Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) All buildings of
Use Group A-2 (nightclubs) or portions thereof when separated in accordance
with (1) below shall be equipped throughout with an automatic fire suppression
system installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code
where any of the conditions in (a)1, 2 or 3 below exist:
1. The A-2 (nightclub) Use or portion thereof
is located on a floor other than the level of exit discharge. For purposes of
applying this paragraph, the level of exit discharge shall be defined as having
all exits discharging not more than five feet above, nor more than two feet
below, the adjacent grade;
2. The
building or portion thereof has an occupant load of 300 or more;
i. Voluntarily limiting occupant load in a
space that will accommodate a greater number shall not be permitted for
purposes of determining whether suppression is required. The nightclub space
itself may be reduced to a size such that the occupant load calculated in
accordance with Table
5:70-4.11(f)3 at
N.J.A.C.
5:70-4.11(f)3 is fewer than
300. If this option is chosen, then the following conditions shall apply:
(1) The nightclub space shall be separated
from other portions of the building through the use of one hour fire resistance
rated assemblies constructed in accordance with the building subcode of the
Uniform Construction Code (5:23-3.14);
(2) Opening protectives constructed in
accordance with the building subcode shall be required for all openings between
accessory use areas and the nightclub space. For purposes of applying these
requirements, accessory use areas shall include, but not be limited to, all
back of house spaces, storage rooms, offices, kitchens and coatrooms. Accessory
use areas shall not include any assembly spaces;
(3) No openings shall be permitted between
any non-accessory use areas and the nightclub;
(4) The separated, non-accessory portions of
the building shall not contain any assembly uses; and
(5) The means of egress serving any
separated, non-accessory portions of the building and the means of egress
serving the nightclub shall be totally independent of one another.
(A) Exception: Means of egress shared between
a nightclub and a separated, non-accessory space shall be permitted for
nightclubs located in buildings of Use Group R-1; or
3. The building or
portion thereof exceeds 5,000 square feet.
4. The automatic fire suppression system
shall be tied to the performance sound system and to the house lights in such a
way that activation of the fire suppression system mutes the performance sound
system and restores the intensity of illumination to that required by N.J.A.C.
5:70-4.1l(i)2.
(b) All
buildings of Use Group I-1 or portions thereof when separated in accordance
with (l) below greater than two stories in height above grade or having an
occupant load greater than 20 excluding staff shall be equipped throughout with
an automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance with the New
Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
(c) All buildings of Use Group I-2 or
portions thereof when separated in accordance with (l) below shall be equipped
throughout with an automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance
with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
1. The following are exceptions to (c) above:
i. Buildings of Type 1 or Type 2A
construction of any height or of Type 2B construction not over one story in
height as defined in the Uniform Construction Code.
ii. Day nurseries serving children below 2
1/2 years of age, provided that all the children under 2 1/2 years of age are
cared for on the first floor in a room(s) having direct access to approved
exits discharging directly to the exterior.
2. By January 2, 2010, all nursing homes
shall be equipped throughout with an automatic fire suppression system
installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code. The
exception contained in (c)1i above shall not apply to nursing homes.
(d) All buildings of Use Group I-3
or portions thereof when separated in accordance with (l) below with an
occupant load of six or more shall be equipped throughout with an automatic
fire suppression system installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform
Construction Code or shall be in compliance with all applicable provisions of
Chapter 15 "Existing Detention and Correctional Occupancies" of the Life Safety
Code, NFPA 101, 1985 edition.
1. Exception to
(d) above: All buildings of Use Group I-3 not required to be equipped
throughout with suppression by these provisions shall be equipped with
suppression in all padded cells, boiler rooms, storage and workshop rooms 24
square feet and larger, mechanical equipment and similar rooms.
(e) All buildings of Use Group H
or portions thereof when separated in accordance with (l) below shall be
equipped throughout with an automatic fire suppression system installed in
accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
1. All spraying operations as regulated by
5:70-3, the State Fire Prevention Code, Chapter 24, shall be equipped
throughout with an automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance
with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
2. Dip operations as defined by 5:70-3, the
State Fire Prevention Code, Section 2402.1 and as outlined in (e)2i through iii
below shall be equipped with an automatic fire suppression system installed in
accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
i. Dip tanks of over 150 gallons capacity or
10 square feet liquid surface area;
ii. Dip tanks containing a liquid with a
flash point below 110 degrees F., when used in such manner that the liquid
temperature may equal or be greater than its flash point from artificial or
natural causes when having both a capacity of more than 10 gallons and a liquid
surface area of more than four square feet; and
iii. Hardening and tempering tanks of over
500 gallons capacity or 25 square feet liquid surface area.
(f) All ballrooms,
exhibit areas and accessory spaces of Use Group A-3 which exceed 12,000 square
feet and are located in buildings of Use Groups R-1 and R-2, shall be equipped
with an automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance with the New
Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
1. The
following are exceptions to (f) above:
i.
Such assembly uses may be subdivided into fire areas not exceeding 12,000
square feet using permanent two-hour fire separation walls with 1 1/2 hour
opening protectives. Such walls shall be continuous from the floor to the deck
above except that the wall may terminate at the ceiling if the ceiling is part
of a fire-resistance rated floor/ceiling or roof/ceiling assembly.
ii. A-3 uses which are completely separated
both horizontally and vertically from R-1 and R-2 uses by fire separation walls
and floor/ceiling assemblies having a fire-resistance rating of not less than
two hours with approved opening protectives having a fire-resistance rating of
not less than 1 1/2 hours. Walls shall be continuous from the floor to the deck
above except that the walls shall be permitted to terminate at the ceiling if
the ceiling is part of a fire-resistance rated assembly.
(g) All commercial cooking
operations that produce grease laden vapors shall be equipped with a
ventilating hood, duct, and automatic fire suppression system designed and
installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
1. This subsection shall not apply to bed and
breakfast home stay facilities, which are designed to accommodate five or fewer
guests.
2. Exception to (g) above:
Ventilating hoods, ducts, and suppression shall not be required for completely
enclosed ovens, steam tables, or auxiliary equipment that does not produce
grease laden vapors.
3. This
subsection shall apply to mobile enclosed units, as defined in 5:70-3. Systems
installed in mobile enclosed units shall comply with the applicable
requirements of NFPA 96, but such installations shall not be required to comply
with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
(h) In all buildings, any windowless basement
or story located below the seventh story shall be equipped throughout with an
automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance with the New Jersey
Uniform Construction Code.
1. Stories or
basements shall not be considered windowless when there is provided on at least
one side of such story or basement fire fighter access through openings, such
as windows, doors or access panels, that are located entirely above the
adjoining grade level.
2. Such
openings shall comply with one of the following:
i. Be at least 32 inches by 48 inches in
size, spaced not more than 100 feet apart in each story or basement;
ii. Be at least 22 inches by 42 inches in
size, spaced not more than 30 feet apart in each story or basement;
or
iii. For basements in Use Group
R-2 not exceeding 3,000 square feet, the requirement for openings shall be
deemed to have been met where:
(1) There is a
basement door with:
(A) A minimum width of 32
inches;
(B) A breakable window with
minimum dimensions of 28 inches by 24 inches; and
(C) Direct access to grade by an outdoor
stairway or ramp with a minimum width of 36 inches that is open to the sky with
no overhead obstructions; and
(2) A window or access panel in the exterior
wall with a minimum of two square feet located such that the bottom of the
opening is not more than 24 inches below finished grade.
(3) Where the basement is subdivided into
more than one room, each additional separate room that does not have a basement
door meeting (h)2iii(1) above shall be provided with a window or access panel
in the exterior wall having a minimum area of two square feet located such that
the bottom of the opening is not more than 24 inches below finished
grade.
3. All
openings for fire fighter access shall conform to all the following:
i. Openings shall be unobstructed to allow
fire fighting and rescue operations from the exterior; and
ii. Openings in stories at or above grade
shall have a sill height of not more than 36 inches as measured from the
finished floor level. Openings in basements shall have no sill height
restrictions; and
iii. Openings
shall be readily identifiable and openable from the outside or shall be glazed
with plain flat glass.
4. When openings in a story are provided on
only one side and the opposite wall of such story is more than 75 feet from
such openings, the story shall be considered windowless unless openings as
specified above are provided on at least two sides of the exterior walls of the
story.
i. Where the openings are provided in
accordance with (h)2iii above, the 75-foot distance shall be measured to grade
level at the end of the stairway or ramp.
5. If any portion of a basement is located
more than 75 feet from openings as specified above, the basement shall be
considered windowless.
6.
Windowless basements not exceeding 3,000 square feet in area shall be exempt
from this automatic suppression requirement, provided a supervised automatic
fire alarm system shall be installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform
Construction Code.
7. In windowless
basements greater than 3,000 square feet, but not exceeding 10,000 square feet
in area, the required suppression system need not be connected to a water
supply other than an existing domestic supply if the following conditions are
met:
i. The suppression system shall be
provided with a fire department connection, which shall be marked with a sign
reading "Basement Area Sprinkler Water Supply"; and
ii. A supervised automatic fire alarm system
shall be installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction
Code.
(i) In
all buildings of Use Group R-1 or portions thereof when separated in accordance
with (l) below, not required at
N.J.A.C.
5:70-4.17 to have a complete automatic fire
suppression system, all storage and workshop rooms and rubbish, laundry, and
similar rooms shall be equipped with a suppression system or smoke detector
system connected to an approved continuously staffed location in the building
or supervised in accordance with (k) below or
N.J.A.C.
5:70-4.9(c), respectively.
Such systems shall be installed in accordance with the New Jersey Uniform
Construction Code.
(j) All
dormitories, as defined in this chapter at
5:70-1.5, or portions thereof when
separated in accordance with (l) below, shall be equipped
throughout with an automatic fire sprinkler system installed in accordance with
the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code.
(k) Fire suppression systems required by this
Code shall be supervised as determined by the fire official and installed in
accordance with the New Jersey Uniform Construction Code in effect at the time
of installation.
(l) In buildings
containing mixed uses, one or more of which requires automatic suppression in
accordance with this section, suppression will not be required throughout the
building, provided that the uses requiring suppression are separated from those
not requiring suppression by fire resistive construction having a minimum one
hour rating. In Use Group H, the rating is to be increased to two
hours.
