Fire Alarm Requirements for Group R-2 and R-2.1 Occupancy

Group R-2 and R-2.1: (Residential)

Systems required to be monitored per the 2021 IFC section 907.6.6.

A manual fire alarm system (pull stations) that activates the occupant notification system (horns, strobes, sounders, speakers, chimes, mass notification, etc.)

Pull Station Requirements:

Pull stations are required if the facility has:

• Dwelling or sleeping units located three or more stories above the lowest level of exit discharge 
• Dwelling or sleeping units more than one story below the highest level of exist discharge
• The building contains more than 16 dwelling or sleeping units

Exceptions: 

• A fire alarm system is not required where the Group R-2 facility is not more than two stories in height where all dwelling or sleeping units and contiguous attic and crawl spaces are separated from each other and public or common areas by not less than 1-hour fire partitions and each dwelling unit or sleeping unit has an exit directly to a public way, egress court or yard.
• Manual fire alarm boxes are not required where the building is equipped with an automatic sprinkler system that activates the occupant notification appliances.
• A fire alarm system is not required in buildings that do not have interior corridors serving dwelling units or sleeping units and are protected by an approved automatic sprinkler system.  This is provided that the dwelling units or sleeping units open directly to an exterior exit access that leads directly to the exits or a re served by open-ended corridors designed in accordance with section 1027.6 Exception #3.

A minimum of one pull station shall be installed in an area approved by the local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)

UL 268 Automatic Smoke Detection Requirements:

System smoke detectors shall be provided for all of the following applications:

Above control panels and power supplies
For the purpose of elevator capture
On all HVAC units over 2,000 CFM (Duct Detector)
For releasing service
Fire Smoke Dampers
Delayed egress locks

UL 217 Smoke Alarm Requirements:

Single or multiple station smoke alarms shall be installed in all of the following areas:


On the ceiling or wall outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of bedrooms.

In every room used for sleeping purposes.

On every level of the dwelling unit including the basement.  This does not include crawl spaces or uninhabitable attics.  If the dwelling unit has split levels without a separation door then a smoke alarm shall be installed on the upper level predicated on the distance between the split levels being less than one full story.

Fire Alarm Notification Requirements:

520 Hz low frequency sounders shall be installed in all sleeping areas.  Horns can be provided in common areas including but not limited to corridors, public restrooms, elevator lobbies, etc.  Emergency voice/alarm communications systems shall be provided for high rise applications.  High rise buildings are classified by the International Building Code as a structure that has occupied floors located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.

Note:  R-2 occupancies are required to be pre-wired for future adaptability.  This means you need to install either a conduit raceway or the necessary cable for the possibility that any room may convert to an accessible unit in the future.  This is noted in Section 907.5.2.3.3

Public Mode Audibility: You must have 15 dB above average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level for at least 60 seconds whichever is greater.

Private Mode Audibility: You must have 10 dB above average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level for at least 60 seconds whichever is greater.

Sleeping Area Audibility: You must have 15 dB above average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level for at least 60 seconds or a minimum of 75 dB whichever is greater.

Group R-2: (College and University Buildings)

If a fire alarm system is not required based on the below language, a dedicated function sprinkler monitoring system shall be required if the facility has 7 + sprinkler heads per the 2015 IFC section 903.4 specific to exception #2.

An automatic smoke detection system that activates the occupant notification system (horns, strobes, sounders, speakers, chimes, mass notification, etc.)

Pull Station Requirements:

·       A minimum of one pull station shall be installed in an area approved by the local AHJ (Authority Having Jurisdiction)

UL 217 Smoke Alarm Requirements:

Single or multiple station smoke alarms shall be installed in all of the following areas:

Sleeping areas.

Each room in the path of the means of egress from sleeping area to the door leading to the sleeping unit.

On each level within the sleeping unit.  This includes basements.  If the sleeping unit has split levels without a door separation, one smoke alarm on the upper level will suffice.  Note this is only for slip level where the distance between levels is less than one full story.

All smoke alarms in dwelling units and sleeping units shall be interconnected with the fire alarm system in accordance with NFPA 72.

UL 268 Automatic Smoke Detection Requirements:

System smoke detectors shall be provided for all of the following applications:

Above control panels and power supplies
For the purpose of elevator capture
On all HVAC units over 2,000 CFM (Duct Detector)
For releasing service
Fire Smoke Dampers
Delayed egress locks

Automatic smoke detectors shall be provided in the following areas:

Common spaces outside of the dwelling/sleeping units.

Laundry rooms, mechanical equipment rooms and storage rooms.

Interior corridors serving dwelling/sleeping units

  

“Exception”

Smoke detection is not required in buildings without interior corridors serving the sleeping units.  This is predicated on the sleeping units having a means of egress door opening that leads directly to an exit.

Fire Alarm Notification Requirements:

520 Hz low frequency sounders shall be installed in all sleeping areas.  Horns can be provided in common areas including but not limited to corridors, public restrooms, elevator lobbies, etc.  Emergency voice/alarm communications systems shall be provided for high rise applications.  High rise buildings are classified by the International Building Code as a structure that has occupied floors located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access.

Note:  R-2 occupancies are required to be pre-wired for future adaptability.  This means you need to install either a conduit raceway or the necessary cable for the possibility that any room may convert to an accessible unit in the future.  This is noted in Section 907.5.2.3.3

Public Mode Audibility: You must have 15 dB above average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level for at least 60 seconds whichever is greater.

Private Mode Audibility: You must have 10 dB above average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level for at least 60 seconds whichever is greater.

Sleeping Area Audibility: You must have 15 dB above average ambient sound level or 5 dB above the maximum sound level for at least 60 seconds or a minimum of 75 dB whichever is greater.

Group A Fire Alarm Requirements
Group B Fire Alarm Requirements
Group E Fire Alarm Requirements
Group F Fire Alarm Requirements
Group H Fire Alarm Requirements
Group I-1 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group I-2 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group I-2.1 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group I-3 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group I-4 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group Licensend R-2.1 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group M Fire Alarm Requirements
Group R-1 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group R-2 and R-2.1 Fire Alarm Requirements
Group R-4 Fire Alarm Requirements