Current through August 30, 2024
(a) A company
designing, installing, testing, or maintaining fire alarm signaling systems or
automatic fire suppression systems must employ sufficient personnel who hold
valid permits in the appropriate classifications under this section to provide
direct oversight and supervision of work being performed on the fire systems. A
professional mechanical or electrical engineer registered under AS 08.48, who
has relevant system design experience, and the company that employs that
engineer are exempt from the permit requirements of this section for system
design. A plumber holding a certificate of fitness under AS 18.62 and certified
by the manufacturer of the system may perform multi-purpose residential
suppression system installations conforming to NFPA 13D (2019
edition) or IRC P2904. Notwithstanding the requirements of
this subsection,
(1) owner maintenance may
be performed without a permit; and
(2) fire alarm systems may be installed under the direction of an
electrical administrator licensed under AS 08.40 without a permit required by
this section if the final acceptance test and certification of the system is
conducted by a qualified person who holds a valid permit under this
section.
(b) A company
that engages in the design, installation, or maintenance of a system shall
record its work by annotating plans, test certificates, inspection reports, and
system inspection tags with the permit holder's permit number, or professional
engineer's registration number or seal.
(c) A permit issued under this section expires three years from
the date of issuance. The authority of a permit holder to design, install, or
maintain a system under a permit ceases immediately upon expiration of the
permit. A permit may be renewed upon application to the division of fire and
life safety on forms provided by the division and a minimum of 15 documented
credit unit hours of continuing education over the course of the permit being
renewed. Continuing education credit units are based on an hour-for-hour formal
training conducted within the permit type being renewed. However, instead of 15
documented continuing education units for renewal, an applicant for a state
Class IB-Special permit described in (f)(3) of this section must provide a
current electrician journeyman license for this state and a certificate of
fitness under AS 18.62.
(d) A
company must employ at least one permit holder who holds a permit in the
classifications specified in (e) of this section that cover the work the
company wishes to perform. A company may only perform work within the scope of
the permits held by its employees, except that system design drawings may be
prepared for that company by another company or individual who has the
necessary permits. If a permit holder terminates employment with the company,
the company shall immediately stop all activities within the scope of work
authorized by the permits held by that individual except that a company may
complete work designed by a permit holder following the permit holder's
termination of employment with the company if the design plans for that work
have been prepared and approved under
13 AAC 50.027 before the date of termination.
(e) A permit holder may, within the scope of
the permit holder's permit classification as defined in (f) of this section,
perform or supervise the preparation of technical drawings, and the
installation, inspection, or maintenance of fire alarm signaling systems, fire
suppression systems, or any part of a system.
(f) The state fire marshal will issue permits under this section
according to the following classifications:
(1) Class IA: limited to the maintenance and testing of fire alarm
signaling systems and related devices;
(2) Class IB: limited to the installation, maintenance, and
testing of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;
(3) Class IB-Special: limited to the
installation of fire alarm signaling systems and related devices;
(4) Class IC: limited to the design,
installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems and
related devices;
(5) Class IC-DO:
limited to the design of fire alarm signaling systems and related
devices;
(6) Class IIA: limited to
the maintenance and testing of fire sprinkler and standpipe systems beginning
at the point the water supply is used exclusively for the fire suppression
system;
(7) Class IIB: limited to
the installation, maintenance, and testing of water fire sprinkler and
standpipe systems beginning at the point the water supply is used exclusively
for the fire suppression system;
(8) Class IIC: limited to the design, installation, maintenance,
and testing of water fire sprinkler and standpipe systems beginning at the
point the water supply is used exclusively for the fire suppression
system;
(9) Class IIC-DO: limited
to the design of water fire sprinkler and standpipe systems beginning at the
point the water supply is used exclusively for the fire suppression
system;
(10) Class IIIA: limited to
the maintenance and testing of special hazard systems;
(11) Class IIIB: limited to the installation,
maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems;
(12) Class IIIC: limited to the design,
installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard systems;
(13) Class IIIC-DO: limited to the design of
special hazard systems;
(14) Class
IV: limited to the installation, maintenance, and testing of preengineered dry
and wet chemical fire suppression systems for restaurant and commercial hoods,
ducts and associated cooking appliances.
(g) To qualify for a permit under this
section, an applicant
(1) shall submit an
application to the state fire marshal on a form provided by the division of
fire and life safety; the permit will be issued within 10 working days from the
date of submittal of a complete packet; a complete packet consists of the
division of fire and life safety application form and supporting documents; the
applicant will be notified by electronic mail and telephone before 10 working
days if more information is required;
(2) must be 18 years of age or older; and
(3) at the time of application, must meet
the following minimum requirements for the class of permit for which the
applicant has applied:
(A) Class IA: have
(i) not less than two years cumulative
experience in the fire alarm signaling system business; and
(ii) passed the examination for NICET II
certification elements in fire alarm systems or the
equivalent;
(B) Class IB:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative
experience in the fire alarm signaling systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of
supervisory responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of
fire alarm signaling systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET II certification
elements in fire alarm systems or the equivalent;
(C) Class IB-Special:
(i) have completed an approved electrical apprentice
program;
(ii) be a current
journeyman electrician in this state under
AS
18.60.580 and AS 18.62; and
(iii) not hold a position of supervisory
responsibility;
(D)
Class IC:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the fire alarm signaling systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of
supervisory responsibility for the preparation of technical documents and the
installation, maintenance, and testing of fire alarm signaling systems;
and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET III certification elements in fire alarm systems or the
equivalent;
(E) Class
IC-DO:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the design of fire alarm signaling systems
business;
(ii) be employed in a
position of supervisory responsibility for the design of fire signaling
systems; and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET III certification elements in fire alarm systems or the
equivalent;
(F) Class
IIA:
(i) have not less than two years
cumulative experience in the water-based fire suppression system business;
and
(ii) have passed the
examination for NICET II certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems
or the equivalent;
(G)
Class IIB:
(i) have not less than two years
cumulative experience in the water-based fire suppression system
business;
(ii) be employed in a
position of supervisory responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and
testing of water-based fire suppression systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET
II certification elements in inspection and testing of water based systems or
the equivalent;
(H)
Class IIC:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the water-based fire suppression system
business;
(ii) be employed in a
position of supervisory responsibility for the preparation of technical
documents and the maintenance and testing of waterbased fire suppression
systems; and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET III certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems
or the equivalent;
(I)
Class IIC-DO:
(i) have not less than five
years cumulative experience in the design of water-based fire suppression
system business;
(ii) be employed
in a position of supervisory responsibility for the design of sprinkler
systems; and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET III certification elements in automatic sprinkler systems
layout or the equivalent;
(J) Class IIIA:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative experience in the
special hazard systems business; and
(ii) have passed the examination for NICET II certification
elements in special hazard systems or the equivalent;
(K) Class IIIB:
(i) have not less than two years cumulative experience in the
special hazard systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of supervisory
responsibility for the installation, maintenance, and testing of special hazard
systems; and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET II certification elements in special hazard systems or
the equivalent;
(L) Class
IIIC:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the special hazard systems business;
(ii) be employed in a position of
supervisory responsibility for the preparation of technical documents and the
maintenance and testing of special hazard systems; and
(iii) have passed the examination for NICET
III certification elements in special hazard systems or the
equivalent;
(M) Class
IIIC-DO:
(i) have not less than five years
cumulative experience in the design of special hazard system
business;
(ii) be employed in a
position of supervisory responsibility for the design of special hazard
systems; and
(iii) have passed the
examination for NICET III certification elements in special hazard systems
layout or the equivalent;
(N) Class IV:
(i) have not less
than two years cumulative experience in the kitchen fire suppression system
maintenance business;
(ii) have
passed the examination for NICET II or the equivalent, or the International
Code Council/National Association of Fire Equipment Distributors FK
Pre-engineered Kitchen Fire Extinguishing System Technician Certification
test;
(iii) possess at least one
manufacturers training certificate; and
(iv) possess the specific system manuals for the systems to be
serviced.
(h) If a company or individual is involved in the installation,
maintenance, or design of a fire suppression system or fire alarm signaling
system and does not possess a required permit, the state fire marshal may order
work stopped by service of an order in writing in accordance with
13 AAC 50.070.
(i) The state fire marshal or fire systems permit program manager
will provide written notice to a permit holder at least 10 days before an
action to revoke or suspend a permit. The fire marshal or fire systems permit
program manager may revoke or suspend a permit
(1) if a permit holder has materially misrepresented that
individual's qualifications in obtaining or renewing the permit or is subject
to revocation under
13 AAC 55.100(c);
(2) if a permit holder is found, after an
administrative investigation, to be negligent, incompetent, or to have
committed substantial misconduct in the preparation of technical drawings, or
the installation or maintenance of a system;
(3) based upon documented and repeated violations of 13 AAC 50-13
AAC 55 by a permit holder; or
(4)
for other good cause found by the state fire marshal or fire extinguisher
permit program manager.
(j) An order of suspension must state the length of the
suspension. The period of suspension may not be less than 30 days and may not
exceed one year from the date of the order;
(k) An order of revocation must state the length of the
revocation. The period of revocation may not be less than one year and may not
exceed two years from the date of the order.
(l) If the state fire marshal or the fire systems permit program
manager issues an order of suspension or revocation, the permit holder may,
within seven days after receiving the order, file a written appeal to the state
fire marshal. Within 10 days after receiving the appeal, the state fire marshal
will review the order and issue a written decision. The appeal must be
postmarked within seven days following the date of receipt of the order. The
order must be complied with within the time specified in the order unless the
state fire marshal revokes the order. The state fire marshal's decision on an
appeal under this subsection is a final order of the department for purposes of
AS 18.70.100.
(m) In this section,
(1) "company" means any individual,
partnership, firm, group, organization, corporation, or any other entity that
performs or represents itself as qualified to perform any of the following
functions related to a fire alarm signaling system or fire suppression system,
or any portion of a system:
(A) preparation
of technical design, specification development, consultation, evaluation, and
project management as it relates to the permit;
(B) installation, either in whole or in part;
(C) maintenance; or
(D) inspection;
(2) "design" means the preparation of
detailed drawings of fire alarm detection, signaling, or fire suppression
systems and the calculations and specifications for those systems completed in
accordance with the requirements of 13 AAC 50-13 AAC 55, including the
direction or performance of fire protection system surveys, consultation,
investigation, evaluation, preparation of technical design documents,
specification development, project management, planning, observation of
construction, and the organizational and economic aspects of these activities
as it relates to the permit;
(3)
"direct oversight and supervision" means that a company must have sufficient
personnel on site with appropriate permits to inspect and certify that work
being performed on systems is in compliance with applicable laws, product
listings, and manufacturer's installation instructions for each phase of
installation and at the functional checkout and commissioning of the
system;
(4) "equivalent" means
relevant formally approved experience and training in the design, installation,
or maintenance of fire protection systems; whether that experience and training
is substantially equivalent or more is
(A)
determined by the state fire marshal; and
(B) achieved primarily through
(i) union apprenticeship recognized by the division of fire and
life safety;
(ii) a college or
industry trade programs; or
(iii)
appropriate professional engineer attainment;
(5) "fire alarm signaling system" means any
signaling system that is either automatically or manually activated to notify
persons on or off the property of a fire condition;
(6) "fire suppression system" means a system
that is either automatic or manual and designed to protect a process, building,
or structure from fire; "fire suppression system" includes piping, fire mains,
standpipes, and thermal systems connected to the system;
(7) "installation" means the initial
placement of equipment or the extension, modification, or alteration of a
system after the initial placement;
(8) "maintenance" means to repair, service, or replace a system or
a system component when, for any reason, it becomes undependable or
inoperative; "maintenance" includes periodically recurrent inspections and
tests required to keep a system and its component parts in an operative
condition at all times;
(9) "NICET"
means the National Institute for Certification in Engineering
Technologies;
(10) "owner
maintenance" means basic maintenance performed by an owner or the owner's
representative who is capable of performing maintenance in accordance with the
law and nationally recognized standards of good practice; owner maintenance
includes the following nontechnical repairs:
(A) replacing sprinkler heads;
(B) resetting valves;
(C) replacing damaged or missing pipe hangers;
(D) replacing batteries;
(E) replacing indicator lamps;
(F) tightening electrical
connections;
(G) replacing damaged
or inoperative detection or audible devices; or
(H) monthly fire extinguisher inspections as required by the
United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) or NFPA 10;
(11) "permit" means the document issued
under this section by the state fire marshal to an individual as verification
of that individual's qualifications to design, install, and maintain fire
protection systems in accordance with this section;
(12) "permit holder" means an individual who
has been issued a permit under this section by the state fire
marshal;
(13) "special hazard
system" means a system that uses gases, chemicals, or foam as the fire
suppression agent and includes Halon systems, CO2
systems, wet chemical systems, dry chemical systems, aqueous film forming foam
(AFFF) systems, and protein foam systems;
(14) "system" means a fire alarm signaling system or fire
suppression system;
(15)
"water-based fire suppression system" means a system that uses water as the
suppression agent; "water-based fire suppression system" includes automatic
fire sprinkler systems and standpipe systems and water mist
systems.
Copies of NICET publications are available from the
National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies, 1420 King
Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
Authority:AS
18.70.010
AS
18.70.080
AS
18.70.090
