NFPA 72 (National Fire Alarm Code) or what?

[imported_Ron]

I am doing work in an area of Texas that has adopted the following model codes:
Building/Dwelling Code IBC 2000
Plumbing Code IPC 2000
Mechanical Code IMC 2000
Electrical Code NEC 1999
Fire/Life Safety Code IFC 2000

I usually refer to NFPA 72 for fire alarm system code issues, but that name does not show up on the jurisdictions list of codes. I am just becomming familiar with the IBC, etc does one of the codes listed above take the place of NFPA 72? I know that IFC is in place of NFPA 1, but where does NFPA 72 get referenced?

[Wgoodrich]

NFPA 72 is the National Fire Code 2002 written by the National Fire Protection Assn.
The IFC is the International Fire Code written by the International Code Council.

While the fire code has been written by the ICC the International Electrical Code is only the adminsitrative first couple of chapters up to Atricle 100.

National Fire protection Assoc. has not come to an agreement to join the International Code Council yet the Building Officials and Code Administartors Interantional [BOCA], and the INternationa Conferance of Building Officials [ICBO] and the Southern Building Code Congress [SBBCI], have joined and signed agreements with the International Code Council [ICC].

The joining of these orginizations into the International Code Council has put the National Fire Protection Agency to be one of the last hold outs. Not sure what will happen between the NFPA and the ICC but as of now it seems the ICC is gaining great guns on adoption of their fire, building, zoning, plumbing, and residential building codes throughout the states in the USA. Along with that the International Fire Code by the ICC seems to be gaining strongly against the National Fire Code by the NFPA. [NFPA 72].

Right now the only National Code I am seeing holding its own so far is the National Electrical Code.

Go to the ICC web site and look at the flier running across the page or go to the link listing states and cities that have adopted the International Code family books.

http://www.iccsafe.org/index.html

http://www.nfpa.org

Not sure what will happen but as for fire codes seems the International is growing stronger in adoption across the Nation than the NFPA 72 is being adopted.

They are quite similar in writing but definitly two different Code books. I am not saying one is better than the other. I am suspecting that an agreement will eventually be made soon between the NFPA and the ICC. We will see?

The future record will tell us what will happen next.

Hope this helps

Wg

[imported_Ron]

The IFC appears to be competing with NFPA 1.
NFPA 72 does not seem to have a competition from the ICC.

[Wgoodrich]

I suspect if you will check the IFC is the Internationa Fire Code. I have an electronic copy of that IFC. If you will check the IFC is written by the International Code Council. ICC.

COPIED SECTION OF IFC

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This 2003 International Fire Code® is a copyrighted work owned by the International Code Council,
Inc.Without advance written permission from the copyright owner, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, including, without limitation, electronic, optical or mechanical means (byway of example and not
limitation, photocopying, or recording by or in an information storage retrieval system). For information on permission to copymaterial
exceeding fair use, please contact: Publications, 4051 West Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478-5795 (Phone
800-214-4321).
Trademarks: “International Code Council,” the “International Code Council” logo and the “International Fire Code” are trademarks
of the International Code Council, Inc.


Wg

[imported_Ron]

I agree, the IFC is the international fire code as written by the ICC. No agrument from me.
The IFC has a competitor in different jurisdictions that have not accepted the ICC codes, which is NFPA 1. They have requirements covering similar situations.
The question was/is, what is the ICC competition for NFPA 72 (Fire Alarm Code). For example, the IFC does not seem to indicate locations for smoke detectors, as the NFPA 72 does.
So, If the NFPA 72 is not an approved code for a jurisdiction that has adopted the ICC codes, then what is the ICC document for spacing smoke detectors and the like.

[Wgoodrich]

Seems when it hits the particulars the IFC refers not only to its own rules but also the NFPA72 rules. See an example of the IFC referring to NFPA72 rules as a copied section of the International Fire Code 2003.

907.2 Where required—new buildings and structures. An
approved manual, automatic, or manual and automatic fire
alarm system shall be provided in new buildings and structures
in accordance with Sections 907.2.1 through 907.2.23. Where
automatic sprinkler protection installed in accordance with
Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2 is provided and connected to the
building fire alarm system, automatic heat detection required
by this section shall not be required.
An approved automatic fire detection system shall be installed
in accordance with the provisions of this code and NFPA72. Devices,
combinations of devices, appliances and equipment shall
comply with Section 907.1.2. The automatic fire detectors shall
be smoke detectors, except that an approved alternative type of
detector shall be installed in spaces such as boiler rooms where,
during normal operation, products of combustion are present in
sufficient quantity to actuate a smoke detector.
907.2.1 Group A. A manual fire alarm system shall be installed
in accordance with NFPA 72 in Group A occupancies
having an occupant load of 300 or more. Portions of
Group E occupancies occupied for assembly purposes shall
be provided with a fire alarm system as required for the
Group E occupancy.


Interesting huh?

Wg