AN ORDINANCE repealing Ordinance 1997-02, Ordinance 1996-12
and Chapter 8.06 Maintenance and Service of Fire Hydrants in Skamania
Protection to Skamania
WHEREAS, Skamania County Board of Commissioners finds that the quality of fire protection services in Skamania County will be best served by standards for installation and improvement of water supplies, water mains and fire hydrants which are intended to provide a reasonable degree of protection against the fire hazard risks associated with various types and densities of land uses;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED that Ordinance 1997-02, Ordinance 1996-12 and Chapter 8.06 Maintenance and Service of Fire Hydrants of Skamania County Code Title 8 are hereby repealed.
BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that a new section, Chapter 15.33, titled “Fire Protection” is hereby added to the Skamania County Code Title 15, “Buildings and Construction” as follows:
Fire Protection
15.33.01 Intent
15.33.02 Definitions
15.33.03 Application
15.33.04 Exemptions
15.33.05 Water Main Requirements
15.33.06 Fire Hydrants
15.33.07 Fire Hydrants Serving Single-Family Dwellings
15.33.08 Fire Hydrant Maintenance
15.33.09 No Parking Near Fire Hydrants
15.33.10 Fire Flow Guide
15.33.11 Alternate Methods of Compliance
15.33.12 Enforcement
15.33.13 Appeals
15.33.14 Severability
15.33.01 Intent
Skamania County Fire Marshal shall administer and enforce the Skamania County Fire Protection Ordinance in consultation with the local Fire Districts.
15.33.02 Definitions
(A) Unless otherwise provided in this section, the definitions in the International Fire Code, as adopted by the State Building Code Act, and in the Rules and Regulations of the State Health Department Regarding Public Water Systems, WAC 246-293-110 shall apply to this chapter.
(B) “Approved” or “Approval” shall mean that the requirement, condition, system, modification or standard is subject to the Fire Marshal’s approval or authorization, provided however, land use decisions and water systems are not subject to the approval of the Fire Marshal.
(C) “Chief” or “Chief of the Fire Department” when used in the International Fire Code is amended to “Skamania County Fire Marshal” except as related to fire suppression, and in such case Chief will be the Chief of the fire authority responsible for suppression of fire in that area.
(D) “Chief of Police or Police Department” when used in the International Fire Code is amended to “Skamania County Sheriff”.
(E) “Fire District” or “Chief of Fire District” shall mean the fire authority normally responsible for fire suppression in a specified area.
(F) “Fire Marshal” shall mean the Skamania County Fire Marshal or his designated representative.
(G) “Supervised” when applied to a fire protection system shall mean that the system is under constant monitoring by an approved central station.
(H) “Fire Flow” is the flow rate of a water supply, measured at 20-psi (137.9Kpa) residual pressure that is available for firefighting purposes.
(I) “Water main” shall mean piping used to deliver water to any fire hydrant or to one or more individual service connections.
(J) “Water Company” shall mean water purveyor servicing one (1) hundred connections or more.
(K) “Contiguous subdivision” shall mean those subdivisions that are within 300 feet of another residential, commercial or industrial structure or other subdivision.
(L) “Adequate and Reliable Water Supply” A water supply that is sufficient every day of the year to help control anticipated fires in unincorporated Skamania County, a particular building, or building group served by the water supply.
15.33.03 Application
(A) Subdivisions are required to be provided with water mains and hydrants, and provide fire flows consistent with County and State Department of Health requirements for water system design. Plans for such water mains and hydrants shall be submitted to and approved by the Fire Marshal, and made a condition of final plat or short plat approval.
(B) All structures or additions erected pursuant to a building permit and/or mobile home permit shall be served by operational water mains, fire hydrants and fire flows consistent with County standards. Prior to issuance of a building or mobile home permit, plans for such water mains and hydrants shall be submitted to the Fire Marshal. Construction or installation shall not be commenced until such plans for water mains and hydrants are approved by the Fire Marshal.
(C) Mobile home parks and recreational vehicle parks shall be required to provide water mains, fire hydrants and fire flows consistent with County and State Department of Health standards for water system design. Prior to issuance of a building or mobile home permit, plans for such water mains and hydrants shall be submitted to the Fire Marshal. Construction or installation shall not be commenced until such plans for water mains and hydrants are approved by the Fire Marshal, and shall be a condition of the final site plan.
(D) Uses not involving a structure shall be regulated at the discretion of the Fire Marshal. Plans for such water mains, fire hydrants and fire flows, if any are required, shall be submitted to the Fire Marshal. Construction or installation of uses shall not be commenced until such plans are approved by the Fire Marshal.
(E) All new water mains and all additions and extensions to existing water mains shall meet the requirements of this chapter. Except that in NO case shall a water company extend a water main or expand their system in such a manner as to limit the eventual capability to deliver less than 1,000 gallons per minute.
(F) All changes in occupancy, as defined in the International Building Code, shall meet the requirements of this Ordinance when the degree of hazard is increased.
15.33.04 Exemptions
(A) The following are exempt from the water flow and fire hydrant requirements of this Ordinance; however categories 1, 2, 3, & 4, when serviced by Water Company shall meet requirements of this ordinance.
(1) All subdivisions that contain lots that are all greater than one (1) acre in size, unless serviced by Water Company.
(2) All long subdivisions that contain ten (10) lots or less, not contiguous with another subdivision and within the boundaries of a fire district if the district can provide a tender of water in the amount of 250 gallons per minute for a period not less than 60 minutes. In the event the district cannot supply a continuous source the developer has the option to provide an adequate and reliable water supply through any method approved by the Fire Marshal and the Local Fire District, provided further, however, that subdivisions with five (5) or more lots within 1,000 feet of an approved water system shall be required to connect to that system, when water system has the capability to supply. Subdivisions, both long and short, are as defined in RCW 58.17, as amended.
(3) Short subdivisions that is not contiguous to other subdivisions or short subdivisions. Subdivisions, both long and short, are as defined in RCW 58.17, as amended.
(4) All single family detached dwellings and mobile homes.
(5) Agricultural buildings, which are open on all four (4) sides.
(6) Fire flow requirements may be waived when the entire structure is less than 1,000 square feet in size.
(B) The Fire Marshal shall have the authority to impose conditions, including but not limited to, increased setbacks, use of fire retardant materials and/or drafting ponds on permits exempt pursuant to subsection (A) where necessary to mitigate identified fire hazards.
15.33.05 Water Main Requirements
(A) All water mains that serve fire hydrants subject to the provisions of this Ordinance shall be a minimum of eight inches (8”) inside diameter for dead end mains over fifty feet (50’) in length and a minimum of six inches (6”) inside diameter for circulating mains. Hydrant leads less than fifty feet (50’) in length may be six inches (6”) in inside diameter.
(B) All newly installed water mains shall have fire hydrants installed to conform to the requirements of this chapter.
15.33.06 Fire Hydrants
Fire hydrants shall meet the following requirements:
(A) Shall conform to current standards and otherwise meet sound engineering practices as presented by a licensed engineer;
(B) Shall have an auxiliary gate valve sufficient to permit repair or replacement without disruption of water services;
(C) Shall have a minimum five-inch (5”) main valve opening and two (2) two-and-one-half-inch (2 ½”) outlets.
(D) Shall stand plumb and be set to finished grade; the center of the lowest outlet shall be no less than eighteen inches (18”) nor more than twenty-eight inches (28”) above grade; there shall be not less than thirty-six inch (36”) radius of clear area surrounding the outlets and control valve to permit the operation of a hydrant wrench; the steamer/pumper port shall face the street or, if there is no street, the most likely route of emergency approach;
(E) Shall have “breakaway” features, which allow the fire hydrant to break away from the water main without substantial damage to the water main;
(F) No material or item shall be placed or stored in proximity to a fire hydrant that would hinder the immediate observation of or access to the hydrant.
(G) Fire hydrants shall be located at street intersections whenever practical.
Fire Hydrant Distribution.
(A) Fire hydrant distribution to be determined by Appendix C of the International Fire Code, except as amended under Section 6 of this code.
15.33.07 Fire Hydrants Serving Single-Family Dwellings
(A) Fire hydrants serving detached single-family dwellings or duplex dwellings on individual lots shall be located not more than seven hundred (700) feet apart, provided however, no lot is more than two hundred and fifty feet (250’) from a hydrant.
15.33.08 Fire Hydrant Maintenance
(A) All water companies shall be responsible, in accordance with this chapter and the International Fire Code, to maintain and service all fire hydrants within the area they serve. The water company shall maintain and service the fire hydrants to the standards required by the applicable provisions.
15.33.09 No Parking Near Fire Hydrants
No person shall park any vehicle within fifteen (15’) of a fire hydrant.
15.33.10 Fire Flow Guide
Appendix B of the International Code as amended, and table B105.1, of the International Fire Code as amended, will be used as reference for fire flows.
1. In no case shall the fire flow be less than as follows:
Residential:
500 gallons per minute for 30 minutes,
provided however, installation of a fire alarm or sprinkler system as set forth below may allow for a full credit in fire flow requirements.
Commercial & Multi-family 750 gallons per minute for 60 minutes
Industrial 1,000 gallons per minute for 60 minutes
2. Modifications to Fire Flow Requirements.
a. Decreases.
Fire flow requirements may be modified downward by the Fire Marshal for isolated buildings or a group of buildings in rural areas or small communities where the development of full fire-flow requirements is impractical. The Fire Marshal may base downward modifications to fire flow on the following: type of occupancy, type of construction, location on property, floor area, height and number of stories, clear yards as defined by the I.B.C., fire walls, and the fire fighting capabilities of the local fire district.
b. Increases.
Fire flow may be modified upward by the Fire Marshal where conditions indicate an unusual susceptibility to group fires or conflagrations. An upward modification shall not be more than twice that required for the building under consideration. The Fire Marshal may base upward modification to fire flow on the following: type of occupancy, type of construction, location on property, fire area, height and number of stories, clear yards as defined by the I.B.C., fire walls, and the fire fighting capabilities of the local fire district.
c. Modification allowed for Automatic Sprinkler Systems.
i. Up to 50% reduction in fire flow may be granted, dependent on the type of construction and the hazards of the contents, for an approved automatic sprinkler system designed and stamped by licensed Fire Protection Engineer.
ii. Up to 75% reduction in fire flow may be granted, dependent on the type of construction and the hazards involved for a fully supervised, approved automatic sprinkler system designed and stamped by a licensed Fire Protection Engineer.
iii. Residential structures may be granted a full fire flow requirement credit by installing a NFPA 13 D approved sprinkler system.
d. Modification for Fire Alarms
i. The Fire Marshal may grant a reduction in fire flow of up to 500 gpm for a fire alarm system that complies with NFPA pamphlet 72 and is monitored by an approved central receiving station. However, residential structures may be granted a full credit for fire flow requirements by installing an approved monitored fire alarm system.
e. Modification for Fire District with a Water Tanker/Tender
The Fire Marshal may grant a modification to the fire flow requirements if the building or structure is located within a Fire District that owns and operates a water tanker/tender truck.
15.33.11 Alternate Methods of Compliance
(A) The Fire Marshal shall have the authority to approve minor deviations from the standards established pursuant to this chapter when it is shown that (a) strict compliance would require unreasonable fire hydrant locations, fire flow requirements or water main sizes and (b) the alternate requirements would not unreasonably affect adequate fire protection to the area or structures served.
(B) The Fire Marshal shall approve exceptions, except as provided in subsection (C), for connections to single-family residences served by existing water systems that have hydrants and fire flow of at least five hundred (500) gallons per minute for 60 minutes if the exception would not unreasonably affect fire protection and provided the purveyor’s approved water system plan included a method for increasing the fire flow to current standards.
(C) The Fire Marshall shall not approve any alternate method, which would result in a violation of WAC Chapter 246-293 without prior approval of the State Department of Health.
15.33.12 Enforcement
The provisions of this chapter and any rules and regulations promulgated there under shall be enforced by the Fire Marshal in accordance with the enforcement and penalty provisions of the International Fire Code. The Fire Marshal may levy civil penalty(s) of up to $1,000.00 per incident for violation of this Ordinance, for the purposes of the civil penalty each day shall be considered a separate incident. In addition to or alternatively, violation of this Ordinance is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000.00 fine per violation and/or ninety (90) days in jail.
15.33.13 Appeals
Appeals of any decision of the Fire Marshal made under authority of this Ordinance shall be to the Board of County Commissioners. Appeals shall be made by providing written notice to the Fire Marshal and the Board of County Commissioners to be received within ten (10) days of the date of the Fire Marshal’s decision.
15.33.14 Severability
If any provisions of this Ordinance are held illegal, invalid, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
REVIEWED, under Consent Agenda the 15th day of May 2006, and set for public hearing on the 6th day of June 2006 at 5:30 p.m.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Skamania County, Washington
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
Chairman
______________________________________
Commissioner
_________________________ ______________________________________
Clerk of the Board Commissioner
ORDINANCE NO. 2006-06 PASSED INTO LAW THIS ________DAY OF ________ 2006
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Skamania County, Washington
ATTEST: ________________________________________
Chairman
________________________________________
Commissioner
_________________________________ ________________________________________
Clerk of the Board Commissioner
APPROVED AS TO FORM ONLY:
_________________________________
Skamania County Prosecuting Attorney
AYE______
NAY______
ABSTAIN______
ABSENT______