SJC Home
Clearance Sheet C2020-007158

 Department IssuesSigned OffIntl

Plans for a preliminary review of a 115,410sf, 2 story assisted living facility with memory care.  The building is type VA (V111) and will be provided with a NFPA 13 fire sprinkler system for the building and porte cochere and a fire alarm system.  The building is separated on each floor by a 2 hour fire wall which creates horizontal exits, and additionally 1 hour smoke barriers as required by NFPA 101:32.3.3.7.  The plans are NOT APPROVED as submitted for the following reasons. 

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Plan APPROVED.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021 


                                                        
Reviewed using FFPC 6th edition effective Dec. 31, 2017.
Reviewer: PJ Webb 904 209 1744
 
To schedule fire inspections please call 827-6842 (automated system). Questions about inspections please call 209-1740x1.
Review by the AHJ shall not relieve the applicant of the responsibility for compliance with the Code.

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RESUBMITTING: Please make necessary changes and resubmit the complete permit application package. Response to comments / plans / specifications should be submitted to the Permit Center as a resubmission for the original project unless other arrangements are made with the Fire Plan Reviewer or the Fire Plan Review Supervisor.

To help speed the review process you should include a written response to comments summary to clarify and/or illustrate corrections on plans (bubbling, highlighting, or notations are best). Please use the Florida Fire Prevention Code 6th Ed. for all code reference in a response to comments. You are required to remove old pages and reinsert the new pages.

The numbered items require a response or plans to be updated to complete the review.

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1) The submittal was preliminary.   I cannot approve the plans until a clearance sheet is issued. 

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Clearance sheet provided.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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2) Sprinkler Engineering (FP pages) have not been provided.  This information must be provided with the building plans.  Note the system must be an NFPA 13 system with quick response or residential heads per NFPA 101:32.3.3.5.1.

 

An ENGINEERED sealed Design Criteria for a fire sprinkler system exceeding 49 heads is required to be submitted with the general construction documents. We are unable to approve the plan until this information is provided.  It is not a full set of shop drawing  FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE 61G15-32.004

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Not Provided.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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Information provided attached to the Response to comments.  8 1/2" x 11" sealed by Howard M. Yonge PE.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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3) Not less than 15sf per resident (net) must be provided within the corridors, lounge or dining areas and other low hazard areas on each side of the smoke barriers.  Show this on the plans.  NFPA 101:32.3.3.7.11.

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Provided on sheets G1.04h through G1.04o.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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4) Similar to comment 3 above, 3sf per resident must be provided on each side of the horizontal exits (2 hour fire walls).  NFPA 101:7.2.4.2.4.  Indicate this on the plans. 

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Note provided on sheets G1.04h through G1.04o to address this.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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5)  Each fire compartment which is credited with a horizontal exit also shall have at least 1 additional exit provided.   2nd floor Zone "B" as indicated on sheet G1.04b must be provided with an egress stair as indicated in NFPA 101:7.2.4.2.1. 

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After further discussion with the Architect on the phone and per his response to comments, this requirement is met without modification to the plan.  The reference above indicates compartment as created by the horizontal exit, not smoke partition.  Therefore the egress as indicated is sufficient since travel to the exits is maintained within the travel distance.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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6) Fire extinguishers must be provided in both courtyards.  Sheet G1.04E does not show extinguishers in those areas.  Ensure that the installing extinguisher contractor accounts for these spaces. 

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Additional extinguisher cabinets are indicated on the plans in the courtyards.  Ensure that they are listed for all weather use to if subject to mechanical/environmental damage.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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7) Show the occupant load factors that were used for the occupant load calculations chart on sheet G1.04g per table 7.3.1.2 of NFPA 1.  It appears that there are several locations that utilize the 50 factor in the building including the courtyards.  Please indicate which factor on the table you are utilizing and the thought process behind it.

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This was clarified, it was indicated originally on sheet G1.04g.  See RTC for further clarification.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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8) The assembly classification for the dining areas is not an accessory or incidental use as indicated in NFPA 101:6.1.14.   The assembly classification must be considered in the code analysis and included in the code summary with residential board and care.  Identify whether you will be treating it as multiple mixed use or multiple separated use. 

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Per RTC the building is designed as Multiple/Mixed occupancy with an assembly component.  Please indicate this on the code summary sheet.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020  

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Note added to sheet G1.04g with this information.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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9) Sheet G1.07a requires fire alarm smoke detectors in resident bedrooms, corridors, hallways, living rooms, dining rooms, offices and public or common areas.  This is in addition to the requirements of NFPA 32.3.3.4.8.1 which requires smoke detectors to be located in corridors and spaces open to corridors.  This will be verified when the fire alarm is submitted.  This was not indicated in the FA information contained in these plans. 

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I am signing off this comment.  I will check for compliance when the alarm system is submitted. PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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10) Demonstrate that illumination of means of egress (normal lighting) will be met, especially in the MC and AL courtyards and the theatre room.  NFPA 101:32.3.2.8. 

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Photometrics provided on 11x17 for the theatre room, and both courtyards.  The theatre room is OK as submitted.  The courtyards indicate well under 1ft candle in many locations in the courtyards.  Per the above section the minimum is 1 foot candle power, it is not an average.   The space under the building cover has plenty of light, just need more in the center areas of the courtyards.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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Full size photometrics provided and inserted into the landscape section.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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11) Emergency lighting

I do not see emergency lighting indicated on the electrical sheets.  Will you be utilizing a life safety generator for this purpose?  If yes how will you meet the requirements for circuit failure and accidental failure indicated in NFPA 101:7.9.2.3 (2) and (3).  If only certain egress lights will be tied to the generator indicate this on the plans. 

Note: Emergency light coverage is required in the courtyards as well.

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Overall the emergency lighting looks great.  The building is fed by a life safety generator.  The above requirements were achieved by alternating lighting fixtures between a standard circuit and life safety circuits.  There are a couple areas below that do not indicate coverage, or have a single fixture/circuit that does not meet the redundancy requirements. 

-Single Stall Restrooms
-Private Dining
-Egress Vestibules near exterior doors
-General Store
- Resident laundry(s)
- Treatment room 205 (massage)

In addition, the plans do not indicate what the "Z2" fixtures are in the stairwells.  Are they battery backup fixtures.  They are fed from a single circuit which will not meet the open circuit requirements as indicated in the code section above.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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RTC indicates that per Supervisor Gedris on 12/23/20, emergency lighting is not required in the single stall restrooms.  Emergency lights have been added to the additional areas.  Also battery packs have been added to the  "Z2" fixtures in the stairwells.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021.

 

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12) Generator

A separate permit is required for the generator.  A hold has been placed on the permit for this information and no inspection past insulation will be performed until this is submitted. 

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Acknowledged in RTC. PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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13) Include the courtyards in the life safety plan calculations.  Ensure that the path of egress follows the true path around obstructions as indicated on the landscaping plans.

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Information provided on sheet G1.04c PWJ Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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14) Storage rooms exceeding 50 square feet and less than 100 square feet must be protected by a smoke partition. Storage areas exceeding 100sf must be 1 hour rated. Indicate on the plans that the 50-100 sf storage rooms will meet smoke partition requirements. In addition it was noted that the door for storage room 249 is not indicated as rated on the door schedule.  NFPA 101:table 32.3.3.2.2. 

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1 hour rated per the RTC as indicated on the plans by the wall cross hatch pattern.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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15) Living unit door numbers/identifiers do not appear to be indicated on the plans or the door schedule.  Provide this information.  Ensure that you indicate the appropriate fire or smoke rating requirements. 

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Room door labels are indicated on enlarged unit plans (dimension control plans), door schedule indication is on sheet A9.02 bottom left.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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16) Provide specification and details for the M2100 smoke guard doors/curtains that are proposed for the vertical opening between floors. 

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Specs provided, as indicated on the plans, the fire rated version will be installed.  The company also offers a smoke rated version.  I will check for FA tie in when the alarm is submitted. PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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17) Fire Rated doors. 

The doors below appear to be indicated along rated walls that are either missing a rating, door closer or the rating is not sufficient.  See below for details:

150- No rating no closer
170- No rating no closer
All stair doors indicated as 45 minute.  1 hour required.  NFPA 101:table 8.3.4.2
240- No rating
237a- No rating, no closer
249-No rating
248-No rating no closer
210-No rating no closer
211- No rating no closer
201- No rating no closer
203- No rating no closer
205- No rating no closer
201- No rating no closer
215a- no rating
215b- no rating
215c- no rating
219- no rating
220a- no rating
216- no rating
220- no closer no rating

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At this time this comment still remains since the corridor walls are indicate on the plans are 1 hour corridors.  If the walls are installed per chapter 32 which is 1/2 hour rated smoke partitions, the closers and rated doors will not be required.  See RTC for details.  I architect and myself spoke on the phone about this. PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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Walls relabeled as 1/2 rated smoke partitions, therefore no door closers/ratings are required on certain doors.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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18)  Informational Comment:

For ease in identifying rated walls in the building it may help to symbolize the wall with legend in addition to or in lieu of flagging them.  There appear to be UL U305 tags throughout most of the project indicating a 1 hour rating which resulted in comment 17. 

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Sheets G1.04p and G10.4Q were provided which clearly show the wall types (in color).  Thank you for that.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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19) Records Room

Are you intending to apply NFPA 232 "Standard for the protection of records" to the charting and records room 219? The owner is who typically determines whether the records justify protection and if so, which classification they should fall under. NFPA 232 1.1.6 and 1.1.7 2012 edition as adopted.   

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The RTC indicates that the records will be kept in fire cabinets per AHCA licensing requirements.   I do not see this as intent to comply with NFPA 232 as indicated above so I am going to sign this comment off.  If the owner wishes to comply, please indicate this and I will review for compliance with the standard.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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20) There are offices indicated along 1 hour rated walls.  These doors cannot be propped open to maintain the fire rating.  I would recommend considering magnetic hold opens tied to the fire alarm in these locations to allow full flexibility of the space while maintaining the fire rating.

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This comment is going to remain for now, and may go away if the corridor wall ratings are reduced alleviating the requirement for rated doors and closers. PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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The wall rating has been removed.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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21)  Please take a look at the exit signage for the ALF courtyard.  I do not see clear exit and exit access signage on the plan north end of the courtyard.  I do see one sign but I am not sure what it is indicating.  Sheet EL201b.  Also will the accordian doors be used for egress at the north end of the courtyard or will the single side hinged door be used? This will be clarified when comment 13 is addressed. 

Whichever doors are utilized for egress, indicate on the plans that the doors utilized as egress from the courtyards will not be locked from inside of the courtyard and ensure exit signage is visible from the center of both courtyards.  

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Appropriate exit signage has been added and it has been clarified in the RTC and on the LS plan that the man door is intended as egress.  The RTC indicates that a note has been placed on sheet G10.4c indicating that all courtyard doors shall not be locked from the courtyard side.  I do not see this note on that sheet, please add.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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Note has been added to the plans.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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22) Egress locking arrangements

It is indicated on the plans that there are special locking arrangements being utilized in this project.  This information will require a separate submittal (revision) to our office.  When submitting provide a clean floor plan identifying locations of any special locks (magnets, keypads, delayed egress, electronic egress etc.). In addition provide all associated material specification sheets and a brief narrative on how each door is intended to operate.   Note: there are indications on doors that will have panic hardware that magnets will be used in conjunction.  The magnet must be listed for use with the panic hardware for direct release.  By looking at the door hardware, it appears that at least the following doors will be included: 101, 150b, 151a, 168a, 176, ST3b, S1, C1, C2, C3, C4.  Also provide sheets TS65.01 and TS6.02 with this submittal. 

A hold will be placed on the building permit for this information.  No inspections past insulation will be conducted until this is addressed. 

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Per RTC they will submit separately for this permit.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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23) Are you planning to use a wander guard egress system or similar in the memory care side? If so, indicate this when you submit for comment 22. 

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RTC indicates that they are unsure at this time, this will be incorporated into the locking permit per comment 22 above.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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24) INFORMATIONAL ONLY NO RESPONSE NECESSARY:
The system(s) outlined in this set of plans is conceptual.

A HOLD has been placed at insulation inspection (109) until either: a) a permit has been pulled or b) a letter submitted from respective system contractor indicating no work to be done to the existing system:

- fire alarm system
- fire sprinkler system
- fire underground
- kitchen hood
- kitchen suppression system
- Fire/smoke damper inspections
- Fire Pump
- Locking arrangements
- Generator Permit

- Radio Enhancement System

- FP justification for window sprinklers. 

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25) There are several sheets that contain kitchen hood information (CaptiveAire).  One of the following things need to take place to approval of the plans. 

  1. Remove all of the hood information from the plans. 
  2. Provide all of the information needed for hood permit including an application so the kitchen hood permit can be processed. 
  3. Add a note to the hood drawings indicating that the hood submittal will be deferred and submitted as a separate permit.

M3.05 detail 5 and CaptiveAire sheets 1-18. 

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Note was added to pages indicating deferred submittal separate permit required.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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26) The patio doors cannot lock from the patio side.   I do not see the Morning Porch (233) doors identified on the floor plan or door schedule to verify this.  Provide this information.

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RTC indicates that occupants will not be able to be trapped on this patio.  We will verify this at the time of final.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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27) The electrical plans do not indicate smoke alarms as per NFPA 101:32.3.3.4.7 in the dwelling units.  If the plan is to provide fire alarm system smoke detectors that function in the same manner as single station smoke alarms per NFPA 101:9.6.2.10.6, indicate this on the plans and show appropriate details when the alarm plans are submitted. 

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No change to plans, I will verify this when the alarm is submitted.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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28) Activities 131 is indicated with a residential style range.  Cooking facilities must be protected with a hood and suppression system based upon NFPA 101:32.3.3.8.1 unless permitted by 32.3.3.8.2, 32.3.3.8.3, or 32.3.3.8.4.  32.3.3.8.2 is not applicable because based on commentary it is intended for small appliance reheating such as microwaves, hot plates, toasters and nourishment centers.  Take a look at NFPA 101:32.3.3.8.3 and 32.3.3.8.4 and demonstrate compliance with either.  If not protection will be required in accordance with NFPA 96 (Hood and suppression system).  This applies to any residential range locations that may have been missed. 

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The range was removed from the plans.  Ensure that there is not gap in the millwork and no power hookup installed for a range in this location.  This will be verified at final.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

 

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29) Sheet FS-1.0 indicates 2 downdraft vent modules.  What cooking equipment is intended for use at these locations?  The same requirements in comment 28 apply here as well. 

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Specs submitted for a Volrath Downdraft conduction cooktop.  This unit is UL 197 listed therefore id does not require a standard kitchen hood per NFPA 1:50.2.1.1.1.  The unit does have a integrated suppression system that must be included in the suppression permit when submitted.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020  The plans indicate that this unit may be used in the activities room in the future.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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30) Will the building have a piped CO2 system for beverages, or will portable tanks be utilized?   If it will have a system, indicate the capacity of your beverage CO2 system on the plans.  If the system exceeds 100 pounds of product, demonstrate compliance with NFPA 1:63.3.1.2.4.1 on the plans. 

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Per RTC, no piped CO2 system.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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31) The life safety plan indicates that multiple egress paths utilize the MC dining area for egress from the building.  In looking at the proposed furniture plan, there does not appear to be a clearly defined path through the tables in the MC dining room, as there is in the AL dining room.  Ensure that a 44" clear path is provided for egress.  NFPA 101:12.2.5.8.2 

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44" is indicated on sheet ID1.1.  PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020

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32) The two stairs indicated on plan right discharge into an area that is flanked on both sides by continuations of the building, which contain windows.   Per NFPA 101:7.2.2.5.2.1 the walls within 10 of the stairwell including opening protection must meet the same rating as the stairs.  Indicate on the plans that the walls and windows will meet the rating requirements. 

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The RTC indicates that the walls meet the 1 hour requirements and that window sprinklers will be provided in accordance with NFPA 13.  I spoke to the architect on the phone about this, and that since the code does not have an allowance for sprinkler coverage in lieu of a fire rated window our office is going to require that a plan and analysis be submitted by a fire protection engineer indicating that window sprinklers per his design will provide proper opening protectives for a 1 hour fire wall.  Ensure that you include specifics regarding the engineer required sprinkler layout/orientation, as it relates to the window whether fixed or operable and include all applicable code sections and applicable supporting documentation.  If you have any questions on what is required, please contact my supervisor Anthony Gedris at 904-209-1741.   If this cannot be provided for by resubmittal, indicate that this is the direction you wish to go, and we can let it go with a hold for future submittal.   PJW Thursday, December 17, 2020 

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The RTC indicates that the sprinkler designer will reach out to a FPE for follow-up.  A hold has been placed on this permit for this information.   PJW Friday, February 05, 2021

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New Comment- In building radio enhancement

This building is more than 10,000 square feet or, two or more stories in height requiring a third party contractor to conduct a two-way radio communication test in accordance with NFPA 1:11.10 and NFPA 72 (2013 Edition)  by the time of the 105 framing inspection.

NOTE: A copy of this report must be provided and submitted to our office as a revision before the 105 framing inspection.  A 105 Framing Hold has been placed until receipt of the revision.

Should the third party contractor’s two-way radio communication test pass at the framing stage, a copy of the third party testing documentation will need to be submitted for review. Once the documentation has been received, the 105 framing hold will be removed.

OR,

Should the third party paperwork indicate that the test is not satisfactory, the contractor will then have to submit a building permit revision. The revision will need to include: the unsatisfactory test paperwork, outline of corrective measures, and plans to illustrate the corrective measures to meet requirements provided by the design professional.

If the building is required to have an In Building Radio Enhancement System, at the Fire Final you will be required to provide the Fire Inspector the third party contractor’s satisfactory testing documentation following the installation and testing of the In Building Radio Enhancement System. A hold will be placed for this documentation at the building permit fire final.

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RTC acknowledges this comment, it is indicated that they will pass this on to the GC and Owner.  PJW Friday, February 05, 2021 

 

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