§ 404-01 Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans.
RCNY § 404-01
(a)Scope. This section sets forth standards, requirements and procedures for the preparation, content, submission, acceptance and amendment of fire safety and evacuation plans; designation, qualifications and training of FSP staff, and their duties and responsibilities; education of building occupants, including the conduct of drills; recordkeeping; obligations of building occupants and employers of building occupants; and provision of assistance to building occupants with special needs.
(b)Definitions. The following terms shall, for purposes of this section and 3 RCNY § 404-02, have the meanings shown herein: Assembly area. A designated outdoor area to which building occupants are directed to report upon implementation of a partial evacuation or evacuation in accordance with a fire safety and evacuation plan or an emergency action plan. Building occupants. All persons in the building, including employees, building personnel and visitors. Deputy fire safety/EAP director. One (1) or more employees designated by the owner as qualified and trained to perform the duties of such position in accordance with the requirements of this section and 3 RCNY § 404-02, and who possesses the requisite qualifications and training, as set forth in 3 RCNY § 113-03. Evacuation. The emptying of a building of all building occupants in response to a fire or an emergency. Fire safety/EAP director. The employee designated by the owner to perform duties of such position in accordance with the requirements of this section and 3 RCNY § 404-02, and who possesses the requisite qualifications and training, as set forth in 3 RCNY § 113-03. In-building relocation. The controlled movement of building occupants from an endangered area of a building to an in-building relocation area within the same building in response to a fire or an emergency. In-building relocation area. A designated indoor area to which building occupants may be relocated in accordance with a fire safety and evacuation plan or an emergency action plan. Owner. The fee owner or lessee of the building, or other person or entity having charge thereof. Partial evacuation. The emptying of a building of some but not all building occupants in response to a fire or an emergency. Shelter in place. The precaution of directing building occupants to remain inside the building, at their present location, in response to a fire or an emergency.
(c)General Requirements.
(1)Applicability. This section applies to the buildings and occupancies set forth in FC 404.2.1.
(2)Owner obligations. (A) Preparation of fire safety and evacuation plan. An owner shall cause a fire safety and evacuation plan to be prepared for each occupancy or building, submitted for Department review and acceptance (when required by the Fire Code and rules), and periodically reviewed and amended, in compliance with the requirements of this section. The fire safety and evacuation plan shall be in the form set forth in Appendices A, B, C and D to this section, as applicable.
(3)Floor postings. When required by this section, signs identifying FSP staff shall be conspicuously posted on each floor, and maintained at an approved location on the premises, where they shall be made available for inspection by Department representatives. Such signs shall conform to the format set forth in 3 RCNY § 404-01 Appendix C.
(4)Building profile. When required by this section, a building profile, in the format set forth in 3 RCNY § 404-01 Appendix D, shall be prepared and submitted to the Department to serve as a ready reference for Department oversight of emergency preparedness and for use in connection with Department fire safety inspections. (B) Designation of FSP staff. Pursuant to FC 401.6, an owner shall designate in the fire safety and evacuation plan FSP staff responsible for the implementation of such plan, with the authority, duties and responsibilities set forth therein. (C) Cooperation of building occupants. When the owner becomes aware that a building occupant is neglecting or failing to cooperate with his or her duties, responsibilities or obligations to comply with the provisions of this section or the fire safety and evacuation plan, the owner shall notify the employer of such individual. If the employer fails to timely correct the condition the owner shall notify the Department. (D) Plan submission, acceptance and/or maintenance on premises. When required by FC 404.6 or this section, an owner shall cause a fire safety and evacuation plan to be submitted to, and acceptance obtained from, the Department, in compliance with the requirements of FC 404.6. A paper copy of the fire safety and evacuation plan for the premises, including floor plans, shall be maintained on the premises, at an approved location, and shall be made available for inspection by any Department representative. Where a building is provided with a fire command center, the fire safety and evacuation plan shall be maintained at that location. (E) Fire drills. An owner shall cause fire drills to be conducted in accordance with FC 405, if required by FC 405.2. FSP drills shall be in the form of live instruction except as otherwise authorized by this section. (F) FSP staff training. An owner shall cause FSP staff to be trained in accordance with FC 406 and this section. FSP staff training shall be in the form of live instruction except as otherwise authorized by this section. (G) Recordkeeping. An owner shall cause records to be maintained in accordance with FC 405.5 and FC 406.2. (H) Fire emergency reporting signage. Signage shall be provided in the lobby or entrance hall of each building in compliance with the requirements of FC 408.14.
(5)Compliance with orders of lawful authorities. The owner, fire safety director and all other FSP staff and building occupants shall comply with the orders of the Department or other incident commander or emergency response personnel should such incident commander or emergency response personnel be present at the building.
(6)Official notifications of fires and implementation of fire safety and evacuation plan. (A) In accordance with FC 401.3, any fire shall be immediately reported to 911. (B) The fire safety director, or other FSP staff designated to perform such duty, shall immediately report to 911 a determination to implement the fire safety and evacuation plan. (C) The fire safety director, or other FSP staff designated to perform such duty, shall immediately notify pre-determined representatives of other occupancies in a building of combustible construction.
(7)Communications with building occupants. (A) The fire safety director, or other FSP staff designated to perform such duty, shall be responsible for communicating information and directions to building occupants whenever the fire safety and evacuation plan is implemented, including during any fire drill. (B) Implementation of the fire safety and evacuation plan or the conduct of a FSP drill shall be communicated to the appropriate building occupants by the sounding of an alarm or alert tone followed by an announcement. The announcement shall include the following information: (1) whether the announcement is being made in connection with a fire condition or a FSP drill, and, if in connection with a fire condition: (a) where the fire condition exists; and (b) which floors or other parts of the building are affected and what action is to be taken in response to the fire condition. The announcement shall be repeated or updated on a frequent basis, to inform and reassure building occupants.
(d)Content of Fire Safety and Evacuation Plans. Each fire safety and evacuation plan prepared pursuant to this section shall include all of the information set forth in FC 404.3.1 and the following information: (1) Types of Responses to Fire Condition. (A) The fire safety and evacuation plan shall set forth the circumstances and procedures for the sheltering in place, in-building relocation, partial evacuation and/or evacuation of building occupants in response to a fire condition. (B) The fire safety and evacuation plan shall address how such measures will be implemented during regular business hours, and at times other than regular business hours, when FSP staff may be absent from the building.
(e)Booster pumps (special service pumps), including gpm capacity.
(f)Sprinkler system floor control valves.
(g)Pressure-reducing valves.
(h)Fire hose racks.
(i)Roof manifolds.
(j)Specific Requirements – High-Hazard Occupancies. [Reserved.] (k) Specific Requirements – Hotel/Motel Occupancies. Hotel/Motel occupancies shall additionally comply with the following requirements: (1) Fire safety and evacuation plan. Except as otherwise provided in 3 RCNY § 404-01(g) and (m), a fire safety and evacuation plan, that conforms to the format for such plans annexed to this section as Appendix A-1 shall be prepared for each hotel, motel or other Group R-1 occupancy. Such format shall be used on or after January 1, 2011 when submitting for Department acceptance any amendment to an existing fire safety and evacuation plan, other than FSP staff changes. The fire safety and evacuation plan shall include the following appendices: (A) a building information card conforming to the format annexed to this section as Appendix B-1, which shall be maintained at the fire command center and made available to any Department representative or emergency response personnel upon request and (B) a building profile conforming to the format annexed to this section as Appendix D.
(l)Specific Requirements – Hospitals and Other Health Care Facilities. [Reserved.] (m) Specific Requirements – Lodging Houses. [Reserved.] (n) Specific Requirements – Office Buildings. Office building occupancies, except those provided with an approved central station-monitored interior fire alarm system as set forth in 3 RCNY § 404-01(o), shall additionally comply with the following requirements: (1) Fire safety and evacuation plan. A fire safety and evacuation plan shall be prepared for each office building that conforms to the format for such plans annexed to this section as Appendix A-2, which sets forth a combined format for office building fire safety and evacuation plans and emergency action plans. Such combined format shall also be used on or after January 1, 2011 when submitting for Department acceptance any amendment to an existing fire safety and evacuation plan or emergency action plan, other than FSP staff or EAP staff changes. The combined fire safety and evacuation/emergency action plan shall include the following appendices: (A) a building information card conforming to the format annexed to this section as Appendix B-2 which shall be maintained at the fire command center and made available to any Department representative or emergency response personnel upon request; and (B) a building profile conforming to the format annexed to this section as Appendix D.
(o)Specific Requirements – Other Buildings and Occupancies. The following buildings and occupancies shall additionally comply with the following requirements: (1) Office buildings with approved interior fire alarm systems. A fire safety and evacuation plan that conforms to the format for such plans annexed to this section as Appendix A-3 shall be prepared for each office building which has been permitted to have an approved central station-monitored interior fire alarm system in accordance with Department of Buildings Technical Policy and Procedure Notice #1/03 in lieu of installing a mini-Class E fire alarm system that would have otherwise been required pursuant to 1968 Building Code § 27-972(h). The fire safety and evacuation plan shall include a building profile conforming to the format annexed to this section as Appendix D. Such format shall be used on or after January 1, 2011 when submitting for Department acceptance any amendment to an existing fire safety and evacuation plan. Fire drills required by FC 405.2 shall be conducted in such buildings by a certificate of fitness holder for fire drill conductor.
(p)Department Review and Acceptance. When required by the Fire Code or rule or directed by the Department, fire safety and evacuation plans shall be filed in accordance with the following provisions: (1) Filing for Department review. The fire safety and evacuation plan for a building shall be filed by the owner, or with the owner's written approval, with the Bureau of Fire Prevention at Fire Department Headquarters, together with the applicable application form and fee. Unless otherwise specified by the Department, the filing shall consist of one (1) paper copy of the plan (including all applicable appendices), and one (1) compact disk containing the floor plans, in either DWG or DWF format.
(q)Periodic Review and Amendment.
(r)Time for implementation. Within 30 days from the date of Department acceptance of the fire safety and evacuation plan, an owner shall have in place trained FSP staff and otherwise be capable of implementing the fire safety and evacuation plan at the premises and otherwise complying with the requirements of this section.
(s)Recordkeeping Requirements.
(t)Obligations of Building Occupants and Employers of Building Occupants.
