Timberlake Fire Protection District Building Permit Information 9/2008
SUBMITTING PROJECT INFORMATION AND PLANS
We encourage and prefer electronic submissions of your plans, designs, and other related project information in PDF format to chief@timberlakefire.com. All paper copies will be retained by the Timberlake Fire Protection District until a Certificate of Occupancy is signed.
RESPONSE TIME
Although our average plan review response time is less than three (3) business days, your plan review and our comments may take up to ten (10) business days to complete and prepare a response.
FEE SCHEDULE
On September 20, 2006 the Timberlake Fire Protection District held a public hearing and approved a revised fee schedule to be implemented effective October 1, 2006. Due to the tremendous residential growth in our area and constraints of staffing, we found it necessary to include the following fees but not limited to:
NEW CONSTRUCTION-SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING
• $47.00 per hour with a one hour minimum, which shall include Certificate of Occupancy Inspection.
• $47.00 per hour with a one hour minimum, for return inspections required when the initial inspection does not meet provided standards. **Note, these standards are provided to you at the time when the Fire Department signs off on your initial building permit application.
COMMERCIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY SITE PLAN REVIEW FEES:
For all commercial building permits issued by the county or any city, the fee for the fire district's plan review shall be forty percent (40%) of the Building Permit Fees issued by the authority having jurisdiction as established in the International Building Code. This fee shall include the fee for the District issuing letters of approval or conditional approval, to the authority having jurisdiction. This fee shall also include the preparation of any development contracts that the
District and property owner enter into in order to set forth more specific requirements, timetables and costs, concerning the District's conditional approval of the project.
SITE PLAN REVIEW FEE: Short Plats and subdivisions
• $47.00 per hour with a one hour minimum, plus $30.00 per building lot.
ALL OTHER INSPECTION AND SPECIAL OCCUPANCIES:
• $50.00 per hour – minimum 1 hour
*All fee’s will be due prior to services being rendered.
If you have any further questions regarding these fee’s or other fee’s please feel free to contact the administration office during normal business hours. As always, the Timberlake Fire Protection District appreciates your understanding and support in order to better serve the citizens of our fire district.
Hydrant and Sprinkler Requirements
The Timberlake Fire Protection District is reviewing all applications for new construction and sub-divisions for the need to install a fire sprinkler system.
The Idaho Department of Insurance, State Fire Marshals Office, conducts plan reviews of all fire suppression (sprinkler) systems. Before a certificate of occupancy can be signed by the Timberlake Fire Protection, we must verify that the sprinkler system design stamped by the State Fire Marshal’s office accurately represents the system installed.
All major subdivisions shall require a water system, including fire hydrants, with a required fire flow of more than 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm) for a duration of 2 hours above domestic use.
A water system with a minimum of 500 gpm for duration of 2 hours above domestic use, may be allowed if the developer agrees to have all dwellings protected by an approved fire sprinkler system. The approved fire flow storage does not include domestic use.
In occupancies of a hazardous nature, where special hazards exist in addition to the normal hazards of the occupancy, or where the fire chief determines that access for fire apparatus is unduly difficult, the fire chief shall require additional safeguards. Such safeguards include, but shall not be limited to, the following: automatic fire detection systems, fire alarm systems, automatic fire-extinguishing systems, standpipe systems, or portable or fixed extinguishers. Fire protection equipment required under this section shall be installed in accordance with this code and the applicable referenced standards
The criteria used to evaluate the need for a fire sprinkler system is as follows (note, with the state law change effective July 1, 2009 regarding fire sprinklers in residential occupancies, the below requirements are currently under revision and may not apply to your property):
1. Dwellings that are less than 3,600 sq. ft in total, but have access issues shall require a fire sprinkler system.
2. Dwellings that are over 3,600 sq. ft. in total and are not located in an approved subdivision shall require a fire sprinkler system.
3. Dwellings that are less than 3,600 sq. ft. in total and are in an approved major subdivision with a water system that flows a 1,000 gpm or more for 2 hours over domestic use, shall not require a fire sprinkler system.
4. Dwellings that are over 3,600 sq. ft. in total in an approved major sub-division that has a water system that flows over a 1,000 gpm or more for 2 hours above domestic use, shall require a fire sprinkler system.
5. All dwellings, regardless of size, in an approved sub-division that has a water system that flows 500 to 999 gpm, for a duration of 2 hours above domestic use, shall require a sprinkler system.
Requirements for Access Roadways and Addressing for Residential Properties
Note: If you are constructing a new access, you should contact Kootenai County Building and Planning Departments prior to moving dirt or bringing in fill.
1. Driveways shall be designed so fire district apparatus can park close enough to the structure to deploy a 200 ft. hose from the fire truck and reach past the furthest part of the structure to fight a fire.
2. All access roads or driveways that are longer than 150 feet from a county maintained road shall have an approved turnaround.
3. The address installed on structures shall be clearly visible from the roadway fronting the property. Address shall be placed at the entrance to a driveway when the distance to the structure is too far or not clearly visible.
4. Access roads that serve two or more dwellings shall have an address for each dwelling displayed at the entrance to the access road. Individual address shall also be displayed at the point the dwellings driveway leaves the access road.
5. Access roads that serve two or more dwellings, and have name posted, do not need to have all addresses displayed at the beginning of the road if all of the dwellings mail addresses are to that road. Item 3 above would then apply. A driveway shall not serve in excess of five dwelling units.
6. Road/Driveway shall have an all weather-driving surface meeting the requirements of Kootenai County. The design shall consist of removing all topsoil and duff, putting down 8 inches of compacted ballast (pit run material). Then a minimum of 4 inches of compacted base material (crushed aggregate). Road/Driveway shall be maintained by plowing, grading and regraveling.
7. Minimum common driveway and private road width of twenty (20) feet: Minimum driveway width of fourteen (14) ft. Driveways must be within one hundred fifty (150) feet from the farthest part of the residence.
8. If the distance from the road to the structure is 150’ but not more than 300’, the drive way shall be a minimum of 20’ wide all weather surface. The Districts has the authority to modify this requirement for access roads that service only one dwelling.
9. If the distance from the road to the structure is 300’ or greater, the driveway can be a minimum of 14’ wide with an all weather surface. In addition one turnout will be provided for every 300’ of driveway length. Turnouts shall provide a total all weather surface 25’ wide and 40’ in length.
10. A minimum turning radius for all corners shall be twenty (20) feet, as measured to the inside corner.
11. A minimum distance between switchbacks shall be seventy-five (75) feet. As measured along the centerline between curves.
12. Turnarounds with a minimum radius of fifty (50) feet at the end of any roadway or driveway longer than
13. A minimum unobstructed vertical clearance of not less than 14 feet.
14. Bridge and culvert crossings with a travel distance less than ten (10) feet in length must support a minimum of 34,000 pounds. Crossings with travel distances ten (10) feet or greater must support a minimum of 60,000 pounds.
International Fire Code (2006 edition)
SECTION 503: FIRE APPARAUS ACCESS ROADS.
503.1.1 Buildings and facilities. Approved fire apparatus access roads shall be provided for every facility, building or portion of a building hereafter constructed or moved into or within the jurisdiction. The fire apparatus access road shall comply with the requirements of this section and shall extend to within 150 feet (45,720 mm) of all portions of the facility and all portions of the exterior walls of the first story of the building as measured by an approved route around the
exterior of the building or facility.
503.2.5 Dead ends. Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 150 feet (45 720 mm) in length shall be provided with an approved area for turning around fire apparatus.
503.2.7 Grade. The grade of the fire apparatus access road shall be within the limits established by the fire code official based on the fire department’s apparatus.
The fire district will require the drive to meet Kootenai County requirements of: No private road or driveway shall have greater than a 12% grade. Grades of 10% or greater shall not exceed one-hundred (100) feet in length.
503.5 Required gates or barricades. The fire code official is authorized to require the installation and maintenance of gates or other approved barricades across fire apparatus access roads, trails or other accessways, not including public streets, alleys or highways.
503.5.1 Secured gates and barricades. When required, gates and barricades shall be secured in an approved manner. Roads, trails and other accessways that have been closed and obstructed in the manner prescribed by Section 503.5 shall not be trespassed on or used unless authorized by the owner and the fire code official. Exception: The restriction on use shall not apply to public officers acting within the scope of duty.
503.6 Security gates. The installation of security gates across a fire apparatus access road shall be approved by the fire chief. Where security gates are installed, they shall have an approved means of emergency operation. The security gates and the emergency operation shall be maintained operational at all times.
SECTION 505: PREMISES IDENTIFICATION
505.1 Address numbers. New and existing buildings shall have approved address numbers,building numbers or approved building identification placed in a position that is plainly legible and visible from the street or road fronting the property. These numbers shall contrast with their background. Address numbers shall be Arabic numerals or alphabet letters. Numbers shall be a
minimum of 4 inches (102 mm) high with a minimum stroke width of 0.5 inch (12.7 mm).
Residential Smoke Alarms
SECTION R313 – SMOKE ALARMS
R313.1 Smoke detection and notification. All smoke alarms shall be listed in accordance with UL 217 and installed in accordance with the provisions of this code and the household fire warning equipment provisions of NFPA 72. Household fire alarm systems installed in accordance with NFPA 72 that include smoke alarms, or a combination of smoke detector and
audible notification device installed as required by this section for smoke alarms, shall be permitted. The household fire alarm system shall provide the same level of smoke detection and alarm as required by this section for smoke alarms in the event the fire alarm panel is removed or the system is not connected to a central station.
R313.2 Location. Smoke alarms shall be installed in the following locations:
1. In each sleeping room.
2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics. In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.
When more than one smoke alarm is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit the alarm devices shall be interconnected in such a manner that the actuation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms in the individual unit.
Other Fire Code Items to Consider that May be Applicable to Your Project
• Fire Lane Signs - No Parking – Fire Lane signs may be required on fire apparatus access roads. (IFC D103.6)
• Key Boxes (Knox Boxes) - Where access to or within a structure or an area is restricted because of secured openings or where immediate access is necessary for lifesaving or fire-fighting purposes, the fire chief is authorized to require a key box to be installed in an approved location. The key box shall be of an approved type and shall contain keys to gain necessary access as required by the fire code official. (IFC 506.1)
• Portable Fire Extinguishers – Portable fire extinguishers shall be provided in
occupancies and locations as required by the International Fire Code. (IBC [F] 906.1)
• Emergency Escape and Rescue – Basements and sleeping rooms below the fourth story and above grade plane shall have at least one exterior emergency escape and rescue opening. The minimum net clear opening required is 5.7 square feet. The minimum net clear opening height is 24 inches and width is 20 inches. The maximum distance from the floor to the opening is 44 inches. (IFC Section 1026)
