FIRE ALARM SYSTEMS

DESIGN AND INSTALLATION

46. (1) A fire alarm system in a hotel shall be electrically supervised, with all its components listed by Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada or the Canadian Standards Association Testing Laboratories and installed in a manner that is compatible with each other according to their listing or as approved.

(2) Where a hotel fire alarm system is installed, extended or modified after the 1st day of June, 1984, the installation, extension or modification shall be,

  (a) completed to the U.L.C. S524-M1980 Standard for Installation of Fire Alarm Systems; and

  (b) verified to the U.L.C. S537-1980 Standard for Verification of Fire Alarm System Installations.

47. (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), a hotel shall not have more than one fire alarm system, unless otherwise approved.

(2) A hotel three storeys or less in height may have fire alarms consisting of smoke alarms of the single station type, installed in suites and rooms occupied individually, provided each suite and room occupied individually,

  (a) has direct access or access by a balcony to the outdoors at grade level;

  (b) is separated from adjacent rooms by a fire separation of 3/4-hour fire resistance rating, with any opening in the fire separation protected by a solid core wood door at least 44.5mm thick.

(3) A hotel three storeys or less in height that provides sleeping accommodation for not more than ten persons may have fire alarms consisting of,

  (a) smoke alarms installed in corridors immediately outside each sleeping area and in corridors on each floor; and

  (b) one manual fire alarm station on each floor, in an area acceptable to the inspector,

electrically interconnected so that the activation of any manual fire alarm station or smoke alarm will cause all smoke alarms to operate.

SOURCES OF POWER

48. (1) Every hotel fire alarm system shall be provided with two sources of power, each of which shall be capable of supplying the system for a period of twenty-four hours under maximum normal operation conditions and of sounding the fire alarm signal throughout the hotel for five consecutive minutes at the end of that twenty-four hour period.

(2) Despite subsection (1), a smoke alarm shall be provided with one source of power connected to the primary source of power on a separate circuit equipped with separate circuit breakers or fuse switches, unless otherwise approved.

(3) Where a hotel is supplied with power by Ontario Hydro, a municipal corporation, a public utility or the hydro-electric commission of a municipality, that power shall be the primary source of power and the secondary source shall be rechargeable batteries equipped with a charger or a generator which automatically starts in the event of failure of the primary source.

(4) Where a hotel is not supplied with outside power as described in subsection (3), a generator and rechargeable batteries equipped with a charger may be used as the two sources of power.

(5) The fire alarm system connection to the primary source of power shall be on a separate circuit equipped with separate circuit breakers or fuse switches.

ANNUNCIATOR

49. In every hotel that is four or more storeys in height or has a total floor area of 4,000m² or more, a zoned visual annunciator panel, indicating not more than one storey or basement per zone, unless otherwise approved, shall be installed in the main reception area or another approved location.

STATIONS

50. (1) In every hotel, unless otherwise approved, a manual fire alarm station for initiating a fire alarm signal shall be installed in the main reception area or in another approved location, and in all basements and storeys,

  (a) at every exit stairway; and

  (b) at every exterior exit,

    (i) from a corridor or lobby, and

    (ii) from a place of assembly.

(2) Despite subsection (1), one manual fire alarm station may serve two exits if,

  (a) the exits are not more than 9m apart;

  (b) the exits are on the same basement or storey; and

  (c) the station is readily accessible and visible from each exit.

(3) A manual fire alarm station shall be red in colour and shall be,

  (a) readily accessible and unobstructed by any swinging door or other means;

  (b) readily visible; and

  (c) installed at a height not less than 1.2m and not more than 1.5m measured vertically from the finished floor surface.

DETECTION

51. (1) Every part of a hotel shall be served by,

  (a) a heat actuated fire detection system;

  (b) an automatic sprinkler system;

  (c) a products of combustion detection system;

  (d) a smoke detection system; or

  (e) a combination of the systems listed in clauses (a) to (d), installed so that all areas are provided with heat actuated detectors, products of combustion detectors, smoke detectors or sprinkler head coverage.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to corridors, washrooms, closets in suites and rooms occupied individually, sauna rooms, swimming pools and refrigerated areas.

(3) On or before the 1st day of June, 1985, every suite and room occupied individually in a hotel that was constructed on or before the 1st day of September, 1971,

  (a) shall be made to comply with subsection (1); or

  (b) shall,

    (i) have a products of combustion detection system or smoke detection system installed in every corridor serving the suite or room, and

    (ii) be separated from adjacent rooms, suites and corridors by a 3/4-hour fire separation, with openings protected by a solid wood core door at least 44.5mm thick.

(4) The systems referred to in subsection (1) shall be electrically interconnected to the fire alarm system so that operation of any detector or sprinkler will cause the fire alarm system to operate.

ALARM SIGNALLING DEVICES

52. Alarm signalling devices in a hotel fire alarm system shall be,

  (a) installed in all basements and storeys, unless otherwise approved;

  (b) located so that the fire alarm signal, when sounded, may be heard throughout the hotel over all normal sounds at any time; and

  (c) distinctive in sound.

53. (1) Pre-signal alarm systems designed to warn only supervisory staff upon actuation of a manual fire alarm station, a heat actuated detector, a sprinkler head, a products of combustion detector or a smoke detector shall not be used in a hotel.

(2) Despite subsection (1), in a hotel that has four or more storeys or a total floor area of 4,000m² or more,

  (a) a zoned two-stage or multi-stage alarm system may be used if its installation is approved, if when the alarm system operates, a general evacuation signal sounds in the initiated fire zone and a general alert signal sounds throughout the remainder of the hotel; and

  (b) a central station system may be used if its installation is approved, if when the system operates, a general evacuation signal sounds in the initiated fire zone and an alarm signal is transmitted automatically to the fire department or to an approved central station agency that is open continuously and has personnel in attendance trained to notify the fire department immediately and provide any other proper response,

if the general evacuation signal can be initiated throughout the entire hotel,

  (c) from a station in the main reception area or some other approved area; and

  (d) by means of a key inserted in any station or by some other approved means.

TROUBLE INDICATION

54. A trouble signal sounding device and, where the trouble signal sounding device has a silencing switch, a trouble light shall be installed in the main reception area or in another approved location acceptable to the inspector.