N.J. Admin. Code § 5:23-6.26A

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 5:23-6.26A - Supplemental requirements-Groups R-2 and R-4

(a) Automatic Sprinkler System: Automatic fire sprinkler systems shall be installed in Group R-2 and R-4 as follows:

1. In Group R-2 buildings four or more stories in height (excluding basements), when the work area is an entire floor, an automatic fire sprinkler system shall be installed throughout the work area.

2. In Group R-4 buildings where the occupant load of the work area exceeds eight occupants. (Fire)

(b) Manual Alarm Systems: When the work area exceeds 50 percent of the gross enclosed floor area of the building, a manual fire alarm system shall be required throughout the building.

1. Exception: No manual fire alarm system shall be required for buildings where all dwelling units are located fewer than three stories above the lowest level of exit discharge or one story or less below the highest level of exit discharge serving the dwelling unit(s). (Fire)

(c) Smoke Detection Systems: When the work area exceeds 25 percent of the gross enclosed floor area of the building, approved smoke detection systems shall be located in all interior common areas. Such systems shall be powered by an alternating current (AC) constantly active electric circuit that cannot be deactivated by the operation of any interconnected switching device and shall comply with the electrical subcode, except as otherwise provided in this section. Such systems shall be on circuitry that is connected into the building owner's electric meter.

1. In multiple dwellings six stories or more in height and having 30 or more dwelling units, such systems:

i. Shall be connected to a supervisory type listed control panel conforming to U.L. 864 requirements and NFPA 72 standards as adopted by the building subcode, except as otherwise provided in this section;

ii. Shall be powered by an approved emergency power source as installed in conformance with the electrical subcode; and

iii. Shall have a control panel of the multi-zoned type that will visually indicate the floor or zone from which the alarm is activated, which panel shall be located in accordance with NFPA 72 standards as adopted by the building subcode or as directed by the local fire subcode official.

2. A pre-signal alarm feature is not permitted.

3. The separate zoning of floors in high-rise buildings for selective floor evacuation is permitted at the discretion of the fire subcode official in consultation with the fire department.

4. Alarms shall be located so as to be effectively heard above all other sounds, by all the occupants, in every occupied space within the building not separated by fire walls having a fire-resistance rating of at least two hours.

5. With the approval of the fire subcode official, fixed temperature heat detectors in those locations where frequent nuisance alarms would be likely to occur. Such building spaces include, but are not limited to, garages, crawl spaces, uninhabitable attics, heater and boiler rooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, restaurant service areas, and other rooms where the ambient temperatures are below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and/or have a relative humidity either below 20 percent or above 85 percent or where environmental conditions are likely to produce nuisance alarms.

6. Existing common area smoke detection systems that were installed in compliance with this subchapter or with the Regulations Governing Rooming and Boarding Houses or Regulations for the Maintenance of Hotels and Multiple Dwellings and maintained in accordance with N.J.A.C. 5:70-3, for which a construction permit was issued subject to plan review approval, shall be accepted as conforming to this section. (Fire)

(d) Smoke Detection within Dwelling Units: Smoke alarms shall be provided within dwelling units as follows:

1. When the work area is an entire dwelling unit, smoke alarms that meet the specifications of the building subcode shall be installed. The smoke alarms shall be installed in the locations indicated in the building subcode and placed within those locations in accordance with NFPA 72.

2. When any work is undertaken within a dwelling unit, single station smoke alarms shall be installed. (Battery-powered units shall be permitted.) The smoke alarms shall be installed in the locations indicated in the building subcode and placed within those locations in accordance with NFPA 72. (Fire)

(e) Vertical Opening Protection: When the work area exceeds 50 percent of the gross enclosed floor area of the building, vertical opening protection shall be provided throughout the building as follows:

1. A minimum two hour fire rated assembly with approved opening protectives shall be required for interior stairways and other vertical openings connecting more than six floor levels.

2. A minimum one hour fire rated assembly with approved opening protectives shall be required for interior stairways and other vertical openings connecting four to six floor levels.

3. A minimum 30-minute UFC fire barrier shall be required for interior stairways and other vertical openings not exceeding three stories. Exceptions shall be permitted as follows:

i. Buildings with an automatic sprinkler system throughout;

ii. When the vertical opening connects not more than two floor levels with not more than four dwelling units per floor and each dwelling unit has access to a fire escape or other approved secondary exit; or

iii. Owner-occupied buildings with not more than four dwelling units per floor, and in which the following conditions are met:

(1) Every sleeping room is provided with an approved, operable window having a sill height not greater than 44 inches;

(2) Every dwelling unit or sleeping room above the second floor is provided with direct access to a fire escape or other approved secondary exit; and

(3) The building is protected throughout by a supervised, automatic fire alarm system, installed in accordance with the UCC. (Plan review--Building, Fire. Inspection--Building)

(f) Requirements for high-rise buildings: Any building or structure having one or more floors used for human occupancy located either more than six stories or more than 75 feet above the lowest level accessible to a fire department vehicle, shall comply with the following:

1. When the work area is one entire floor or more or when the work area is 20 percent or more of the occupied floor area served by a recirculating air system, the recirculating air system which serves the work area shall be equipped with approved smoke and heat detection devices installed in accordance with the UCC. The devices shall stop the fan(s) automatically and shall be of the manual reset type. Automatic fan shutdown is not required when the system is part of an approved smoke removal or smoke control system. (Building)

2. When the work area is one entire floor or more or when the work area is 20 percent or more of the occupied floor area of the building, all elevators in the building shall be equipped with the following emergency control devices:

i. All automatic (nondesignated attendant) elevators having a travel distance of 25 feet or more above or below the designated level shall be equipped with Phase 1 Emergency Recall Operation as required by ASME A17.1-1987, Rules 211.3a and 211.3b listed in N.J.A.C. 5:70-3;

ii. At least one elevator shall be equipped with Phase II Emergency In-Car Operation, as required by ASME A17.1-1987, Rule 211.3c;

(1) In buildings with multiple elevators, at least one elevator to each floor served by an elevator shall be equipped with Phase II Emergency In-Car Operation; and

iii. All designated attendant elevators having a travel distance of 25 feet or more above or below the designated level shall be equipped with emergency controls, as required by ASME A17.1-1987, Rule 211.4. (Elevator)

3. When the work area is one entire floor or more or when the work area is 20 percent or more of the occupied floor area of the building, standpipes shall be provided up to and including the highest floor that is part of the work area. The standpipes shall be located and installed in accordance with the building subcode, except as follows:

i. No pump shall be required provided that the standpipes are capable of accepting delivery by fire department apparatus of a minimum of 250 gpm at 65 psi to the topmost floor in buildings equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler system or a minimum of 500 gpm at 65 psi to the topmost floor in all other buildings. (Where the standpipe terminates below the topmost floor, the standpipe shall be designed to meet these requirements (gpm/psi) for possible future extension of the standpipe.)

ii. Hose and hose cabinets shall not be required. (Fire)

4. When the work area is one entire floor or more or when the work area is 20 percent or more of the occupied floor area of the building, central control station and communication systems shall be provided as follows:

i. An approved public address communication system consisting of loudspeakers in each common corridor, each elevator and elevator lobby and in each stair enclosure which shall be capable of being operated from the central control station;

ii. A two-way fire department communication system which shall operate between the central control and every elevator, elevator lobby and entry to enclosed exit stairways;

iii. A central control station for fire department operations shall be provided in a location approved by the fire department. It shall contain the public address panel, the fire department communications panel, fire detection and alarm system annunciator panels, status indicators and controls for air handling systems, sprinkler valve and water flow detector display panels, and status indicators and a telephone for fire department use with controlled access to the public telephone system. (Fire)

(g) Elevator Devices: When the work area exceeds 50 percent of the gross enclosed floor area of the building, all elevator devices serving any part of the work area shall comply with the requirements of 5:23-6.30(g).

1. Exception: Elevator devices wholly within individual dwelling units and not accessible to the general public shall not be required to comply. (Elevator)

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:23-6.26A

Amended by R.1999 d.259, effective 8/16/1999.
See: 31 N.J.R. 825(a), 31 N.J.R. 2330(a).
Inserted (e); and recodified existing (e) through (g) as (f) through (h).
Amended by R.2000 d.492, effective 12/18/2000.
See: 32 N.J.R. 3219(a), 32 N.J.R. 4437(b).
In (c)6 and in (g)2i, updated N.J.A.C. reference.
Amended by R.2002 d.15, effective 1/22/2002.
See: 33 N.J.R. 2933(b), 33 N.J.R. 3883(a), 34 N.J.R. 521(a).
In (e), substituted "alarms" for "detectors" and added the last sentence in the introductory paragraph, and rewrote 1.
Amended by R.2003 d.137, effective 4/7/2003.
See: 34 N.J.R. 4277(a), 35 N.J.R. 1558(c).
Deleted former (e); recodified former (f) through (h) as (e) through (g).
Amended by R.2003 d.218, effective 5/19/2003.
See: 35 N.J.R. 29(a), 35 N.J.R. 2209(a).
Amended by R.2004 d.145, effective 4/5/2004.
See: 35 N.J.R. 5190(a), 36 N.J.R. 1758(a).
Substituted references to automatic sprinkler for references to fire suppression throughout; rewrote (a); in (e)3, inserted "UFC" following "30-minute".
Amended by R.2007 d.122, effective 5/7/2007.
See: 38 N.J.R. 4951(a), 39 N.J.R. 1673(a).
In (c), substituted "05" for "93" and "02" for "90" throughout.
Amended by R.2009 d.117, effective 4/20/2009.
See: 41 N.J.R. 18(a), 41 N.J.R. 1726(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (d) and in (d)1 and (d)2, substituted "alarms" for "detectors" throughout; and in (f)1, deleted "or exhaust" preceding the first and second occurrences of "system".
Amended by R.2011 d.270, effective 11/7/2011.
See: 43 N.J.R. 1297(a), 43 N.J.R. 2999(a).
In the introductory paragraph of (c), substituted "the electrical subcode" for "NFPA 70-05 (National Electric Code) requirements"; in (c)1i and (c)1iii, deleted "-02" following "72" and inserted "as adopted by the building subcode"; and in (c)1ii, substituted "the electrical subcode; and" for "NFPA 70-05 (National Electric Code)".