Best Practices

Best Practices

Appendix B: Best Practices

Success in implementing a residential fire sprinkler requirement will depend on many areas of preparation. There is a considerable amount of work, especially detailed background work, that may not be seen on the surface but is what may lead to success. One important area that cannot be over emphasized is communication and information.

Today, when people need information the first place they turn to is the Internet. A good web site that is easy to navigate and provides the right amount of information will go far in helping the design professional, the sprinkler installer and the building industry accomplish a well-prepared plan that, when reviewed, meets all of the specifications of the jurisdiction. These individuals want to be able to keep their work on a schedule; clear and thorough details available ahead of time will help them achieve their goals as well as reduce the need for you to have to tell them directly.

Clearly articulating your specific requirements in an accessible fashion will increase consistency. Well-thought-out charts, text explanations and diagrams can reduce mistakes and reinforce concrete expectations. The following section highlights some best practices in accessible requirements.

Policy Issues:

Interpretations and Applications (click here)
This is a comprehensive document presenting how the city of Scottsdale interprets the sprinkler standards. This best practice should be strongly considered for any implementation plan. Recognize however, that these are policy statements and the Interpretations & Applications document evolved over many years of managing a residential fire sprinkler requirement. It would be difficult to initially develop all these policies since many of them come about after much thought, planning and in some cases problem solving. Jurisdictions planning an implementation could opt to review this document and use the interpretations that are appropriate for their community. The Scottsdale document is arranged following the NFPA 13D and 13R sections, which can serve as an effective outline.

Stakeholder Involvement:

The California State Fire Marshal involved stakeholders in a series of task forces designed to acquire participation from all areas affected by a residential fire sprinkler requirement. The California implementation is on-going, with January 1, 2011, as the implementation date. California's reports offer an excellent model to others who are implementing a residential sprinkler requirement.

California's task force process is a best practice example for implementing complex change. It is a powerful strategic approach to a successful residential fire sprinkler requirement. State officials have provided a good example of documenting their work, including conclusions and recommendations resulting from their meetings. The task force reports are available for use by other jurisdictions and are available on the State Fire Marshal's website.

California Residential Fire Sprinkler Installation Task Force Final Report and Recommendations (click here)

California Residential Fire Sprinkler/Training and Education Task Force Final Report and Recommendations (click here)

California Residential Fire Sprinkler/Water Purveyor Task Force Final Report and Recommendations (click here)

Another example of using a task force to build consensus can be found in the experience of Prince George's County, Maryland. Prince George's County identified residential fire sprinklers as a method to reduce risk to their residents. In October 1986 Fire Chief M. H. "Jim" Estepp established a task force of key stakeholders with the mission to determine current risk and to determine if a residential fire sprinkler requirement was right for Prince George's County. The task force agenda established a very aggressive work approach that produced a report by February 1987. The task force report led to legislation that amended the Prince George's County Building Code requiring "Quick Activation Sprinkler Systems" in all newly constructed residential dwelling units, motels and hotels. The legislation phased-in a fire sprinkler requirement, with the final phase requiring fire sprinklers in new one-and two-family dwellings by January 1, 1992. The following quotation from the report speaks to the benefit of participation by stakeholders, which resulted in a safer outcome for future residents.

"It was evident and heartening throughout this endeavor that a common interest in the safety of the citizens of Prince George's County was of mutual concern to private and public sector representation alike. At the same time, every avenue of potential cost reductions associated with any potential sprinkler legislation was examined for possible application in an effort to develop realistic and equitable standards."

The International Association of Fire Chiefs with the National Fire Sprinkler Association produced an excellent resource titled Residential Fire Sprinklers: A Step-By-Step Approach for Communities, Second Edition (click here).. While this guide focuses on the organizing of the stakeholder group that helps to get the ordinance passed, it provides superb guidance that can be used at any step of the process, including activities after passage of the ordinance.

Plan Review and Inspection:

Common Plan Check Notes and Requirements (click here)
Plan check notes are a way to communicate to the permit holder specific and additional detail that will be required of the AHJ. In this case from Napa, California, anyone who is considering installing a residential fire sprinkler system is provided with a compilation of potential requirements so that they can be considered ahead of time. This is similar to the Scottsdale use of documented interpretations; it just becomes the action of how it is written and included on plans after they are reviewed.

Express Residential Fire Sprinkler Design Guide (click here)
Prince George's County, Maryland, worked with the U.S. Fire Administration and the National Association of Home Builders to create a design guide that would provide a simplified method for designing and laying out residential fire sprinkler systems. The simplification has been achieved by pre-engineering key features of the design. The guide includes a preliminary discussion of sprinkler coverage area, water flow, and water pressure. After this overview of the essentials, the guide is divided into two sections: Hydraulic Worksheet - where calculations are performed on a sheet enabling the installer to account for pressure losses in the system and ensure that adequate water flow and water pressure are available at the most remote sprinkler; and Sprinkler Target Zones - which eliminate the need to determine precise locations for sprinklers and substitute "target zones" where sprinklers can be placed to provide adequate coverage.

Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems: Plan Submittal and Inspection Requirements (click here)
This document posted on the Warrington Township, Pennsylvania, website offers a best practice in concrete direction for what is expected beyond the NFPA 13D standard for residential fire sprinkler systems. This is a good start for any jurisdiction needing a model for describing its internal requirements.

Residential Fire Sprinkler Plan Review Checklist (click here)
Similar to the Encinitas checklist, Henderson, Nevada, adds some introductory comments and explanations on what to expect.

Minimum Requirements For Fire Sprinkler Plan Review Submittal Checklist - Yakima, Washington (click here)

Plan Submittal And Inspection Requirements - San Mateo, California (click here)

Inspections of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems - Maine State Fire Marshal (click here)

Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems - Warrington Township, Pennsylvania (click here)

Installation of Residential Fire Sprinkler Systems - Pioneer Fire Protection Standard (click here)
This guideline specifically describes the elements that will be evaluated in an inspection. This is a very thorough document that goes into detail of the NFPA 13D Standard.

Residential Inspections - Montgomery County, Maryland (click here)

Permitting:

Fire Service Fee Schedule (click here)
San Bernardino, California, like many communities, has provided specific information on its web site to identify fees and costs associated with residential fire sprinkler systems and other permitted and inspectable work. As with other items identified previously it is helpful to provide as much information as possible to increase the potential for a successful project. Many of the design and engineering professionals deal with different jurisdictions and as they are anticipating expenditures when planning work they need readily accessible reference sources to identify their costs. The easier they can find information the better. The San Bernardino fee schedule is very straightforward in its approach.

Permit Application - Altamonte Springs, Florida (click here)

Fees:

Ordinance Establishing A Schedule Of Fees For Fire Prevention Inspections And Reviews Within The Boundaries Of The Oswego Fire Protection District (click here).
This document from Oswego, Illinois, provides the legislative approach to establishing the fee schedule. This is accomplished through the jurisdiction's legislative process. Note that in this ordinance it provides for the AHJ to waive a fee where appropriate. This is an important consideration in planning your business process because at some point the need to waive a fee will come up and if it is not clearly identified as something that can be done, then you may be required by law to require a fee from someone who would otherwise not be required to do so. You will need to have assistance in this area of planning from the legal or finance staff within the government.

FM Fee Schedule (click here)
This web page from Fairfax County, Virginia, provides an explanation for fees as well as links to the authority to charge the fees. The Fairfax County Fire Marshal's Office web site is a best practice for transparency and the priority to communicate and make available information helpful to residents and businesses in the county. It is simple and straightforward but has many links to information and the format is intuitive.

Building Permit Fee Changes Explanation (click here)
This explanation was chosen to show how officials in Aurora, Colorado, explain their reason for implementing a fee structure. If it is necessary to establish fees or other authorization and it must be done through the jurisdiction's legislative process, consider this in planning the implementation. These are critical path considerations that may be out of your control and may take considerable time to go through the process.

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