Interior Horn/Strobes Required for Retail Tenant?

11/27/2023

Fighting with myself this morning on whether interior horn/strobes are required for a project going on in my jurisdiction.

It's a 14,000 sqft tenant space in a sprinklered strip mall. The landlord fire alarm panel only monitors sprinkler system and three duct detectors.

Under the 2018 IBC / IFC, no manual fire alarm system is required. Section 907.2.7.1 adds confusion for me regarding occupant notification. It allows an exception for a constantly attended locations to provide instructions in the event of alarm activation from manual pull OR waterflow.

Given no constantly attended location exists, would the sprinkler system in this case require interior horn/strobes within the tenant space?

The exterior bell is on the rear of the building with a landlord maintenance space in-between.

If there was a sprinkler flow in the adjacent tenant space, how would the space in question be notified to evacuate?

The architect on the project feels nothing is required inside the space. Maybe I'm taking a common sense approach to this but want to be sure I have code to back me up in requiring interior occupant notification. This is for a discount retail tenant.

Thanks in advance.

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7 Comments

Bill

11/27/2023 08:39:12 am

Section 907.2.7.1 would only applies if a fire alarm system is required. Since you state that there is no requirement for a fire alarm system, no interior notification would be required.

sean

12/31/2023 11:16:21 pm

dont confuse any system required vs a manual system

Robert Morgan

11/27/2023 10:52:43 am

I have had this same "internal struggle" with this issue. The occupants will not know there is an issue (fire/waterflow) until the FD shows up lights and sirens. The Codes do not require the alarm system until you get to the occupant numbers that are not typical in individual tenant spaces. Some jurisdictions require full alarm systems when sprinklers are present but this would need to be a locally adopted requirement and would be a tough sell in many jurisdictions.

James

11/27/2023 10:59:41 am

Keep in mind though, it's not often the occupant load for the individual tenant that matters - it's the combined occupant load for all floors of the building.

IBC 907.2.7 for Group M Occupancies will require a fire alarm system if the mercantile occupant load of all floors is 500 or more, or 100 or more above or below exit discharge.

It's calculated on the building basis (would need a Fire Wall to separate), not an individual tenant basis. That said, with ~60 sqft per person, you're looking at a total mercantile area of ~30,000 sqft before you'd hit 500 occupants on a one-story building.

Kimberly Olivas

11/27/2023 12:27:13 pm

Even though a Fire Alarm system isn't required, there is supposed to be an "Audible bell". Unfortunately many companies only install 6" bells now days. You might need a bigger bell to make it audible to people inside.

Jeffrey Miller

11/29/2023 12:06:37 pm

Duct detectors for systems greater than 2000 CFM NFPA 90A-6.4.4.3 (1) Visual signal and an Audible Signal required. Typical the test switch is equipped with audible and visual. This would help with early detection.

Andrew

11/29/2023 05:02:53 pm

Jeffery, I’m not sure that’s the correct application of that code here. OP says the building is equipped with a sprinkler system, and thereby, a monitored fire alarm panel, which should satisfy the supervisory signal requirement. An audible/visual on the test switch would be applicable in a building with no fire panel whatsoever.

Interior Horn/Strobes Required for Retail Tenant?

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