§ 24.30. Additions to NFPA 1, Chapter 18 Fire Department Access and Water Supply.
NFPA 1, Chapter 18 is adopted in its entirety with the following additions from the OFD Standard for Fire Department Access:
(a)
Add to Section 18.2.2.1.
The AHJ shall have the authority to establish access areas (fire department access roads) to existing buildings for firefighting or rescue operations.
(b)
Add to Section 18.2.2.4.
Secondary fire department access roads, when necessary, shall be designated by the AHJ.
(c)
Add to Section 18.2.2.5.7.
Following approval and establishment by the AHJ, access areas (fire department access roads) shall be posted with appropriate signs by the property owner as approved by the AHJ. It shall be unlawful for any person to obstruct in any manner, including the parking of vehicles, access areas (fire department access roads) posted with appropriate signs. Signs shall conform to Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), as adopted by the Transportation Engineer of the City of Orlando, and shall be fabricated with reflective backing and with translucent letters and border in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), Section 2A-16. It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or post an access area (fire department access roads) sign on any property without the approval of the AHJ. It shall be unlawful for any property owner to allow an access area (fire department access road) sign to remain erected or posted on his property without the approval of the AHJ.
(d)
Add to Section 18.2.3.4.
Engineers or designers must contact the AHJ to ascertain current Fire Department Apparatus Specifications for use in designing Fire Department Access Roads prior to submitting plans to the Office of Permitting Services.
(1)
Dimensions. Fire department access road shall have an unobstructed width of not less than 20 ft (6.1 m) and a vertical clearance of not less than 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m). If a center median is included, the required width shall be on both sides.
a.
Minimum widths for apparatus access shall be measured curb face to curb face or, where there are no curbs, edge of pavement to edge of pavement.
(2)
Travel roads and open spaces. Where an open space or travel road is maintained for public or private use, the developer shall provide access into these areas from public ways. The provided access way shall be a minimum width of 20 feet (16 ft paved with 2 ft either side of an approved engineered subsurface acceptable to the AHJ).
a.
This provision is not applicable to conditions where the access way will serve future development. The 20 ft minimum shall be required.
(3)
Traffic Calming Devices. Plans for these devices must be submitted for the Fire Department's review and approval. We support the design of safe streets and the need for devices intended to slow traffic, i.e., islands, chicanes, roundabouts, and bump outs; however, use of speed bumps is prohibited.
a.
Medians and landscape islands. Roadway features such as landscapes islands, medians, traffic calming devices, etc. that cause one way or reduction in width of roadway shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width and no longer than 200 feet in length.
(4)
Surface. Fire department access road shall be designed and maintained to support the imposed loads of fire apparatus and shall be provided with an all-weather surface.
a.
Engineered stabilization. The fire department approves the use of compacted subsurface construction engineered and designed to support the OFD heaviest apparatus. When an engineered subsurface system is being considered it shall comply with what is acceptable to the AHJ.
(5)
Turning Radius. The turning radius for a fire department access road shall have a minimum outside radius of 50 feet and a minimum inside radius of 20 feet. The minimum required road width of 20 ft shall be maintained.
(e)
Add to Section 18.3.
Fire Hydrants Required.
(1)
Other than dwellings, no building shall be hereafter constructed unless all parts of such building are within three hundred (300) feet of a fire hydrant; provided, however, that when the building is protected by an approved and supervised automatic fire sprinkler system, the distance may be increased to five hundred (500) feet. With respect to detached one- and two-family dwellings, the distance shall be increased to five hundred (500) feet. If necessary, additional hydrants will be provided within five hundred (500) feet of the building of sufficient quantity to supply the required fire flow for the building.
(2)
No individual fire hydrant delivers more than 1,250 gallons per minute (gpm) of the required fire flow.
(3)
The measurement between the building and hydrant shall be made on a surface route capable of meeting the requirements of this Code.
(4)
The required fire flow for commercial structures shall be determined as specified in the standard: Determination of Required Fire Flow as published by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). The fire flow for a building when sprinkler protected in accordance with NFPA 13 will be calculated at 50% of a non-sprinkler protected building, but shall not be less than 1000 gpm. Calculations and a water supply analysis shall be provided to demonstrate delivering of fire flow.
(5)
All fire hydrants shall be installed in accordance with NFPA codes and standards as listed in this Code. New fire hydrant(s) shall be installed so that the 4 1/2 inch port is facing the roadway by which it is accessed. Hydrant(s) shall also be positioned not more than five (5) feet away from the curb or berm of the roadway.
(6)
No hydrant meeting the requirements of this Code shall be installed within fifty (50) feet of the building served thereby.
(7)
No fire hydrant will be acceptable as meeting any requirement of this Code unless it will deliver at least 1,000 gpm.
Exception: When the hydrant is serving detached one- and two-family dwellings.
(8)
Hydrant Coding. Each fire hydrant shall be painted in accordance with NFPA 291, Recommended Practice for Fire Flow Testing and Marking of Hydrants, as follows unless otherwise specified by the AHJ:
(A)
The barrel of a public hydrant shall be silver, and the barrel of a private hydrant shall be chrome yellow;
(B)
The top and caps of the hydrant shall be painted according to the available fire flow as follows:
Hydrants flowing 1500 gpm or greater: Light blue.
Hydrants flowing 1000—1499 gpm: Green.
Hydrants flowing 500—999 gpm: Orange.
Hydrants flowing 499 gpm or less: Red.
(C)
Hydrants will be repainted as necessary to readily identify the gpm flow coding color.
(9)
Hydrant Testing. All owners of a private hydrant shall perform the required testing, inspection, and maintenance of that fire hydrant, annually, in accordance with Florida State Statue 633.82 and shall submit an annual report to the City of Orlando Fire Department Fire Safety Management Division within thirty (30) days of completion of the testing, inspection, and maintenance. All reports submitted shall include static, residual, pitot, and gallons per minute readings, as well as any deficiencies found during such tests and inspections.
(Ord. No. 2017-23, § 2, 5-15-2017, Doc. #1705151205)