 occupancies more than three stories in height or with more than 16 dwelling or sleeping units. Existing multi-family (Group R-2) occupancies with interior exit corridors containing five (5) or more units shall not be occupied without an operable thermal detection system or equivalent detection system.

Exceptions:

1. Where each living unit is separated from other contiguous living units by fire barriers having a fire-resistance rating of not less than ¾ hour and where each living unit has either its own independent exit or its own independent stairway or ramp discharging at grade.

2. A separate fire alarm system is not required in buildings that are equipped throughout with an approved supervised automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2 and having a local alarm to notify all occupants.

3. A fire alarm system is not required in buildings that do not have interior corridors serving dwelling units and are protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, provided that dwelling units either have a means of egress door opening directly to an exterior exit access that leads directly to the exits or are served by open-ended corridors designed in accordance with Section 1027.6, Exception 3.

4. A fire alarm system is not required in buildings that do not have interior corridors serving dwelling units, do not exceed three stories in height and comply with both of the following:

1.1.

Each dwelling unit is separated from other contiguous dwelling units by fire barriers having a fire-resistance rating of not less than ¾ hour.

1.2

Each dwelling unit is provided with smoke alarms complying with the requirements of Section 907.2.11.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 3206.4 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended to read as follows:

3206.4. Automatic sprinklers. Automatic sprinkler systems shall be provided in accordance with Sections 3207, 3208, 3209 and 903.2 as amended.

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Add a new Section 3313 of Chapter 33 (Fire Safety During Construction and Demolition) to the 2025 California Fire Code to read as follows:

Section 3313 Precautions Against Fire - Firewalls.

When firewalls are required in combustible construction, the wall construction shall be completed immediately after the building is sufficiently weather-protected at the location of the wall(s).

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)

Subsection 3307.1.2 of the 2025 California Fire Code is amended, to read as follows:

3307.1.2. Stairways required. Each level above the first story in new multi-story buildings that require two (2) exit stairways shall be provided with at least two (2) usable exit stairways after the floor decking is installed. The stairways shall be continuous and discharge to grade level. Exit stairs in new and existing occupied buildings shall be lighted and maintained clear of debris and construction materials at all times.

Exception: For multi-story buildings, one of the required exit stairs may be obstructed on not more than two (2) contiguous floor levels for the purpose of stairway construction (i.e., installation of gypsum board, painting, flooring, etc.).

(Ord. No. 9.2025, § 8(Exh. C), 9/9/25.)