Governing Lodging Establishments

Requirements for Operating a Lodging Establishment: Fire Safety

1. Operation and maintenance requirements for existing and new lodging establishments.
   1. All facilities shall comply with all local building codes, fire codes and ordinances.
   2. Housekeeping practices that ensure fire safety shall be maintained daily.
   3. No fresh-cut Christmas trees shall be used unless they are treated with a flame resistant material. Documentation of the treatment shall be on file at the facility.
   4. No door in any means of egress shall be locked against egress when the
      building is occupied.
      1. Delayed egress locks shall be permitted in buildings provided with a fire alarm system and/or an approved supervised automatic sprinkler system. No more than one (1) such device may be located in any one (1) egress path, and the door lock must unlock upon loss of power to the building, upon actuation of the fire alarm system, or upon actuation of the approved supervised automatic sprinkler system in the building.
   5. Every bathroom door shall be designed to allow opening from the outside during an emergency when locked.
   6. Doors serving a single dwelling unit shall be permitted to be provided with a lock, however, a key operation shall be allowed, providing that the key cannot be removed when the door is locked from the side from which egress is made.
   7. Textile materials having a napped, tufted, looped, woven, nonwoven or similar surface shall not be applied to walls or ceilings unless they are treated with a flame resistant material. Documentation of the treatment shall be on file at the facility.
   8. Foam plastic materials or other highly flammable or toxic material shall not be used as an interior wall, ceiling or floor finish unless approved by the administrative authority.
   9. Hangings or draperies shall not be placed over exit doors or located to conceal or obscure any exit.
   10. Mirrors shall not be placed on exit doors or adjacent to any exit that may confuse the direction of exit.
   11. Portable fire extinguishers (5 pound, 2A-10BC) shall be required for the protection of all guests and located in the hallways, mechanical room(s), laundry area(s) and all other hazardous areas.
       1. The maximum travel distance to a fire extinguisher from a guest room door that opens into an interior corridor or a guest room door that opens to the outside but not directly at grade level shall be no greater than seventy-five feet (75') and accessible to the guest.
       2. All fire extinguishers shall be maintained in a fully charged and operable condition and inspected annually by a fire extinguisher company, fire department representative or other entity approved by the administrative authority.
       3. Fire extinguishers having a gross weight not exceeding forty (40) pounds shall be installed so that the top of the extinguisher is not more than five feet (5') above the floor. Extinguishers having a gross weight more than forty (40) pounds shall be installed so that the top of the extinguisher is not more than three and one-half feet (3 1/2') above the floor. In no case shall the clearance between the bottom of the extinguisher and the floor be less then four inches (4").
   12. There shall be no louvers or other air passages penetrating the wall except properly installed heating and utility installations.
   13. Guest room doors shall be provided with room latches or other mechanisms suitable for keeping the doors closed.
   14. Guest room doors shall be self-closing or provided with a closing device that closes the door automatically upon detection of smoke. Door-closing devices shall not be required in buildings protected throughout by an approved, automatic sprinkler system or when the guest room door opens directly to the outside of the dwelling unit at or to grade level.
   15. Smoke detectors shall be installed in all sleeping rooms, cooking areas/kitchens, hallways, laundry rooms, mechanical rooms, hazardous areas and where specifically stated within this rule. Heat sensing devices may be installed in cooking areas in lieu of a smoke detector(s).
       1. Smoke detectors and heat sensing devices shall be maintained in good operating condition.
       2. If a wireless system is used, the system shall be designed, installed and maintained in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association 72, National Fire Alarm Code 2002 Edition or equivalent code.
       3. Smoke detectors shall be tested at least monthly or as needed to ensure they are operating properly and batteries shall be changed as needed.
       4. All hardwired-interconnected smoke detectors shall be tested and approved annually by a sprinkler company, fire alarm company, fire department representative or other entity approved by the administrative authority.
       5. The administrative authority may require the installation of additional smoke detectors at any time.
   16. All fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems shall be tested and approved annually by a fire alarm company, sprinkler company, fire department representative or other entity approved by the administrative authority.
   17. Individual fire sprinklers plumbed into a potable water line over gas water heaters and/or furnaces shall not be required to be tested and approved annually unless required by local ordinance.
   18. An evacuation route diagram reflecting the actual floor or exterior doors that lead outside of the dwelling unit at street or ground level arrangement, exit locations, and room identification shall be posted in a location and manner acceptable to the administrative authority in every guest room or immediately adjacent to every guest room door. Guest room doors leading directly to the outside of the dwelling unit at grade level are not required to post an evacuation route diagram.
   19. A copy of an emergency evacuation plan and employee instruction guide shall be kept on file that is accessible by all staff. All staff shall be able to demonstrate knowledge of the emergency evacuation plan.
   20. Fire safety information shall be available so that guests may make an informed decision as to evacuate to the outside, evacuate to an area of refuge, remain in place, or employ any combination of the three (3) options.
2. Existing lodging establishments shall also meet the following requirements:
   1. All facilities that use stairs as a component in the means of egress shall comply with the following:
      1. All open face stairs shall have guards placed on the sides. Guards shall be placed so that a four inch (4") diameter sphere cannot pass through them;
      2. Handrails for stairs shall not be less than thirty-four inches (34") and not more than thirty-eight inches (38") above the surface of the tread, measured vertically to the top of the rail from the leading edge of the tread;
      3. Railings for balconies shall not be less than forty-two inches (42") in height. Guards shall be placed so that a four inch (4") diameter sphere shall not pass through them; and
      4. Existing handrails, railings and guards for stairs may continue to be used subject to approval of the administrative authority;
   2. All facilities that use ramps as a component in the means of egress shall comply with the following:
      1. Ramps shall have a minimum width of forty-four inches (44") in all facilities;
      2. Ramps shall have a slip resistant surface;
      3. Ramps that are greater than six inches (6") in height shall have handrails and guards placed on each side. The handrails and guards shall comply with the stair requirements in (3)(E)2.A.(I)–(IV); and
      4. Existing ramps may continue to be used subject to approval of the administrative authority;
   3. Floors that separate stories in a building shall be maintained as a smoke barrier to provide a basic degree of compartmentation;
   4. Openings through floors, such as hoistways for elevators, shaftways used for light, ventilation or building services; or expansion joints and seismic joints used to allow structural movements shall be enclosed with fire barriers (vertical), such as wall or partition assemblies whose fire resistance rating is not less than thirty (30) minutes. Such enclosures shall be continuous from floor to floor. Openings shall be protected as appropriate for the fire resistance rating of the barrier;
   5. Service openings such as laundry chutes, dumbwaiters and inclined and vertical conveyors shall be provided with closing devices and must be kept closed when not in active use. Outlet doors for trash or laundry chutes shall open only to a separate room designed exclusively for that purpose. This room shall be provided with a one (1)-hour fire rated door that is self-closing. Existing installations may continue to be used upon approval of the administrative authority.
      1. Service openings provided with closing devices shall be self- closing, with a positive-latching frame and door assembly of one (1)-hour fire rating.
      2. Vertical conveyors and chutes shall be separately enclosed by walls or partitions. Service openings shall not open to an exit. Existing installations may continue to be used upon approval of the administrative authority;
   6. All guest rooms shall have a means of egress to the outside of the building at or to grade level;
   7. Egress routes that have been approved prior to February 2002 shall not be altered without prior approval by the administrative authority;
   8. Dead-end corridors or hallways shall not exceed fifty feet (50');
   9. No door or path of travel in a means of escape shall be less than twenty-eight inches (28") wide. Bathroom doors shall not be less than twenty-four inches (24") wide;
   10. All guest rooms opening into an interior corridor(s) shall be separated by walls and twenty (20)-minute fire protection-rated doors, forty-four millimeters (44 mm) (one and three-fourths inch (1 3/4")) solid-bonded wood-core doors, steel-clad (tin-clad) wood doors, solid-core steel doors with positive latch and closer, or as approved by the administrative authority;
   11. Existing transoms shall be permitted but must be permanently fixed in the closed position;
   12. Smoke detectors and heat sensing devices should be installed on the ceiling, preferably in the center, but no less than four inches (4") from the wall of the sleeping area or on a sleeping room wall between four and twelve inches (4"–12") from the ceiling or as otherwise approved by the administrative authority;
   13. If a battery-operated detector is routinely not operational, the owner shall install a detector that is hardwired with a battery backup;
   14. By September 2010, all smoke detectors and heat sensing devices shall be hardwired with battery backup; and
   15. Existing fire alarm systems and sprinkler systems shall be maintained in good working order.
3. New lodging establishments shall meet these additional requirements. In addition to the required certification that the establishment has been designed and erected in accordance with the 2002 Edition of a national code(s), the DHSS has outlined minimum requirements for the maintenance of fire safety components and the installation of smoke detectors, fire alarm systems, sprinkler systems, and fire extinguishment to provide adequate life safety protection to ensure the safety of the occupants.
   1. Lodging establishments meeting the definition of a bed and breakfast may have two (2) secondary means of egress that are independent and remote from one another in lieu of a primary means of egress.
   2. Smoke detectors and/or heat sensing devices shall be installed on the ceiling, preferably in the center, but no less than four inches (4") from the wall of the sleeping area or on a sleeping room wall between four and twelve inches (4"–12") from the ceiling.
      1. All smoke detectors and/or heat sensing devices shall be hardwired with battery backup.
   3. A fire alarm system shall be installed and maintained in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association 72, National Fire Alarm Code 2002 Edition or equivalent code and maintained in good working order. Exception 1: Single story buildings with guest room doors that open directly to the outside at grade level. Exception 2: Buildings with no more than three (3) occupiable stories and with no more than four (4) guest rooms per building with guest room doors that lead directly outside at or to grade level.
      1. When a fire alarm system is required, all smoke detectors and/or heat sensing devices shall be interconnected, except those located in sleeping rooms.
   4. All buildings shall be protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems 2002 Edition or the National Fire Protection Association 13R Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems in Residential Occupancies up to and Including Four Stories in Height 2002 Edition or equivalent code.
      1. Bed and breakfasts and buildings with no more than three (3) occupiable stories, where all guest rooms have a door that opens directly to the outside at or to grade level or to an exterior exit access are not required to be protected throughout by an approved, supervised automatic sprinkler system.