Title
An Ordinance to Amend Section 9:106. - Periodic Fire Safety Inspections Required of Chapter 111 of Title IX of the Ann Arbor City Code (Ordinance No. ORD-18-27)
Memorandum
The proposed ordinance amends Section 9:106. - Periodic fire safety inspections required of Chapter 111 of Title IX of the Ann Arbor City Code. A copy of 2015 International Fire Code is available for review in the office of the City Clerk. Approval of this ordinance is recommended.
The following amendment recommendations are being made to reflect current inspection practices and to ensure uniform enforcement by the Fire Department and Planning and Development Services.
(1) Structures shall be classified according to the occupancy classifications as defined in the IFC. Periodic fire safety inspections by the Fire Marshal, or his/her designee, are required for structures annually, every 2 years, or every 3 years, depending on occupancy classification as provided below. Except as otherwise provided, the occupancy classifications specified below include all groups within the IFC occupancy classification. Where multiple use groups apply to a structure, the applicable period for inspection for the entire structure will be the period applicable to the use group that represents the greatest percentage of the total square footage of the structure.
Occupancy Classifications Requiring Annual Inspections:
Assembly Group A
Factory Industrial Group F
High Hazard Group H
Mercantile Group M
Residential Group R (Group R-1 and Group R-2, only, as specified below).
Residential Group R-1: Hotels, Motels, and Transient Boarding Houses, only.
Residential Group R-2: Dormitories, Fraternities, and Sororities, only.
Occupancy Classifications Requiring Inspections Every 2 Years:
Business Group B
Storage Group S
Occupancy Classifications Requiring Inspections Every 3 Years:
Miscellaneous Group U.
(2) The Fire Marshal, or his/her designee, shall have the authority to enter a structure at all reasonable times to conduct an inspection required under this section and as provided in the IFC.
(a) If the structure is occupied, entry will first be requested.
(b) If the structure is unoccupied, a reasonable effort will be made to locate the owner or other person having charge or control of the structure and entry will be requested.
(c) If entry is refused, the Fire Marshal may employ any legal means to secure entry, including, but not limited to obtaining a warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction.
(Ord. No. 40-88, § 5, 8-1-88; Ord. No. 47-89, § 1, 8-7-89; Ord. No. 22-97, § 1, 5-5-97; Ord. No. 14-04, § 3, 4-6-04; Ord. No. 13-16, § 4, 7-1-13)
The International Fire Code regulates conditions hazardous to life and property from the standpoint of fire and explosion and designates the “2015 International Fire Code” together with the provisions of Chapter 111 as the Fire Prevention Code of Ann Arbor. The Fire Service Unit is recommending your approval of the related amendments to Chapter 111; Section 9:106 as designated in the Fire Prevention Code of Ann Arbor.
A copy of the 2015 International Fire Code will be kept on file in the office of the City Clerk and made available to the public upon request through the offices of the City Clerk and Fire Service Unit - Bureau of Fire Prevention.
Staff
Prepared by: Andrew Box, Assistant Fire Chief
Reviewed by: Michael Kennedy, Fire Chief
Approved by: Howard S. Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
(See Attached Ordinance)