City of Lawrence

Fire Code Board of Appeals

May 13, 2015

MEMBERS PRESENT:        Capt. Pete Easterwood, Tracy Green, Dan Wilkus

MEMBERS ABSENT:         Stephen Blanchard, Jay Zimmerschied

STAFF PRESENT:             Division Chief James King, Jeanette Reiling

Division Chief James King called the meeting to order.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES:

There were no minutes for approval.

OLD BUSINESS: 

There was no old business.

NEW BUSINESS:

Division Chief James King distributed the 2015 International Fire Code (IFC) books, Significant Changes to the International Fire Code and a copy of Chapter VII, Sections 8-101 through 8-311 of the Code of the City of Lawrence to each member of the committee.  Division Chief King requested that members read through the significant changes to the IFC and existing amendments to prepare for the City’s adoption of the 2015 IFC.

Division Chief King discussed some of the local amendments the committee would be reviewing such as where animal housing falls within the fire code with regard to the retroactive requirement of fire alarm monitoring, requirement for CO detectors to be present, emergency plans and sprinkler systems (the NFPA has requirements that the city doesn’t have).  Division Chief King stated city representatives had met with the DVM community who are supportive of these requirements. Division Chief King stated Food Trucks would be a local issue the committee would be addressing and finding an appropriate place to include in the Fire Code.  Division Chief King stated the issue of increasing overhead clearances to accommodate apparatus would be a new local amendment to be added.

Division Chief King discussed some of the sections he had highlighted in the Significant Changes book that the committee would be addressing:  609.2-Commercial Cooking Appliances Producing a Low Volume of Grease-laden vapors; 609.3.3.2-Inspection and Cleaning of Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Hoods; 611-Hyperbaric Facilities; 903.2.1-Fire Sprinklers in Group A Occupancies; 904.13-Domestic Cooking Systems in Group I-2 Condition 1 Occupancies; 5307-Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) Systems Used in Beverage Dispensing Applications; Appendix K-Construction Requirements for Existing Ambulatory Care Facilities; Appendix L-Fire Fighter Air Replenishment Systems; and Appendix M-Retroactive Installation of Fire Sprinklers in Existing High-Rise Buildings.

Division Chief King stated he would like to have the committee initially meet every two to three weeks and possibly monthly thereafter.  Division Chief King stated that Development Services hoped to adopt the building codes by April with an implementation date of July.  Division Chief King asked the committee to be prepared to choose a Chair Person at the next meeting.

ADJOURNMENT

Division Chief King made a motion to adjourn.  Meeting was adjourned.

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting date and time to be determined.