Int. No. 203-A
By Council Members Koo, Arroyo, Constantinides and Lander
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, the New York city building code and the New York city fire code, in relation to hold-open devices and automatic closing of exit doors serving vertical exit enclosures.
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 28-101.4.4 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new exception to read as follows:
Exception: The use of automatic-closing by smoke detection for doors serving vertical exit enclosures in accordance with section 708.7 of the New York city building code in a prior code building shall not be deemed to result in a reduction of the fire safety or structural safety of such a building.
§2. Section 708.7 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:
708.7 Openings. Openings in a shaft enclosure shall be protected in accordance with Section 715 as required for fire barriers. Doors shall be self-closing or automatic-closing by smoke detection in accordance with Section 715.4.8.3. Automatic-closing by smoke detection is not permitted for [required vertical exit] doors serving vertical exit enclosures.
Exception: For no more than one vertical exit enclosure in a building, doors serving such enclosure may be automatic-closing by smoke detection provided that the following conditions are satisfied:
1. The building contains no Group H space and:
1.1 Is not a high-rise building pursuant to Section 403.1 of this code or, for the purposes of prior code buildings, Section 27-232 of the Administrative Code, and is equipped with a fire alarm system; or
1.2 Is equipped with fire alarm systems and automatic sprinkler systems throughout; or
1.3 Is a high-rise office building, as such term is defined in Section 27-232 of the Administrative Code, that is 100 feet (30 480 mm) or more in height, equipped with a fire alarm system and subdivided into compartments pursuant to subdivision c of Section 27-339 of the Administrative Code.
2. Such doors serve no more than three levels within such vertical exit enclosure, which must be consecutive levels.
3. All levels served by such doors are served by at least one other exit.
4. Such doors are connected to a fire alarm system and installed in accordance with Section 715.4.8.3 and NFPA 80.
5. The hold-open devices of such doors:
5.1 Are capable of manual release at the fire command center or, if a fire command center is not required, at a fire alarm control panel that is near the main building entrance; and
5.2 Are capable of manual release by pulling the doors to the closed position.
§3. Section 715.4.8.3 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new item 12 to read as follows:
12. Doors serving vertical exit enclosures in accordance with the exception to Section 708.7.
§4. Section 907.3 of the New York city building code, as added by local law 141 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new section 907.3.5 to read as follows:
907.3.5 Monitoring of hold-open devices and closers. All hold-open devices used in automatic-closing doors pursuant to the exception to Section 708.7 shall be electrically supervised to monitor the integrity of the wiring connections among the fire alarm system, the smoke detection system, and the hold-open devices.
§5. Section 911.1.5 of the New York city building code, as added by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new item 8 to read as follows:
8. Manual controls for the release of doors that are automatic-closing by the actuation of smoke detectors or activation of the fire alarm in accordance with the exception to Section 708.7.
§6. Section 1022.1 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new exception 8 to read as follows:
8. Vertical exit enclosures with doors that are automatic-closing by smoke detection pursuant to the exception set forth in Section 708.7 may be used for travel between floors and this use shall not be deemed to interfere with function as a means of egress.
§7. Section 1022.8 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:
1022.8 Stairway identification and floor level signs. Signs identifying stairways and floor levels shall comply with Sections 1022.8.1 through [1022.8.4] 1022.8.5.
§8. Section 1022.8 of the New York city building code, as amended by local law number 141 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new section 1022.8.5 to read as follows:
1022.8.5 Directions to openable doors. Where doors serving vertical exit enclosures are locked on the stair side, signage shall be posted in compliance with Sections 1030.4.1, 1030.4.2 and 1030.4.3.
§9. Section 703.2.2 of the New York city fire code, as added by local law number 148 for the year 2013, is amended to read as follows:
703.2.2 Hold-open devices and automatic door closers. Hold-open devices for fire doors and automatic door closers for self-closing fire doors, where provided, shall be inspected, tested, and otherwise maintained in accordance with FC 703.2 and 907.20. During the period that such hold-open device is out of service for repairs, the door it operates shall remain in the closed position.
§10. Section 907.20 of the New York city fire code, as amended by local law number 148 for the year 2013, is amended by adding a new subdivision 907.20.7 to read as follows:
907.20.7 Hold-open devices. The fire alarm system connections for hold-open devices installed on fire doors pursuant to the Building Code, including hold-open devices provided for vertical exit enclosure doors pursuant to the exception to Section BC 708.7 of the Building Code, shall be inspected, tested and otherwise maintained in accordance with FC 703.2 and 907.20 and NFPA 72. Hold-open devices and automatic door closers provided for such vertical exit enclosure doors shall be inspected and tested annually to ensure the proper functioning of:
1. the manual control on the fire alarm system control panel, or the fire command center where a fire command center is required, that transmits a signal to release the hold-open devices;
2. the fire alarm system output programming, which automatically transmits a signal to release the hold-open devices upon activation of an automatic alarm initiating device or manual elevator recall;
3. the circuitry for each hold-open device, which upon receipt of a manual or automatic signal, releases the door; and
4. each automatic door closer, which, upon release of the door by the hold-open device, mechanically moves the door to its fully closed position.
§ 11. This local law shall take effect on October 1, 2014, except that this local law shall not apply to construction work related to applications for construction document approval filed prior to such effective date, and except that the commissioner of buildings shall take such measures as are necessary for its implementation, including the promulgation of rules, prior to such effective date.
Int. 1113-2013
LS # 1055
4/21/2014 10:43PM