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S&B Fire Protection Systems Program

                     NEWS

FireX carbon monoxide and smoke alarms recalled by Maple Chase due to malfunction (CPSC)

Fire protection systems are not mandated in all new aircraft hangars in Wisconsin, PDF file

Presentations from the Nov. 2007 Elevator Construction Symposium, including one on elevator fire alarms

The Safety and buildings Division teamed with the Wisconsin Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers to host a fire protection symposium for which instructors came from around the country to share educational presentations and experiences as related to the installation of fire sprinkler systems.
- Here is a PDF file of Powerpoint presentation: "Update on Technical Changes to Fire Sprinkler Requirements (NFPA 13 and IBC 2006)."
- Here is a PDF file of Powerpoint presentation: "Fire Pump Controllers."<


** In August of 2007,the Madison Fire Department conducted a side-by-side live burn demonstration to compare the fire patterns of a dwelling with sprinklers versus a dwelling without sprinklers.  The demonstration took place at  the top of State Street (at the State-Mifflin-Carroll intersection) on Capitol Square.

Select the Photos to Enlarge Them!

Fire demo photo one Fire photo Two Fire Demo Photo Three
The controlled demonstration showed a cozy cubicle room without a fire sprinkler flash into a blaze that left a blackened destroyed death trap.
Fire Demo Photo Four Fire Demo Photo Five Fie Demo Photo Seven
Madison Fire Department staff constructed the demonstration rooms and then city Fire Marshall explained to the onlookers that the room on the right had the needed residential fire sprinkler.
Fie Demo Photo Eight Fire Demo Photo 10 Fire Demo Photo Nine
At State and Mifflin in Madison, the observers saw the progression of the side-by-side burns, the one on the left without the sprinkler and the one on the right where the sprinkler put the fire out.
Program Description: The Safety and Buildings Division Fire Protection System Program includes fire detection, notification, alarm, and suppression systems. Rules are administered pertaining to fire protection systems. There are credentials administered for automatic fire sprinkler system workers, according to Comm 5, Credentialing Code. Fire protection system plan review is offered. See also Fire Prevention Program, Fire Department Safety and Health Program, and Commercial Buildings Program.

1. S&B Fire protection Program Contacts  GO

2. Fire Protection Plan Review  GO

3. Fire Protection forms  GO

4. Fire Portection licenses and registrations  GO

5. Wisconsin Building Safety Network  GO
 You can sign up to receive occasional email messages from the Safety and Buildings Division about news that is important to people interested in Fire Protection Systems.

  S&B Fire Protection Systems Program Contacts

Email technical questions about fire protection systems to: fireprotech@commerce.state.wi.us

Fax technical questions about fire protection systems to: 608-283-7405

Fire Protection System Plan Reviewers/ Consultants are:
- Lynne LeCount, Waukesha, LLecount@commerce.state.wi.us, 262-548-8621;
- Mark Gardetto, Waukesha, mark.gardetto@wisconsin.gov, 262-523-3044;
- Keith Glaunert, Waukesha, kglaunert@commerce.state.wi.us, 262-548-8604. 

Fire Protection Systems Section Chief, Dan Meneguin, dan.menguin@wi.gov, 608-266-0056

Fire Protection Systems Program Manager, Jim Smith, jim.smith@wi.gov, 608-266-0251

Lists of Wisconsin fire departments' contacts and addresses

List of Wisconsin Fire Departments' WebSites.

Automatic Fire Sprinkler COntractor and Journeyman Council


  S&B Fire Protection Systems Plan Review

- Plan Review Status Check - You can enter customer ID info and learn the status of your S&B scheduled plan review.

- S&B has a page for scheduling commercial buildings plan reviews, including fire protection systems.

  - Fire Protection Agents: The following municipalities are delegated agents of the department to perform plan review of fire detection and suppression systems as prescribed under s. Comm 61.30.
City of Appleton
City of Burlington
City of Madison
Village of McFarland
City of Verona
The City of Milwaukee also has plan review authority.

- Fire Suppression and Alarm Plans and Checklist PDF file

- Combination water calc worksheet for home plumbing system and 13D fire protection system, SBD-10717 (N03/01) PDF file, Word 97 file


  S&B Fire Protection Systems Credentials

- Credential status checks.

- Credential application forms.

- Credential prerequisites.

- Fire sprinkler credential holder lists, PDF file, Excel file.

- Contact the Credentialing Unit, madisoncred@commerce.state.wi.us, 608-261-8500.

- Credential program Web site.


 
WBSN

The Wisconsin Building Safety Network is a new name for a long-standing group of state and local officials working together to promote safety and health in the built environment in Wisconsin - since 1915.  A conference was in June 2007.  Suggestions are welcome on what might be useful on the new WBSN Web page.


 
Increased fire sprinkler protection and updated model codes included in commercial building and fire prevention code changes

How to obtain new commercial buildings and fire codes.

A flexible expansion of fire sprinkler protections in apartment buildings and an update to 2006 model building and fire codes are features of Wisconsin commercial building and fire codes changes adopted November 7, 2007, by the state Department of Commerce.

After several years of development, with input from people throughout Wisconsin and review by the legislature, changes to Comm 60-66,  Commercial Building Code, and Comm 14, Fire Prevention Code, are expected to go into effect on March 1, 2008.

For new construction, a significant increase in the multifamily buildings provided with fire sprinklers was modified by phasing in the new fire sprinkler protection. 

The phase-in will provide sprinkler installation in 2008 for new construction of multifamily buildings of more than eight units, and will be lowered in 2011 to new multifamily dwellings of three or more units.  (See Section 68 in adopted draft for phase-in.)

The new rules will provide adjusted sprinkler coverage for three- and four-unit dwellings not served by municipal water systems or private community wells.  Such buildings will be able to have systems conforming with NFPA 13D, a standard for dwellings that allows lower water usage while protecting lives from fire.  (See Table 62.0903 and following and Section 74 in adopted draft.)
 
Sprinkler protection changes will not affect existing buildings or new one- and two-family homes.  Existing buildings coverted to residential use may require sprinkler protection.

Building construction plan submittals made before the code change effective date to the Department of Commerce or delegated plan review municipalities will be reviewed under the old/current code.

Submittals after the effective date will use the new code provisions, with a few vital exceptions dealing with initiated, ongoing projects.  (See Sections 29m, 30, and 30m in adopted draft for extensions of review.)

New printed copies of the Wisconsin commercial building and fire prevention codes are expected to be available from state Document Sales in February. 

The 2006 versions of the adopted national model codes can be obtained from the International Code Council, http://www.iccsafe.org/ and the National Fire Protection Association, http://www.nfpa.org, respectively. 

There will not be a new "Enrolled Code," which has been a printed combination of the Wisconsin and model building codes. Instead, the Safety and Buildings Division will put code insert pages on the Internet in early 2008.  The pages will be designed to fit Wisconsin code provisions into the loose leaf versions of adopted model codes.

The adopted draft of the code changes is available on Commerce's  Safety and Buildings Division Website.

People wishing to follow the process of bringing the code changes into fruition can become part of the S&B commercial buildings, fire prevention, or fire protection email groups, http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-DivEmailSignup.html

The same announcements that are sent to the email groups for interested parties will be on the S&B commercial buildings, fire prevention, and fire protection Web pages,
http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-CommercialBuildingsProgram.html; http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-FirePreventionProgram.html; http://commerce.wi.gov/SB/SB-FireProtectionSystemsProgram.html.


  How to obtain Wisconsin Commercial Building  and Fire Prevention Codes changes in 2008

In November, 2007, Wisconsin adopted changes to the Wisconsin Commercial Building and Fire Prevention Codes.  The changes are expected to go into effect March 1, 2008.  The Commercial Building Code, now numbered Comm 60-66, adopts the 2006 editions of the International Building Code, the International Energy Conservation Code, the International Mechanical Code and the International Fuel Gas Code.  The Fire Prevention Code, Comm 14, now adopts the 2006 edition of the National Fire Prevention Code, NFPA 1.

The 2006 ICC codes and commentary can currently be purchased from  www.iccsafe.org.  S&B recommends getting the 3-hole punched format.  The Safety and Building Division intends to create special  3-hole punched pages intended to be inserted into the ICC codes.  These pages would have the relevant Wisconsin sections and will be numbered for insertion in the appropriate places in the ICC codes.  More information about those pages should be available in late January.  Watch the S&B WebSite Home Page for the news or subscribe to the commercial buildings email group.

The 2006 NFPA 1 is available from http://www.nfpa.org.

In recent years, ICC and the Safety and Buildings Division have created and printed an "Enrolled Code" containing both the adopted ICC code sections and the Wisconsin Commercial Buildings Code sections.  There will NOT be another Enrolled Code created to reflect the 2008 changes.  

It is expected that the regular format Wisconsin code version of Comm 60-65 and Comm 14 will be available in February 2008.  Wisconsin codes and update services can be purchased from the Document Sales and Distribution office of the Wisconsin Department of Administration. Document Sales does offer an update service, for a fee, to provide copies of any state code revisions during a subscribed period of time.

- You may telephone Document Sales, 800-362-7253, or 608-264-9419.
- You may purchase from the Document Sales office, 202 South Thornton Avenue, Madison, 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Map of Document Sales location.
- Through the mail (with an order form) using a check, money order, or Visa or MasterCard credit card. The order form is available by calling 800-362-7253, or 608-264-9419, or from the Document Sales Web site.
- By fax, 608-261-8150, using the order form along with a Visa or MasterCard credit card.


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Email this page's manager, Todd Taylor, ttaylor@commerce.state.wi.us or 608-267-3606

The Department of Commerce Safety and Buildings Division is an equal opportunity service provider and employer. If you need assistance to access services or need material in an alternate format, please contact us, 608-266-3151, TTY 608-264-8777, or ttaylor@commerce.state.wi.us