Building Code Board of Appeals Agenda and Packet 2009 06 18

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Urban-Wildland Interface Code The purpose of the code is to provide a set of minimum requirements to help safe guard life and property. The regulations in this code are intended to mitigate the spread of fire from wildland fire exposures and fire exposures from adjacent structures and to also help mitigate structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels. The Louisville Fire Prevention Bureau has been following the Urban- Wildland Interface Code for the last three years and has been performing annual inspections of the open space property and target hazard areas. The Fire department has worked along with the open space coordinator to provide the safest requirements for the open space without the property losing its purpose. Knox Box Reauirement The Louisville Fire Protection District is requesting that an appendix be adopted that would require that all new buildings be equipped with a Knox Box. A Knox Box is a small high security key box that allows the fire department to gain access to buildings without having to damage doors, windows and locks in emergency and non-emergency situations. The fire department currently only requires them be installed in buildings that are equipped with a fire sprinkler system. This adoption to the code would help standardize our district and assist the fire department with the efficiency it needs in performing their duties. 5000 Sauare Foot Sprinkler Reauirement The Louisville Fire Department is proposing that all new buildings (with the exception of U- occupancies) totaling 5,000 square feet or more of gross floor area shall be protected throughout by an approved automatic fire sprinkler system. Automatic sprinklers are highly effective elements of total system designs for fire protection in buildings. It is a fact that a building equipped with an approved automatic fire sprinkler system is 96% more effective in life safety and property conservation than a building not equipped with a fire sprinkler system (NFPA). Due to the fact that the Louisville Fire Department is predominantly staffed by volunteers this ordinance will help reduce the high demand for resources for fires in buildings of this size. We believe that this proposed amendment will not only reduce the risk and effect of fires in our community, but will improve firefighter safety. (See the attachment for any technical information).