CHAPTER VI - Fire Regulation 2007

CHAPTER VI: Fire Regulation
(Ordinance 100, 5-27-1986, Ordinance 210, 12-9-2003, Ordinance 257, 11-14-2007)tc l1 "CHAPTER IV: Fire Regulation (Ord 100 5-27-86)

6-1 Code of Regulationstc l2 "4-1 Code of Regulations.

6-1-1 Application to New and Existing Conditions.

The provisions of this Code of Regulations adopted for the safeguarding of life and property within the Town of Ignacio, Colorado, from fire, explosion and other conditions hazardous to life and property, shall apply equally to new and existing conditions except that existing conditions not in strict compliance with these regulations shall be permitted to continue where the exceptions do not constitute a district hazard to life or property in the opinion of the Town Building Official.

Fire Chief Defined. (Ordinance 100, 5-27-1986 this is listed as 4-1-2.5,
Amended by Ordinance 257, 11-14,2007)

Whenever the term Town Fire Chief or Town Fire Marshal is used in the Code of the Town of Ignacio, it shall mean the Chief of the Los Pinos Fire Protection District. The Chief of the Los Pinos Fire Protection District acting as the Town of Ignacio Fire Chief or Fire Marshal is hereby given authority to enforce any and all fire safety ordinances of the Town of Ignacio by summoning any person violating fire safety ordinances of the Town of Ignacio into municipal court or by enforcing of such ordinances by any other lawful method. The Town's Building Official may delegate any power granted to him under Chapter V of the Code of the Town of Ignacio to the Town's Fire Chief.

Standards Applied.[OMIT and Amended by Ordinance 257, 11-14-07,
Section 6-3 International Fire Code, 2003 Edition]

All matters within the intent of this Code not covered in detail by these regulations herein adopted shall comply with nationally recognized good practice. Compliance with the Fire Prevention Code, 1997 Edition of the Uniform Fire Code.

6-1-3 Entrance for Inspection.

The Town Building Inspector or the Town Fire Chief may at all reasonable hours enter any building or premise, except the interior of dwelling houses, for the purpose of making any inspection which he may deem necessary to be made which may be liable to cause fire, explosion or other conditions that may endanger life or so long as all such inspections are reasonably made.


Remedy of Dangerous Conditions; Dangerous Conditions Defined.

Whenever the Building Inspector or Fire Chief shall find upon any premises dangerous or hazardous conditions which exist, or will exist, he shall order such conditions to be immediately remedied in such manner as he may specify.

.Dangerous conditions shall include, but not be limited, to the following:

(A) Dangerous or unlawful amounts of combustible, explosive or otherwise hazardous material being stored or otherwise present within the Town limits of the Town of Ignacio, Colorado.

(B) Defective or improperly installed equipment for handling or using combustible or explosive or otherwise hazardous materials, including defective equipment or conditions for the use of natural gas or other gasses, gasoline, oils or similar combustible materials.

(C) Dangerous accumulations of rubbish, waste paper, boxes, shavings or any other highly flammable materials.

(D) Accumulations of dust or waste materials in air conditioning systems or of grease in kitchen or other exhaust ducts.

(E) Obstructions on, or inadequate fire escapes, stairs, passageways or doors that are liable to interfere with egress of occupants in case of fire or explosions.

(C) Improper storing of gasoline, greases, oils, dynamite and similar hazardous materials.

6-1-5 Permit Requirement.

A written permit shall first be had and obtained from the Fire Department located within the Town of Ignacio, Colorado, before doing any of the hereinafter listed acts:

(A) Before burning any building, automobile, bonfire, rubbish fire or any other fire unless same is done in a proper receptacle or incinerator.

(B) Before storing any hazardous chemical, large supplies of ammunition, dynamite, gasoline, greases, toxic materials, poisonous gasses or other highly dangerous or flammable materials.

A permit shall first be obtained from the Town Staff of the Town of Ignacio which is approved by the Building Inspector showing any new use of a building follows current fire and safety regulations and older buildings are continuing to conform to fire and safety regulations.

(A) Before a new use and periodically with older buildings, and before a new permit shall be issued or an older building continues its current use, any group of 25 people or more which shall occupy any building, as an assembly place, place of entertainment or similar functions, that building shall have sufficient exit doors. During periods of occupancy, no exit door shall be locked, bolted or otherwise fastened, so that the door cannot be opened from the inside by use of an ordinary latch or by pressure, and all such doors shall swing to the outside of the building, with sufficient aisleways, markings, lighting, and stairways, all to be approved by the Building Inspector. [Also see Section 6-3, 105.6 Required
Operational Permits]

6-1-6 Storage of Gasoline.

All bulk plants, service stations and similar installations which commonly handle gasoline will store same in underground storages covered by at least three (3) feet of soil, concrete or similar materials. Bulk storage of gasoline trunk shall be any amount greater than fifty (50) gallons. No gasoline trunk shall be parked unattended upon any public highway or street in the Town of Ignacio at any time.

6-1-7 Appeal Procedure. [Also see Section 6-3, 108 Board of Appeals]

Whenever the Building Inspector shall disapprove an application or refuse to grant a permit or shall demand any action of any person to comply with these regulations, and such persons so desires, the said person may appeal from the decision of said Building Inspector to the Town Council direct, within thirty (30) days, and the Town Council shall rule on the matter and their decision shall be final within the Town authority.

Penalties for Violation. [Also see Section 6-3, 109.3 Violation penalties and 111.4
Failure to comply]

Any person, or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of these regulations, or the decision of the Building Inspector shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not more than One Thousand Dollars (,000) or by imprisonment of not more that 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The imposition of one penalty for any violation does not excuse the violation and the person shall be required to correct or remedy such violation or damage within a reasonable time, each of the days that the prohibited conditions continues to exist or is maintained shall constitute a separate offense.

6-1-9 Disclaimer of Liability.

The adoption of the regulations and this Chapter shall not be construed to hold the municipality responsible for any damages to person or property by reason the inspection or failure to inspect, or the granting of a permit or disapproval of a permit that may arise from a fire, explosion or similar disaster to be controlled by this Chapter.

6-2 Fire Limits of the Town of Ignaciotc l2 "4-2 Fire Limits of the Town of Ignacio.

6-2-1 Fire Limits Established.

All that portion of the Town of Ignacio within the following limits shall be and the same hereby is constituted the fire limits of said Town, viz: the Town of Ignacio town limits including any portion thereof annexed from time to time.

6-3 EXHIBIT A: Amended 2003 International Fire Code (Ordinance 257, 11-14-2007)

101.1. Title Town of Ignacio

Create a new section as follows:

102.10 Preexisting nonconforming structures.
Structures which lawfully exist within the jurisdiction of the Town prior to the effective date of the ordinance from which this section is derived shall be exempt from any provisions of the International Fire Code, 2003 edition, as adopted, which would require the owner, tenant or occupant to make any improvements or alterations to such structures. However, this exemption shall not apply to such a preexisting, nonconforming structure should the owner, tenant or occupant make, or cause to be made, any changes to the use or occupancy of the structure after the effective date of the ordinance from which this section derived; or should the owner, tenant or occupant make, or cause to be made, any improvements or alterations to the structure for which the issuance of a building permit from the office of the town building inspector, pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Town Building Code, as adopted, is required; or shall it apply to legally existing structures, facilities and conditions which in the opinion of the code official, constitute a distinct hazard to life and safety.

105.6. Required operational permits

The fire code official is authorized to issue operational permits for the operations set forth in § 105.6.2 (Amusement buildings), § 105.6.4 (Carnivals and fairs), § 105.6.15 (Explosives), § 105.6.31 (Open burning), § 105.6.37 (Pyrotechnic special effects material), and § 105.6.44 (Temporary membrane structures, tents and canopies).Section 105.6 of the IFC is amended to read as follows

105.6. Required Construction Permits. The fire code official is authorized to issue construction permits set forth in § 105.7.1 (Automatic fire-extinguishing systems), and § 105.7.4 (Fire alarm and detection systems and related equipment), and § 105.7.4 (Fire pumps and related equipment) and High Piled Storage. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued by the building department until final approval for the permit required by 105.7 has been granted by the respective fire department.

108 Board of Appeals. of the IFC is amended to read as follows:

108 Board of Appeals. Whenever the chief of a fire department, authorized to enforce this article, disapproves an application or refuses to grant a permit applied for or when it is claimed that the provisions of the fire code do not apply, or that the true intent and meaning of the fire code have been misconstrued or wrongly interpreted, the applicant may appeal from the decision of the fire chief to the Town Board.

The Town Board shall have jurisdiction to review any alleged violation of the provisions of this article as to which representatives of a fire protection district have requested that legal enforcement action be undertaken. No fire protection district (department) which has jurisdiction to enforce the provisions of this article shall refer an alleged violation of this article for prosecution, unless and until the alleged violation has been reviewed by the Town Board, and a majority of the board members have recommended that the alleged violation be referred to the Town Attorney's Office for enforcement action. The Town Attorney's Office shall be notified, by the appropriate fire department, as to the circumstances and particulars of any alleged violation of this article should the matter be referred to the Town Attorney's Office for criminal prosecution.

109.3. Violation penalties. Insert: Municipal Offense, $ 1,000.00, 365 day

111.4 Failure to comply. Insert: $ 100.00 / $ 1,000.00

304.1.2 Vegetation. of the IFC is amended to read as follows:

304.1.2 Vegetation. Weeds, grass, vines or other growth that is capable of being ignited and endangering property, shall be cut down and removed by the owner or occupant of the premises.

308.3.1 Open Flame Cooking Devices of the IFC is hereby deleted

308.3.1.1 Liquefied Petroleum gas fueled Cooking Devices. of the IFC is hereby deleted

503.2.6. Bridges and elevated structures. Where a bridge or elevated structure is part of a fire apparatus access road, the bridge or structure shall be constructed and maintained so to safely carry the imposed loads of fire apparatus vehicles. The bridges and structures shall be designed (or certified for existing structures) by a structural engineer currently licensed in the state of Colorado.

The minimum design loads for fire apparatus vehicles shall be 70,000 pounds (working load). This load shall be applied to the structure in addition to all other applicable dead and live loads. The design load shall be applied to the structure as concentrated loads from 3 axles: front =20,000#, rear tandem axles = 25,000# each. Spacing of the axles is variable (14 feet to 18 feet) from front axle to the front tandem axle and 4 feet between the two rear tandem axles. The design loads shall be located on the structure span or spans to produce the greatest stresses. Additionally, bridge and structure decks shall be designed to support concentrated wheel loads of 13,000# distributed evenly on a 20”x20” area placed anywhere on the deck.

The vehicle load capacity shall be posted at both entrances to the bridge or structure and shall be based on a certification letter from the structural engineer.

Create a new section 503.1.4 as follows:

503.1.4 Temporary Fire Access. If not otherwise available or in place, a temporary fire access roadway shall be created and maintained prior to and during the construction of every facility, building or portion of a building. Such temporary fire access roadway shall be not less than 16 feet in width, shall be kept clear for access at all times, and shall be designed and able to withstand loads of not less than 70,000 pounds.

504.2 Maintenance of exterior doors and openings. is amended to read as follows:

504.2 Maintenance of exterior doors and openings. Exterior doors and their function shall not be eliminated without prior approval. Exterior doors that have been rendered nonfunctional and that retain a functional exterior door appearance shall have a sign affixed to the exterior side of the door with the words THIS DOOR IS BLOCKED. The sign shall consist of letters having a principal stroke of not less than ¼ inch in width and 2 inches in height on a contrasting background. Required fire department access door shall not be obstructed or eliminated. Exit and exit access doors shall comply with Chapter 10. Access doors for high-pile combustible storage shall comply with § 2306.6.1.

510.1 Identification. is amended to read as follows:

510.1 Identification. Fire protection equipment shall be identified in an approved manner. Rooms containing controls for air-conditioning systems, sprinkler risers and valves, or other fire detection, suppression or control elements shall be identified for the use of the fire department. Approved signs with background letters having a principal stroke of not less than ¼ inch in width and 2 inches in height on a contrasting background are required to identify fire protection equipment and equipment locations. Such signs shall be constructed of durable materials, permanently installed and readily visible.

605.3.1 Labeling. is amended to read as follows:

605.3.1 Labeling. Doors into electrical control panel rooms shall be marked with a plainly visible and legible sign, letters with having a principal stroke of not less than ¼ inch in width and 2 inches in height on a contrasting background, stating ELECTRICAL ROOM or similar approved wording. The disconnecting means for each service, feeder or branch circuit originating on a switchboard or panel board shall be legibly and durably marked to indicate its purpose unless such purpose is clearly evident.

Create a new section 902.2.2 as follows:

902.2.2 Plan certification for fire alarm systems and occupant notification. All fire alarm and occupant notification system plans submitted to the fire department for review and approval shall bear a review certification of minimum level III NICET (National Institute for the Certification of Engineering Technologies) in fire alarms.

Create a new section 902.2.3 as follows:

902.2.3 Plan certification for fire sprinkler systems. All fire sprinkler plans submitted to the fire department for review and approval shall bear a review certification of minimum level III NICET (National Institute for the Certification of Engineering Technologies) in fire sprinklers.

Create a new section 902.2.4 as follows:

902.2.4 Plan certification for all other fire protection systems. Plan certifications for all other fire protection systems will be accompanied by a certification of competence if determined necessary and requested by the fire code official, or his designee.

3301.1.3 Fireworks. is amended to read as follows:

3301.1.3 Fireworks The possession, manufacturer, storage, sale, handling and use of fireworks, other than toy caps, sparklers and smoke snakes, are prohibited:

Exceptions: Maintain as written

Chapter 45 Reference Standards



Add to the list of Reference Standards:

National Fire Protection Agency 96 – Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations

Appendix D Fire Apparatus Access Roads.


D101.1 Scope. is amended to read as follows:

D101.1 Scope. Fire Apparatus and access roads shall be in accordance with this appendix and all other applicable standards from the IAFC 2003. If a conflict were to arise the stricter standard would apply unless approved by the respective fire department.


D103.3 Turning radius. is amended to read as follows:

D103.3 Turning radius. The minimum turning radius shall be 30’

Figure D103.1 is amended to read as follows:

Figure D103.1 All radii shall be 30’ minimum

Figure D103.5 (1) is amended to read as follows:

Figure D103.5 (1) The minimum gate width shall be 20’ unless otherwise approved by the respective fire department.