New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules
Saf - Department of Safety
Subtitle Saf-C - Commissioner, Department of Safety
Chapter Saf-C 6000 - FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY RULES

Current through Register No. 40, October 3, 2024

Statutory Authority: RSA 153:5; RSA 153:8-a; RSA 153:10-a, III; RSA 153:10-b, VI; RSA 153:14, IV; and RSA 158:28, III.

REVISION NOTE #1:

STATE FIRE CODE--NOTICE OF EXEMPTION FROM RSA 541-A

Chapter Saf-C 6000, titled "State Fire Code", was subject to RSA 541-A until 2012, 242:5 and 242:20, effective 6-18-12, respectively amended RSA 153:5, I and adopted RSA 541-A:21, I(ff) to create an exemption from RSA 541-A for the State Fire Code as described in RSA 153:1. The existing rules in Saf-C 6000 which were subject to RSA 541-A had last been filed under Document #10058, effective 12-23-11.

Pursuant to 2012, 242:5, RSA 153:5, I was amended to read:

I. Notwithstanding RSA 21-G:9, II(b), the fire marshal, with the board of fire control, may adopt rules with the approval of the commissioner of safety, which shall be exempt from RSA 541-A, to amend the state fire code described in RSA 153:1 to the extent the board deems such amendments are necessary, provided that any such amendments are ratified by the adoption of appropriate legislation within one year of their adoption. If such amendments are not ratified, then the amendments shall expire at the end of the one-year period.

2012, 242:21, effective 6-18-12, stated that:

242:21 Transfer of Rulemaking Authority Relative to State Fire Code. Existing rules known as the state fire code and adopted under RSA 541-A and RSA 153:5 prior to the effective date of this act shall remain in effect until they expire or are amended, superseded, or repealed by the adoption of rules in accordance with RSA 153:5, I as amended by section 5 of this act.

The rules filed under Document #10058 were to remain effective to 12-23-19, unless the Fire Marshal, with the Board of Fire Control, used their own procedures under RSA 153:5, I before that date to amend, supersede, or repeal the provisions of the State Fire Code in Saf-C 6000.

Pursuant to RSA 541-A:14-a, the rules in Chapter Saf-C 6000 filed under Document #10058 did not expire on 12-23-19 but remained effective because of the filing on December 20, 2019 of the proposed readoption with amendment of Saf-C 6000 as Initial Proposal 2019-217, now limited to those provisions which did not come under the State Fire Code described in RSA 153:1. See Revision Note #2 below.

Pursuant to RSA 153:5, I the Fire Marshal, with the Board of Fire Control, used their own procedures to amend the State Fire Code described in RSA 153:1, with those amendments numbered as Saf-FMO 300, effective 1-23-20, which effectively replaced those provisions of Saf-C 6000 related to the State Fire Code.

Rule amendments in Saf-FMO 300 adopted by the Fire Marshal with the Board of Fire Control under RSA 153:5, I must be ratified by the legislature within one year after the adoption of such changes, or those changes will expire at the end of the one-year period. Questions for the latest version of amendments to the State Fire Code should be directed to the State Fire Marshal and the Board of Fire Control.

REVISION NOTE #2:

The predecessor rules to Chapter Saf-C 6000 were filed under the rule title "Fir" indicating rules adopted by the State Fire Marshal and numbered Chapter Fir 100 through Chapter Fir 800. The rules filed under the title "Fir" included the following documents:

#2230, eff 12-31-82

#2898, eff 11-8-84

#4971, eff 11-8-90

#5765, eff 12-28-93

#6118, eff 11-22-95

Pursuant to 1995, 226:5, effective 8-13-95, rulemaking authority of the State Fire Marshal was transferred to the Commissioner of the Department of Safety. Document #6339, effective 9-25-96, readopted with amendment and renumbered the former Chapter Fir 100 through Chapter Fir 800 as Chapter Saf-C 6000.

Document #13094, effective 8-25-20, readopted with amendments Chapter Saf-C 6000, formerly titled "State Fire Code", under a new heading as "Fire and Life Safety Rules." The provisions related to the State Fire Code as described in RSA 153:1 are now in Chapter Saf-FMO 300. See Revision Note #1 above.

Document #13094 replaced all prior filings for rules under the former Chapter Saf-C 6000, unless already replaced by rules under Saf-FMO 300. The filings prior to Document #13094 under Chapter Saf-C 6000 included the following documents:

#6339, eff 9-25-96

#7052, eff 7-2-99

#7776, eff 10-9-02

#7892, eff 5-21-03

#8013, eff 12-19-03

#8180, eff 9-23-04

#8554, eff 1-26-06

#10058, eff 12-23-11