INTERIOR FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland pt. THREE, pt. IIID, tit. XI, ch. 391, pt. INTERIOR FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

in effect

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.01 Scope

§ 391.01 Scope The provisions of this chapter shall govern the installation of required interior fire alarm systems, except that the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to mechanically operated alarms actuated by automatic sprinkler systems. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.02 Conditions Requiring Interior Fire Alarms

§ 391.02 Conditions Requiring Interior Fire Alarms Fire protective signaling systems shall be of an approved type and shall be installed in accordance with the Ohio Basic Building Code and as specified in the following table: Use Group Classification as defined in the Ohio Basic Building Code | Where Required Assembly, A-1, A-2, A-3 | All buildings containing more than 1 room or space of A-1, A-2 or A-3 assembly occupancy. Factory & Industrial F-1 | All buildings more than 2 stories in height. High Hazard, H-1, H-2,H-3, H-4 | All buildings or parts of buildings more than 1 story in height. Mercantile | Buildings with sales rooms above 2nd floor level; and those with an unenclosed moving stairway or open stairway. (a) Presignal type to be installed only in buildings with approved trained fire brigade. (b) Noncoded type permitted only in buildings housing adults where there are no bedridden or incapacitated patients. (c) Any fire alarm condition initiated by a manual pull station or detection appliance or any observance of fire or smoke by an individual in any hospital or nursing home shall be immediately reported to the Division of Fire by any of the following: (1) Transmission of the alarm by a third party central station system approved by the Fire Chief; (2) Notification to the Division of Fire by dialing 911. (Ord. No. 2013-94. Passed 6-19-95, eff. 6-28-95)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.03 Types of Systems Required

§ 391.03 Types of Systems Required All interior fire alarm systems shall be supervised closed circuit electrically operated systems except that in specific instances, where deemed adequate for the purpose by the Division of Fire, manually operated trip fire gongs not less than eight (8) inches in diameter may be installed in buildings not more than two (2) stories in height, and except that open circuit systems may be installed in specific instances where deemed adequate for the purpose by the Division in buildings where noncoded systems are permitted by this Fire Prevention Code and where not more than two (2) alarm sending stations are required. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.04 Definitions

§ 391.04 Definitions As used in this Fire Prevention Code: (a) “Interior fire alarm system” means an alarm system installed within a building and provided and intended to warn the occupants of the building in the event of fire by means of an audible signal transmitted from manual trip stations, signal stations or boxes, or automatic fire detecting devices. (b) “Closed circuit system” means one in which all circuits between alarm sending stations, sounding devices and annunciators are maintained as normally closed electrical circuits. (c) “Open circuit system” means one in which all circuits are maintained as electric circuits normally open at the alarm sending stations and which is operated by closing the circuit at any alarm sending station. (d) “Coded closed circuit interior fire alarm, signal system” means interior fire alarm signal consisting of sending stations and signaling devices operated on supervised closed electrical circuits where rounds of automatically sounded coded signals are transmitted to indicate the floor or portion of the same from which the alarm was sent. (e) “Noncoded closed circuit interior fire alarm signal system” means an interior fire alarm signal system consisting of sending stations and signaling devices operated on supervised closed electrical circuits so arranged that operation of any station will automatically sound the sounding devices throughout all portions of the building. (f) “Presignal system” means a coded closed circuit interior fire alarm signal system so arranged that the operation of any station will cause the sounding of the sounding devices located at a main telephone switchboard, office, custodian’s room, chief engineer’s office or other place within a building, to notify a responsible person that an alarm box has been operated, and the location of such alarm box. Alarm stations of a presignal system shall be so equipped that operation of any alarm sending station by an authorized person in a special manner or by use of a special key shall cause the sounding of all sounding devices throughout the building. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.05 Materials and Devices

§ 391.05 Materials and Devices All required electrically operated interior fire alarm systems and all devices and equipment in connection with such fire alarm systems installed after June 27, 1949, shall be systems, devices and equipment of a type which has been approved for the purpose by the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals. Systems, devices and equipment which have been tested and approved by the Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc., or tested and approved by other recognized testing laboratory with adequate equipment, experience and competency, may be approved by the Board without additional tests. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.06 Approval of System Plans

§ 391.06 Approval of System Plans All required interior fire alarm systems shall be installed in conformity with plans therefor which have been submitted to and approved by the Fire Chief. Plans submitted for approval shall clearly describe all component parts of the proposed system and indicate, in diagrammatic fashion, the proposed location of all alarm sending stations, sounding devices and annunciators. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.07 Alarm Sending Stations

§ 391.07 Alarm Sending Stations (a) In all buildings provided with an electrically operated interior fire alarm system, at least one (1) fire alarm sending station shall be provided at each floor level located in a natural path of escape from fire at a readily accessible location designated or approved by the Fire Chief. Additional sending stations shall be provided so that no point on any floor area not divided into rooms, or from any door to an apartment, dwelling unit or room, shall be more than one hundred (100) feet distant from the nearest sending station upon such floor. At floor levels where more than one (1) sending station are required, the sending stations shall be located at the customary means of egress from the floor level unless otherwise directed by the Chief. (b) All sending stations shall be located five (5) feet three (3) inches from handle to floor. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.08 Sounding Devices

§ 391.08 Sounding Devices (a) Sounding devices shall be sufficient in number to be clearly audible to all the occupants of the building. (b) All sounding devices in the same building shall be of the same type and shall emit a distinctive signal used only for fire alarm purposes. (c) Where coded systems are used, audible sounding devices shall sound the code signal at least three (3) times whenever such code signal is transmitted. However, in buildings of residential occupancy classification the code signal shall sound continuously until manually silenced at the station from which the signal was transmitted. (d) Where ceiling heights permit, gongs or other sounding device shall be located approximately eight (8) feet above the floor level. Where ceiling heights do not permit installation at that level, gongs or other sounding devices shall be located close to the ceiling level. (e) The provisions of this section shall not, however, be interpreted to preclude or prevent the installation of special sounding devices which have been approved by the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals and which are installed in conformity with the conditions of such approval. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.09 Annunciators

§ 391.09 Annunciators (a) Annunciators used in connection with presignal type interior fire alarm systems shall be of an approved closed circuit type. (b) Annunciators shall have relays of approved type and shall be equipped with suitable target, shutter or other indicating device, each marked with a suitable description of the purpose it serves and requiring manual reset after operation. (c) Annunciators shall be so designed that they will indicate trouble on any circuit, control board or at any other point on an interior fire alarm system, by visible and audible signals. The indicating devices on trouble annunciators shall reset automatically when the cause of trouble has been removed. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.10 Sources of Electrical Energy

§ 391.10 Sources of Electrical Energy (a) The following sources of energy for electrically operated interior fire alarm systems shall be approved: (1) Central station electric power; (2) Two (2) or more electric power generating units; (3) Two (2) or more sets of storage battery units; (4) One (1) electric generator supplemented by storage battery equipment or other approved auxiliary equipment; (5) Storage battery equipment under continuous charge from an approved trickle type charger. (b) One (1) approved source of energy shall be connected to an electrically operated interior fire alarm system at all times. When an auxiliary source of energy is required, it shall be so arranged and controlled by an automatic switch that, when the primary source of energy fails, the secondary source will be automatically connected to the fire alarm signal system. No intermediate devices shall be connected between the fire alarm control board and the source of current supply unless specifically approved by the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals. (c) Except as provided in subsection (e) hereof, when the energy for a fire alarm signal system is supplied by a central station electric power system, it shall be accepted as the sole source of supply. Connections to the service shall be made as close to the service entrance as practicable, but in any case on the street side of any main overcurrent protection device or service switch. (d) Fire alarm cut-outs installed at power sources shall be enclosed in locked or sealed metal cabinets painted bright red and stenciled “INTERIOR FIRE ALARM.” Fuses shall be of the enclosed cartridge type, three (3) pole with neutral fuse replaced by a solid copper wire or other approved fuses. Screw plug fuses shall not be used. (e) In buildings or parts of buildings of Institutional H Occupancy or Assembly Occupancy classification required under Chapter 3135 to have an auxiliary power source for emergency lighting or exitways, such source shall be utilized as an auxiliary source of energy for the interior fire alarm systems. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.11 Supervising Current

§ 391.11 Supervising Current (a) Provisions shall be made so that a small current flow to constantly supervise each circuit shall be maintained on every closed circuit electrically operated interior fire alarm system. A milliammeter or other approved current indicator shall be provided and so connected as to indicate the supervising current. (b) The supervising circuit shall be provided with a trouble bell operating on open circuit arranged to ring continuously in case of failure of the system. The trouble bell shall be so located that will be within audible range of some responsible person in the building and shall be connected to the electric light or power service in the building. (c) Trouble bells shall not be fitted with silencing switches except in such a manner that the act of silencing the bell by the operation of a switch automatically and positively transfers the trouble signal to a red lamp, fed by some auxiliary source of current supply, on the control board. This auxiliary source of current supply may be a house lighting circuit or any other approved source. (d) Trouble bells shall be an approved vibrating type and shall give a distinctive signal. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.12 Station Testing Devices

§ 391.12 Station Testing Devices Interior fire alarm systems shall be provided with an auxiliary device to test the signaling devices, and provision shall be made for silent testing of coded alarm box mechanisms without operating the signaling devices. All provisions for station testing shall be of an approved type. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.13 Subdivided Buildings

§ 391.13 Subdivided Buildings Where a building is subdivided into sections by fire walls, each section shall be deemed a separate building when designing or installing required interior fire alarm signal systems. One (1) control board may be used if so arranged as to operate the signaling devices in each section of the building separately. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.14 Installation of Electrical Work

§ 391.14 Installation of Electrical Work All electrical work in connection with interior fire alarm systems shall conform to the provisions of Chapter 3161. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.15 Acceptance Tests

§ 391.15 Acceptance Tests (a) Upon completion of an interior fire alarm system and as a condition of approval, a test of the entire installation shall be made under the direction of the Fire Chief and with the cooperation of the Commissioner of Building. (b) Electrical equipment and installations shall be subject to inspection and approval under Chapter 3161. All electrically operated closed circuit systems shall show an insulation resistance of not less than ten (10) megohms with signaling apparatus disconnected. (c) The owner or installer of such interior fire alarm system shall furnish all the necessary tools, instructions and labor to conduct the test. (d) Every installer shall notify the Division of Fire and the Commissioner in writing at the start and upon the completion of the installation of each interior fire alarm system. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.16 Monthly Tests

§ 391.16 Monthly Tests Interior fire alarm systems shall be tested each month, and at such times as may be directed by the Division of Fire, after warning the occupants of the building. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.17 Maintenance

§ 391.17 Maintenance (a) Interior fire alarm systems shall be maintained in operating condition at all times except when a building is vacated for a period of more than one (1) week. If, for any reason, a system becomes inoperative, cards shall be placed at the sending stations indicating that the system is out of order and immediate steps shall be taken to have the system restored to working order. (b) In systems using break-glass type stations at least one (1) extra glass for each station in the system shall be kept on the premises. (Ord. No. 991-49. Passed 6-27-49, eff. 6-27-49)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.18 Supplemental Regulations for Installation of Interior Systems

§ 391.18 Supplemental Regulations for Installation of Interior Systems When deemed necessary, the Board of Building Standards and Building Appeals may promulgate supplementary rules and regulations for the installation of interior fire alarm systems. In the absence of such rules and regulations all installations shall conform to the provisions of this Fire Prevention Code and to accepted good practice. Conformity with the requirements and recommendations of the NFPA Standard No. 72A “Local Protective Signaling Systems”; No. 72B “Auxiliary Protective Signaling Systems”; No. 72C “Remote Station Protective Signaling Systems”; No. 72E “Automatic Fire Detectors” and NFPA Standard No. 73, shall be deemed evidence of conformity with accepted good practice. (Ord. No. 1017-76. Passed 7-19-76, eff. 7-21-76)

Codified Ordinances of Cleveland § 391.19 Existing Installations

§ 391.19 Existing Installations (a) Interior fire alarm systems installed prior to June 27, 1949, which provide an adequate means of warning the occupants in case of fire may be approved by the Fire Chief as long as they are maintained in proper working order. (b) Existing systems which are not in substantial conformity with the provisions of Sections 391.01 to 391.19 and which are deemed inadequate by the Chief shall be altered or replaced as necessary to provide an adequate means for warning the occupants of the building in case of fire. (c) Hospitals, and nursing homes shall provide, within one (1) year after the passage of this section, an approved radio signal system or a direct connection, or a connection by means of an approved signal supervisory service to the Division of Fire for immediate notification of the Division should fire occur. (Ord. No. 1017-76. Passed 7-19-76, eff. 7-21-76)

Source: City of Cleveland, Ohio, Codified Ordinances and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/cleveland/latest/cleveland_oh/0-0-0-18451Fetched: 11/1/2026