§ 13-11. Fire safety regulations.

(a)

The owner, operator, administrator, and director of each childcare facility shall ensure that compliance is maintained with all applicable sections of the fire code.

(b)

The owner, operator, administrator, and director of each commercial childcare center shall completely:

(1)

Install and maintain in compliance with the manufacturer's directions carbon monoxide detectors separate from the fire alarm system in all facilities with HVAC and mechanical rooms with gas appliances in the childcare facility;

(2)

Install and maintain 2A10BC fire extinguishers, or equipment approved by the fire marshal as equal to, or better than the 2A10BC extinguisher in the childcare facility within seventy-five (75) feet travel distance to all areas in the childcare facility;

(3)

In a commercial childcare center with a range top, install and maintain a 40 BC fire extinguisher;

(4)

In a commercial childcare facility with grease laden vapor producing appliances, install and maintain a commercial hood with a fixed fire extinguishing system; and

(5)

Provide and pass a gas leak test every year.

(c)

The owner, operator, administrator, and director of each registered family home and of any other childcare facility located in a residence or residential structure shall completely install and maintain smoke detectors in the childcare facility in locations and in a manner approved by the fire marshal and carbon monoxide detectors in compliance with the manufacturer's directions in all facilities with HVAC and mechanical rooms with gas appliances in the childcare facility.

(d)

The owner, operator, administrator, and director of each commercial childcare center shall completely install and maintain hard wired smoke detectors in the childcare facility in locations and in a manner approved by the fire marshal.

(e)

No owner, operator, administrator, director, or staff member of a childcare facility shall suffer, permit, place, use, or tolerate a space heater in the childcare facility at any time. The owner, operator, administrator, director, and staff members shall completely disable all unvented wall heaters in the childcare facility.

(f)

The owner, operator, administrator, and director of each commercial childcare facility with over one thousand seven hundred fifty (1,750) square feet of interior space shall provide it with a completely installed and maintained fire alarm system in compliance with National Fire Protection Association Standard No. 72 including;

(1)

Interconnected to an approved fire alarm control panel with standby battery power:

a.

Fire marshal approved double action type manual pull stations adjacent to all building exits;

b.

Fire marshal approved smoke detectors such that there is no point in a corridor more than twenty-one (21) feet from a detector;

c.

Additional smoke detectors in lounges, recreational areas, and sleeping rooms;

d.

Fire marshal approved rate-of-rise heat detectors in all mechanical and electrical rooms; and

e.

All other required detection devices such as duct smoke detectors and fixed fire extinguishing systems.

(2)

A fire alarm system inspected annually and green tagged by a fire alarm company licensed by the State of Texas; and

(3)

A fire marshal approved durable permanent sign mounted adjacent to each manual pull station (only if the system is unmonitored) which reads "LOCAL ALARM ONLY-CALL FIRE DEPARTMENT."

(g)

The owner, operator, administrator, and director of each commercial childcare facility with over three thousand five hundred (3,500) square feet of interior space shall provide it with a completely installed and maintained automatic fire alarm system monitored by an approved U.L. listed central station monitoring company.

(h)

The owner, operator, administrator, director, and staff members of all registered family homes shall comply with the most current edition of the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, including, but not limited to, all regulations pertaining to gas leak tests, 1A10BC fire extinguishers or equipment approved by the fire marshal as equal to, or better than the 1A10BC extinguisher, and smoke detectors completely installed and maintained in compliance with manufacturers' directions.

(i)

The owner, operator, administrator, director, and staff members of each childcare facility with a wood burning fireplace shall ensure that either the fireplace not be used when children are present or that the fireplace be secured so that children cannot access the fire and that the fireplace and chimney are cleaned after each cord of wood is burned in it.

(j)

The owner, operator, administrator, director, and staff members of parent's day out programs with no more than fifty (50) children on the premises at any time shall ensure that there are smoke detectors in operational condition in each room that may be occupied by a child and in each corridor that leads to an exit.

(k)

The owner, operator, administrator, director, and staff members of parent's day out programs that may have more than fifty (50) children on the premises at any time shall ensure that there are hard wired smoke detectors in operational condition in each room that may be occupied by a child and in each corridor that leads to an exit.

(l)

The owner, operator, director, and administrator of all childcare facilities shall ensure that the phone located at the permanent facility is compatible with the city's current 9-1-1 system.

(Ord. No. 8648, § 1, 6-1-06)