What You Need to Know

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE DEPARMENT MANDATE (AUGUST 2016)

January 2017 Mandate: FAQ

APARTMENT BUILDING CERTIFICATION

The San Francisco Fire Department has mandated that by January 31, 2017, every R-2 occupancy residential buildings with 3 or more units shall have their Fire Alarm company fill out the Fire Alarm Statement of Compliance form.

Owners of apartment buildings of 3 – 8 units shall submit a completed (by their fire alarm company) Fire Alarm Statement of Compliance form by July 1, 2021, or on the completion of work under a building permit of over $50,000.

Click Here for Official San Francisco Fire Safety Code Requirements

SLEEPING AREA REQUIREMENTS

Section 1103.7.6.1 For all buildings that are required to have a fire alarm system under this Code, the Building Code, the Housing Code or any other law, they building owner shall upgrade the fire alarm system, if necessary to comply with the sound level requirement for sleeping areas set forth in Section 18.4.5.1 of NFPA 72 (2013 Edition), upon either (a) completion of work under a building permit with a cost of construction of $50,000 or more or (b) July 1, 2021,whichever occurs first.

2013 NFPA 72:

18.4.5.1 Where audible appliances are installed to provide signals for sleeping areas, they shall have a sound level of at least 15dB above the average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level having a duration of at least 60 seconds or a sound level of at least 75 dBA, whichever is greater, measured at the pillow level in the area required to be served by the system using the A-weighted scale (dBA).

18.4.5.2 If any barrier, such as a door, curtain, or retractable partition, is located between the notification appliance and the pillow, the sound pressure level shall be measured with the barrier placed between the appliance and the pillow.

18.4.5.3 Effective January 1, 2014, audible appliances provided for the sleeping areas to awaken occupants shall produce a low frequency alarm signal that complies with the following:

The alarm signal shall be a square wave or provide equivalent awakening ability.
The wave shall have a fundamental frequency of 520 HZ +/- 10 percent.