Code of Massachusetts Regulations
780 CMR - STATE BOARD OF BUILDING REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Chapter 115 - Appendices
Appendix D - Fire Districts
Section D101 - GENERAL
Subsection D101.2 - Establishment of area
Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024
For the purpose of this code, the fire district shall include that territory or area as described in Sections D101.2.1 through D101.2.3.
D101.2.1 Adjoining blocks. Two or more adjoining blocks, exclusive of intervening streets, where at least 50 percent of the ground area is built upon and more than 50 percent of the built-on area is devoted to hotels and motels of Group R-1; Group B occupancies; theaters, nightclubs, restaurants of Group A-1 and A-2 occupancies; garages, express and freight depots, warehouses and storage buildings used for the storage of finished products (not located with and forming a part of a manufactured or industrial plant); or Group S occupancy. Where the average height of a building is two and one-half stories or more, a block should be considered if the ground area built upon is at least 40 percent.
D101.2.2 Buffer zone. Where four contiguous blocks or more comprise a fire district, there shall be a buffer zone of 200 feet (60 960 mm) around the perimeter of such district. Streets, rights-of-way and other open spaces not subject to building construction can be included in the 200-foot (60 960 mm) buffer zone.
D101.2.3 Developed blocks. Where blocks adjacent to the fire district have developed to the extent that at least 25 percent of the ground area is built upon and 40 percent or more of the built-on area is devoted to the occupancies specified in Section D101.2.1, they can be considered for inclusion in the fire district, and can form all or a portion of the 200-foot (60 960 mm) buffer zone required in Section D101.2.2.
