Interpretation #6593
Published August 19, 2010
Original Request
- Code Version
- 2007
- Code
- BUILDING
- Code Description
- Building
- Chapter
- 9
- Section
- 907.3.1
- Topic
- Fire Alarms
Question
Is it the intent of Florida Building Code - Building Section 907.3.1 to require manual fire alarm boxes to be located inside a space, such as a classroom in a public educational facility, not more than 5 feet from the classroom's only door which exits directly to the exterior or can the pull station be located outside the classroom’s single exit door?
Answer Published 08/19/2010 at 6:06 PM
It depends. It is the intent of the code to require the
pull stations to be on the inside of the exit door. Simply
leading to the outside may not necessarily make a door an
exit, as opposed to exit access or means of egress. The
requestor does not specify whether the door from the
classroom leads into a restricted pathway which depending
on arrangement could still be part of the exit access.
Please see the attached commentary.
pull stations to be on the inside of the exit door. Simply
leading to the outside may not necessarily make a door an
exit, as opposed to exit access or means of egress. The
requestor does not specify whether the door from the
classroom leads into a restricted pathway which depending
on arrangement could still be part of the exit access.
Please see the attached commentary.
Commentary
DOE enforces this requirement as follows: Pull stations are
required by NFPA 72- 5.12.6 (02 Edition) and 5.13.6 (07
Edition) to be located within 5 feet of the “exit doorway”
or “exit access.” The pull station shall not be obstructed
by the swing of the door or any object/material. Therefore,
if a first floor classroom exits directly to the exterior,
it shall have a pull station at the door. However, if the
classroom exits into a designed path that does not allow
random exiting but requires the evacuees to follow an
exterior hall/corridor, one side is the building and the
other has a physical barrier, then the “exit doorway”
or “exit access” is at the point where the physical barrier
ends. The placement of the pull station at each barrier end
point meets the NFPA 72 requirements. Any other first floor
classroom that does not open onto the designed exit path is
required to have a pull station inside the room. The two
hundred (200) foot rule {NFPA 72-5.12.8 (02 Edition) and
5.13.8 (07 Edition} for placing pull stations shall also
apply. For multi-story buildings, a pull station is
required at the head of all stairways exiting the floor and
also at 200 foot intervals on the floor along the egress
path.