We’ve been asked by many design firms and installers whether the adoption of the new Chicago Building Code (CBC) will affect the existing requirements for fire alarm systems. The actual changes to the Chicago Fire Code won’t be adopted until 2021, but there are changes in the new CBC that can affect fire alarms systems prior to that date.
Most of the current fire alarm requirements can be found in Chapter 15-16 of the existing Chicago Municipal Code. However, the defining requirements found in Chapter 15-16 are being repealed with the enactment of the new CBC, Chapter 14B. Some are re-instated by the Interim Fire Code, but they mostly involve administrative elements of testing & documentation & don’t retain the unique equipment requirements found in the current CBC. Instead of retaining some of the existing requirements in the interim fire code, they are included in the new Chapter 14B. One of these requirements is the use of a direct connection to the Chicago Fire Department via the city fire alarm box (masterbox) for selected types of occupancies. K-12 educational occupancies and dormitories (a new requirement), as well as certain daycare, institutional and assembly occupancies must use masterboxes to notify the fire department of an alarm condition. Masterbox mechanisms and circuitry extension from the street into the building must be installed by the City of Chicago personnel, so there’s cost and coordination issues that must be addressed well before occupancy
Check in with us next week to get more information on the impact of the new CBC on fire alarm systems in Chicago. Be sure to install City of Chicago approved Gamewell-FCI fire alarm equipment via Affiliated Fire Systems to ensure compliant installations.
Gene Rowe – NICET IV Fire Alarm Systems
About Gene Rowe
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