9.10.18.3 — Design and Installation Requirements

(1) Reserved (2) Except as permitted by Sentences (3) to (5) and Sentence 3.2.4.2. (4), a fire alarm system shall be installed in a building that contains, (a) a contained use area, (b) an impeded egress zone, (c) more than 3 storeys, including storeys below the first storey, (d) a total occupant load more than 300, other than in open air seating areas, (e) an occupant load more than 150 above or below the first storey, other than in open air seating areas, (f) a school, college or child care facility, with an occupant load more than 40, (g) a licensed beverage establishment or a restaurant, with an occupant load more than 150, (h) a low hazard industrial occupancy with an occupant load more than 75 above or below the first storey, (h.1)a medium hazard industrial occupancy with an occupant load more than 75 above or below the first storey, (i )a residential occupancy with sleeping accommodation for more than 10 persons, (j) a high hazard industrial occupancy with an occupant load more than 25, (k) an occupant load more than 300 below an open air seating area, (l) an interconnected floor space required to conform to Articles 3.2.8.3. to 3.2.8.11, (m) a care and treatment occupancy for more than 10 persons receiving care or treatment, or (n) a care occupancy for more than 10 persons receiving care. (3) If each dwelling unit has direct access to an exterior exit facility leading to ground level, a fire alarm system is not required in an apartment building, (a) in which not more than four dwelling units share a common means of egress, or (b) that is not more than 3 storeys in building height. (4) A fire alarm system is not required in a hotel 3 storeys or less in building height provided each suite has direct access to an exterior exit facility leading to ground level. (5) A fire alarm system is not required in a storage garage conforming to Article 3.2.2.83. provided there are no other occupancies in the building.

(1) Fire detectors required by this Article shall be connected to the fire alarm system. (2) Except as provided in Article 3.2.4.16., if a fire alarm system is required, fire detectors shall be installed in each, (a) storage room not within a dwelling unit, (b) service room not within a dwelling unit, (c) janitors’ room, (d) room in which hazardous substances are to be used or stored, (e) elevator or dumbwaiter shaft, (f) laundry room in a building of residential occupancy, but not one within a dwelling unit, and (g) hazardous classroom and change room in an elementary or secondary school.

(1) If a fire alarm system is required, smoke detectors shall be installed in, (a) each sleeping room and each corridor serving as part of a means of egress from sleeping rooms in portions of a building classified as Group B major occupancy, (b) each room in a contained use area and corridors serving those rooms, (c) each corridor in portions of a building classified as Group A, Division 1 major occupancy, (d) each public corridor in portions of a building classified as Group C major occupancy, (e) each exit stair shaft, (f) each corridor serving classrooms in elementary and secondary schools, and (g) each elevator machine room or machinery space. (2) Except as provided in Article 3.2.4.16., if a fire alarm system is required, heat detectors shall be installed in, (a) every room in portions of buildings classified as Group A, Division 1, (b) except in a hotel, in every suite, and every room not located within a suite, in portions of buildings classified as Group C major occupancy and more than 3 storeys in building height, and (c) in a floor area containing a hotel, in every room in a suite and in every room not located in a suite other than washrooms within a suite, saunas, refrigerated areas and swimming pools. (3) Smoke detectors required in sleeping rooms of care, care and treatment or detention occupancy shall upon actuation provide an audible and visible signal to staff serving those rooms so that the room or location containing the smoke detector can be easily identified. (4) Smoke detectors required by Clause (1)(g) shall, upon actuation, recall the elevators served by machinery located in the machine room or machinery space in which the smoke detector is installed. (5) Except as permitted by Sentences (6) and (7), where a building is required to be equipped with a fire alarm system, a smoke detector shall be located near the entrance to, (a) a walkway described in Articles 3.2.3.19. and 3.2.3.20., or (b) a vestibule provided in conformance with Article 3.2.6.3. (6) Smoke detectors installed at the entrance to a walkway in conformance with Article 3.1.8.12. are deemed to meet the requirements of Sentence (5). (7) Fire detectors are permitted to be installed in lieu of the smoke detectors required by Sentence (5) in Group F occupancies where the smoke detectors may be subjected to false alarms due to the activities within the building.

(1) If a fire alarm system is installed, an air handling system shall be designed to prevent the circulation of smoke upon a signal from a duct-type smoke detector if the air handling system, (a) serves more than 1 storey, (b) serves more than one suite in a storey, (c) serves more than one fire compartment required by Sentence 3.3.3.5. (2) or Sentence 3.3.4.11. (2), or (d) is not provided with fire dampers as permitted by Sentence 3.1.8.8. (4).

(1) A central vacuum cleaning system serving more than one suite or storey in a building equipped with a fire alarm system shall be designed to shut down upon actuation of the fire alarm system.

(0.1) Except as provided in Article 3.2.4.22A., smoke alarms shall be installed in accordance with this Article. (1) Except as permitted by Sentence (6), smoke alarms conforming to CAN/ULC-S531, “Smoke Alarms”, shall be installed in each dwelling unit and, except for care, care and treatment or detention occupancies required to have a fire alarm system, in each sleeping room not within a dwelling unit. (2) At least one smoke alarm shall be installed on each storey and mezzanine of a dwelling unit. (3) On any storey of a dwelling unit containing sleeping rooms, a smoke alarm shall be installed in, (a) each sleeping room, and (b) a location between the sleeping rooms and the remainder of the storey, and if the sleeping rooms are served by a hallway, the smoke alarm shall be located in the hallway. (4) A smoke alarm shall be installed on or near the ceiling. (5) Except as permitted by Sentence (6), smoke alarms required by Sentence (1) shall, (a) be installed with permanent connections to an electrical circuit, (b) have no disconnect switch between the overcurrent device and the smoke alarm, and (c) in case the regular power supply to the smoke alarm is interrupted, be provided with a battery as an alternative power source that can continue to provide power to the smoke alarm for a period of not less than seven days in the normal condition, followed by 4 min of alarm. (6) Suites of residential occupancy are permitted to be equipped with smoke detectors in lieu of smoke alarms, provided the smoke detectors, (a) are capable of independently sounding audible signals within the individual suites, (b) except as provided by Sentence (7), are installed in conformance with CAN/ULC-S524, “Installation of Fire Alarm Systems”, and verified in conformance with CAN/ULC-S537, “Verification of Fire Alarm Systems”, and (c) form part of the fire alarm system. (7) Smoke detectors permitted to be installed in lieu of smoke alarms as provided in Sentence (6) are not required under Clause (6)(b) to sound an alarm throughout the rest of the building, provided they sound localized alarms within individual suites and otherwise meet the requirements of Clause (6)(b). (8) If more than one smoke alarm is required in a dwelling unit, the smoke alarms shall be wired so that the actuation of one smoke alarm will cause all smoke alarms within the dwelling unit to sound. (9) A smoke alarm required by Sentence (1) shall be installed in conformance with CAN/ULC-S553, “Installation of Smoke Alarms”. (10) Except as permitted by Sentence (11), a manually operated silencing device shall be incorporated within the circuitry of a smoke alarm installed in a dwelling unit so that it will silence the signal emitted by the smoke alarm for a period of not more than 10 min, after which the smoke alarm will reset and again sound the alarm if the level of smoke in the vicinity is sufficient to reactuate the smoke alarm. (11) Suites of residential occupancy equipped with smoke detectors installed in conformance with CAN/ULC-S524, “Installation of Fire Alarm Systems”, as part of the fire alarm system in lieu of smoke alarms as permitted by Sentence (6), need not incorporate the manually operated silencing device required by Sentence (10). (12) The sound patterns of smoke alarms shall, (a) meet the temporal patterns of alarm signals, or (b) be a combination of temporal pattern and voice relay. (13) Smoke alarms required by Sentence (1) shall have a visual signalling component conforming to the requirements in 18.5.3. (Light, Color and Pulse Characteristics) of NFPA 72, “National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code”. (14) The visual signalling component required by Sentence (13) need not, (a) be integrated with the smoke alarm provided it is interconnected to it, (b) be on battery backup, or (c) have synchronized flash rates, when installed in a dwelling unit. (15) The luminous intensity for visual signalling components required by Sentence (13) that are installed in sleeping rooms shall be a minimum of 175 cd. (16) Smoke alarms required in suites in a retirement home or smoke detectors permitted to be installed in lieu of smoke alarms as provided in Sentence (6) shall upon actuation provide an audible and visual signal to staff serving those suites, so that the suite containing the actuated smoke alarm or smoke detector can be easily identified.

(1) A voice communication system required by Subsection 3.2.6., Clause 3.3.2.4. (14)(f) or Sentence 3.3.4.11. (12) shall, (a) consist of a two-way means of communication with the central alarm and control facility and with the mechanical control centre from each floor area, and (b) be capable of broadcasting pre-recorded, synthesized or live messages from the central alarm and control facility that are audible and intelligible in all parts of the building, except in elevator cars. (2) The voice communication system referred to in Sentence (1) shall include a means to silence the alarm signal in a single-stage fire alarm system while voice messages are being transmitted, but only after the alarm signal has initially sounded for not less than 30 s. (3) The voice communication system referred to in Sentence (1) shall include a means to silence the alert signal and the alarm signal in a two-stage fire alarm system while voice messages are being transmitted, but only after the alert signal has initially sounded for not less than, (a) 10 s in hospitals that have supervisory personnel on duty for twenty-four hours each day, or (b) 30 s for all other occupancies. (4) The voice communication system referred to in Sentence (1) shall be designed so that the alarm signal in a two-stage fire alarm system can be selectively transmitted to any zone or zones while maintaining an alert signal or selectively transmitting voice instructions to any other zone or zones in the building. (5) The voice communication system referred to in Sentence (1) shall be designed so that visual signal devices are not interrupted while voice instructions are being transmitted. (6) The voice communication system referred to in Sentence (1) shall be installed so that emergency communication devices are located in each floor area near exit stair shafts. (7) A voice communication system referred to in Sentence (1) that is installed in a building that is not intended to be staffed, at times when the building will be occupied, with persons trained to provide instructions over the system shall include a pre-recorded message.

(1) Electrical conductors shall conform to Sentences (2) to (9) and (11) if they, (a) are within buildings identified in Article 3.2.6.1. and serve, (i) fire alarm systems, or (ii) emergency equipment within the scope of Articles 3.2.6.2. to 3.2.6.8., (b) serve fire pumps required to be installed under Article 3.2.5.19., (c) serve mechanical systems related to, (i) compartments referred to in Clause 3.3.3.6. (1)(b), (ii) contained use areas referred to in Clauses 3.3.3.7. (4)(a) and (b), or (iii) provisions of Articles 3.2.8.4. to 3.2.8.6. and 3.2.8.9., or (d) serve emergency lighting described in Article 3.2.7.3. (2) Except as required by Sentence (3) and except as permitted in this Article, electrical conductors referred to in Sentence (1) shall, (a) conform to CAN/ULC-S139, “Fire Test for Evaluation of Integrity of Electrical Power, Data and Optical Fibre Cables”, including the hose stream application, to provide a circuit integrity rating of not less than 1 h, or (b) be located in a service space that is separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation that has a fire-resistance rating of not less than 1 h. (3) Electrical conductors that are used in conjunction with systems referred to in Clause (1)(c) shall, (a) conform to CAN/ULC-S139, “Fire Test for Evaluation of Integrity of Electrical Power, Data and Optical Fibre Cables”, including the hose stream application, to provide a circuit integrity rating of not less than 2 h, or (b) be located in a service space that is separated from the remainder of the building by a fire separation that has a fire-resistance rating of not less than 2 h. (4) The service spaces referred to in Clause (2)(b) or (3)(b) shall not contain any combustible materials other than the electrical conductors being protected. (5) Except as permitted by Sentences (7) and (9), the electrical conductors referred to in Sentence (1) are those that extend from the source of emergency power to, (a) the equipment served, or (b) the distribution equipment supplying power to the equipment served, if both are in the same room (6) If a fire alarm transponder or annunciator located in one fire compartment is connected to a central processing unit or another transponder or annunciator located in a different fire compartment, the electrical conductors connecting them shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (2). (7) Fire alarm system branch circuits within a storey that connect transponders and individual devices need not conform to Sentence (2). (8) Except as permitted by Sentence (9), if a distribution panel supplies power to emergency lighting, the power supply conductors leading up to the distribution panel shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (2). (9) Conductors leading from a distribution panel referred to in Sentence (8) to emergency lighting units in the same storey need not conform to Sentence (2). (10) Distribution panels serving emergency lighting units located on other storeys shall be installed in a service room separated from the floor area by a fire separation having a fire-resistance rating of at least 1 h. (11) Conductors leading from a distribution panel referred to in Sentence (10) to emergency lighting units located on other storeys shall be protected in accordance with Sentence (2) between the distribution panel and the floor area where the emergency lighting units are located.

(1) Fire alarm systems, including those incorporating a voice communication system, shall be provided with an emergency power supply conforming to Sentences (2) to (4). (2) The emergency power supply required by Sentence (1) shall be supplied from, (a) a generator, (b) batteries, or (c) a combination of the items described in Clauses (a) and (b). (3) The emergency power supply required by Sentence (1) shall be capable of providing, (a) supervisory power for not less than 24 h, and (b) immediately following, emergency power under full load for not less than, (i) 2 h for a building within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6., (ii) 1 h for a building classified as Group B major occupancy that is not within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6., (ii.1)1 h for a building that contains a Group C major occupancy retirement home and that is not within the scope of Subsection 3.2.6., (iii) 1 h for a building within the scope of Article 3.2.2.43A. or 3.2.2.50A., (iv) 5 min for a building not required to be equipped with an annunciator, and (v) 30 min for any other building. (4) The emergency power supply required by Sentence (1) shall be designed so that, in the event of a failure of the normal power source, there is an immediate automatic transfer to emergency power with no loss of information.