§ 202-01 — Definitions

§ 202-01 Definitions.

(a) Scope. This section sets forth or references definitions for terms used in the rules. (b) General Provisions. (1) Terms defined in the Fire Code. Unless otherwise expressly stated, terms used in the rules that are defined in the Fire Code shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Fire Code definitions. (2) Terms defined in the rules. Unless otherwise expressly stated, terms used in the rules shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the definitions set forth in this section or in the other sections of the rules referenced in this section. (3) Other words and terms. Words and terms other than defined terms shall be interpreted in accordance with the provisions of FC 201. (4) Identification of defined terms. Terms defined in the Fire Code or the rules appear in the rules in italics. (5) Identification of rule sections. A capital letter "R" preceding any number in the rules, e.g., R201-01(b), shall indicate that reference is being made to a section of the rules or subdivision thereof. (c) Definitions. Administrative Code. New York City Administrative Code. Alarm service. The service provided by a central station company commencing upon the transmission from the protected premises of an alarm signal, a supervisory signal, or a trouble signal. Appendix Q. Section BC Q107 of Appendix Q of the Building Code, which amends NFPA 72, a Referenced Standard to the Building Code and Fire Code. Approved central station company. A central station company that has been issued a valid certificate of operation. ARC system. An in-building auxiliary radio communication system. Asphalt melter. An approved device designed to heat asphalt, typically for waterproofing operations, that, utilizing a flammable gas or a combustible liquid, generates an enclosed flame that indirectly heats a vessel containing the asphalt. Base station. A transceiver that receives radio signals from an antenna system and retransmits them through the antenna system in an amplified and/or otherwise enhanced manner. Building core fire alarm system. Fire alarm system devices and equipment in and around the central or main building stairwells, elevators and utility risers of any buildings, except buildings classified in Occupancy Group R-3. The following fire alarm system devices and equipment are considered to be part of the building core fire alarm system: (1) Fire alarm control unit, including booster panels and data gathering panels. (2) Central station communications devices and equipment. (3) Elevator recall initiating devices and equipment. (4) Automatic smoke control and pressurization devices and equipment. (5) Sprinkler water flow and tamper switch devices and equipment. (6) Fire detection devices in electrical, elevator, mechanical and telephone equipment rooms serving building core spaces and systems, excluding equipment rooms serving tenant business operations. (7) Manual fire alarm boxes at or near stairwells. (8) Warden phones and firefighter phones. (9) Duct detectors and fan shutdown relays for any HVAC unit greater than 2000 cubic feet/minute (cfm) serving building core spaces and systems. (10) Notification appliances in building core areas and means of egress stairwells. Bureau of Fire Prevention. Bureau of Fire Prevention of the New York City Fire Department. Central station company. A person or entity engaged in the operation of a central station. Central station signaling system. A system comprised of the protective signaling system at the protected premises, the central station physical plant, the exterior communications channels, and satellite stations, if any. Certification of corrected defects. Certification by licensed or certified professionals, in accordance with 3 RCNY § 104-04, that a defect cited by the Department in the design and/or installation of a fire alarm system has been corrected, as follows: (1) certification by the fire alarm system installer who personally corrected the defect. Such person shall either be: (A) a principal of a company to which the Department has issued a company certificate for fire alarm system installation, inspection, testing and servicing who holds a certificate of fitness for fire alarm system installation, inspection, testing and servicing and for certification of corrected defects; or (B) a technician employed by such a company who holds a certificate of fitness for fire alarm system installation, inspection, testing and servicing, and for certification of corrected defects; and (2) if correction of the defect necessitated the installation of electrical wiring or other work requiring the services of a licensed electrician, certification by the licensed master electrician or licensed special electrician who holds a certificate of fitness for certification of corrected defects who personally corrected the defect or supervised the work of a qualified electrical technician under such licensed electrician's direction and control; and (3) the licensed or certified professional who personally verified the functionality of the fire alarm system following correction of the defect. Such person shall hold a certificate of fitness for verification of corrected fire alarm system defects. Such person shall not be one of the licensed or certified professionals who certified correction of the fire alarm system defects. (4) A licensed special electrician may certify correction of work or verify system functionality only for fire alarm system installations for which the special electrician made the required filings. Critical areas. Areas of a building within which radio communication is critical for emergency response operations. Critical operations staff. Building personnel or other building occupants designated to remain after the emergency action plan is implemented to perform or shut down critical operations, or perform essential services, before they shelter in place, relocate in building or evacuate. Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Deputy FLS director. One (1) or more employees designated by the owner as qualified and trained to perform the duties of such position in accordance with the requirements of FC 401.4.5 and R401-04, and who possesses the requisite qualifications and training, as set forth in 3 RCNY § 113-03. Designated representative. A person or entity designated by the subscriber who shall be responsible for receiving notifications from the central station company concerning the status of the protective signaling system at the protected premises and who is authorized to take action with respect to such system. EAP. Emergency action plan. EAP staff. The individuals identified in an emergency action plan as responsible for the implementation of such plan, including but not limited to the fire safety / EAP director, deputy fire safety / EAP director, EAP building evacuation supervisor, EAP wardens, deputy EAP wardens, EAP searchers, members of the EAP brigade and critical operation staff. Emergency. A non-fire emergency that requires implementation of a building's emergency action plan to help ensure the safety of the building occupants. FCC. United States Federal Communications Commission. FDNY Summons. A form, formerly known as a notice of violation, that is used for purposes of enforcing the Fire Code, the rules, or other law, rule or regulation enforced by the Department, that serves to notify the respondent named therein of a violation of such laws, rules or regulations, orders correction of same, commences a proceeding at OATH, and sets forth information relating to such violation and proceeding. Fire Prevention Code. The New York City Fire Prevention Code, repealed effective July 1, 2008 by New York City Local Law No. 26 of 2008. Flammable plastic foam product. Foam material that will ignite and continue to burn after contact for five (5) seconds with an open flame or glowing material. FLS director. The employee designated by the owner to perform duties of such position in accordance with the requirements of FC 401.4.5 and R401-04, and who possesses the requisite qualifications and training, as set forth in 3 RCNY § 113-03. gpm. Gallons per minute. General areas. All areas of a building within which radio communication is to be made available for emergency response operations, excluding critical areas. Hookah coal. Charcoal manufactured for use as a heat source in a hookah, or any other combustible material used for this purpose. In-building auxiliary radio communication system. A wireless two-way building communication system dedicated for Department use and designed in accordance with Appendix Q to propagate Department wireless radio frequencies within a building. Such a system typically consists of a radio console, base station, cabling, amplifiers and antenna system. Inspector's test connection. A pipe with a diameter of not less than one (1) inch, that is connected to the sprinkler system on the uppermost story of the building, at the end of the most remote branch line, to which is attached a valve that discharges the flow of water equivalent to one (1) sprinkler head of a type having the smallest orifice installed in the system. Letter of approval. The written determination of the Department that a fire alarm system installation has been installed and is operating in compliance with the Building Code, Electrical Code and Fire Code and other applicable requirements for such installation enforced by the Department. Lighted coals. Hookah coal undergoing combustion. Mandatory system. A protective signaling system whose installation at a protected premises is required by law. Mobile CNG motor fuel system. A CNG motor fuel system mounted on a vehicle chassis, intended to be driven to different sites for the purpose of dispensing CNG into portable containers, storage systems or motor vehicle-mounted containers. Mobile CNG cascade. Multiple CNG containers connected together by rigid steel pipe or tubing, mounted on a trailer or motor vehicle chassis, and intended to be driven or towed to different sites for the purpose of dispensing CNG into portable or motor vehicle-mounted containers. Neighboring buildings. Buildings subject to the provisions of FC 510 that are located on either side of a city street, up to a distance of 200 feet apart, unless separated by a barrier to movement, such as a restricted access roadway or railway. Non-tobacco hookah establishment. An establishment for the on-premises sale and use of non-tobacco smoking products, as defined in New York City Administrative Code § 17-502(aaa). Notice of disposal. A written notice advising owners of contraband material or other interested parties of the final opportunity to reclaim such material. Notice of seizure. A written notice advising the owner of contraband material of its seizure and of the procedures for reclaiming it. OATH. The New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, acting pursuant to Section 1049-a of the New York City Charter. Open-flame decorative device. An open-flame device used for decorative or lighting purposes, including wall-mounted candles, torch sconces, insect-repellent candles, tabletop candles and lamps, free-standing torch holders and candelabras, and similar devices. Owner. The fee owner or lessee of the building, or other person or entity having charge thereof. Partial evacuation. The emptying of a building of some but not all building occupants in response to a fire or an emergency. Permanently out-of-service storage systems. Storage systems that are no longer to be used for storing gasoline, diesel, fuel oil or other flammable or combustible liquids or that have not been used for one (1) year or more. The Department may deem a storage system permanently out of service and require that it be closed accordingly where it has not been closed and maintained as a temporarily out-of-service storage system and the circumstances of an actual or anticipated change in use or occupancy of the premises at which the storage system is located indicate that any further use of such storage system cannot be reasonably anticipated. Pre-existing (facility or condition). Any condition, including the design and installation of any facility, lawfully existing on the effective date of a Fire Code provision that, in accordance with FC 102.3, 102.4, 102.5 and this rule, may be continued in compliance with laws, rules, regulations and permit conditions applicable at the time such facility was lawfully allowed or approved, and which is not determined by the Department to be subject to the provisions of FC 102.5. Pressure reducing devices. Devices, including valves, installed in standpipe systems at or near hose outlet connections that act to limit both the static and dynamic water pressures downstream of the standpipe outlet valve. Pressure restrictors. Removable fittings or "SECO Type" valves that restrict flowing water pressures by reducing the available cross-sectional area of flow. Professional certification / professionally certified. The submission to the Department of a signed, personal verification by a person holding a certificate of fitness for professional certification of fire alarm and emergency alarm system installations and testing who is a registered design professional, master electrician, special electrician, or fire alarm system installer with NICET-Level III certification licensed by or registered with the State of New York, that accompanies an application and/or design and installation documents filed with the Department and attests that such application or design and installation documents do not contain any false information and that such application or design and installation documents are in compliance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Proprietary central station. A central station operated by or on behalf of the owner of the protected premises monitored by the central station, that monitors protected premises other than the premises in which the central station is located. For purposes of 3 RCNY § 901-01 and 3 RCNY § 8104-01, unless otherwise specifically provided, reference to "central station company" shall be deemed to include proprietary central stations. Protective signaling system. A system or device installed at a protected premises and designed to transmit an alarm signal, a supervisory signal or a trouble signal. psi. Pounds per square inch. psig. Pounds per square inch gauge. Runner service. The dispatching to the protected premises of individuals designated by a central station company, other than the required number of operators on duty to monitor signals, to silence, reset and otherwise restore the protected signaling system to normal service. Such runners may be employees of the central station company, another approved central station company, or a service retained by the central station company, provided that the individuals are trained in and knowledgeable of the protective signaling systems for which they are providing runner service. Shelter in place. The precaution of directing building occupants to remain inside the building, at their present location, in response to a fire or an emergency. Subscriber. An owner of a protected premises, or an owner of a fire alarm system installed on such a premises, who has arranged for a central station company to monitor the fire alarm system on the protected premises for the purpose of reporting fire alarms to the Department. Technical criteria. Technical specifications and standards for the design and operation of ARC systems established pursuant to Section 24.5.2.7 of Appendix Q. Technical criteria include but are not limited to operating frequencies; maximum time domain interference; unit ID and emergency alert signaling; dedicated radio console and other installation specifications; and testing equipment specifications. Temporarily out-of-service storage systems. Storage systems for gasoline, diesel, fuel oil or other flammable or combustible liquids that have not been used for 30 days or more, but less than one (1) year. Terminal. A number assigned by the Department which indicates a specific location and/or type of alarm signal at a protected premises. Testable area. Locations within a building in which an ARC system commissioning test can be conducted, including all areas designed for human occupancy. Mechanical rooms and other utility areas are testable areas if, and to the extent that, they are accessible. Transmitter. A component of a protective signaling system that provides the link between a fire alarm system and the transmission channels. Voluntary system. A protective signaling system whose installation at a protected premises is not required by law. Window/egress gate. Any gate, bar, grille, grate or similar device placed over any window or other opening onto a fire escape, any required secondary means of egress in a multiple dwelling, or any emergency escape and rescue opening. (Amended City Record 9/20/2023, eff. 10/20/2023)