SEATTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT

Administrative Rule 9.01.13

SUBJECT: CERTIFICATION FOR INSTALLING, MAINTAINING AND TESTING LIFE SAFETY SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 1, 2013

REFERENCES: 2009 SFC Administrative Rule 9.02.09, Confidence Test Requirements for Life Safety Systems NFPA Standards

SUPERSEDES: Administrative Rule 9.01.09, March 20, 2009.

FCAB REVIEW DATE: July 17, 2012

NOTICE: Notice: Administrative Rules are established per 2009 SFC Section 104.1, and they are subject to the Administrative Sections 104.9 Alternate Materials and Methods, Section 104.8 Modifications, and Section 108.1 Appeals.

APPROVED: John Nelsen , FIRE MARSHAL

INTENT

The intent of this rule is to to ensure that fire protection and life safety systems and equipment are installed, tested, or maintained by individuals who have demonstrated a basic knowledge to perform such work in accordance with the Seattle Fire Code (SFC), Seattle Fire Department Administrative Rules, and nationally recognized standards.

SCOPE

This rule shall apply to all individuals engaged in installing, programming, testing or maintaining life safety systems and equipment in the City of Seattle unless specifically exempted from this rule. For purposes of this rule the terms "installation", "testing" and "maintenance" do not apply to electrical work regulated under chapter 19.28 RCW.

EXCEPTIONS:

(a) For aircraft, vehicles or vessels, any businesses, firms or persons engaged

exclusively in the business of installing, testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems or equipment on such aircraft, vehicles or vessels.

(b) Members of the SFD engaged in servicing fire department equipment, work performed on fire protection and life safety systems in connection with emergency responses, or of fire protection and life safety systems and equipment at any premises for compliance with the SFC, SFD Administrative Rules or nationally recognized standards.

(c) Employees of the Federal Government engaged in installing, testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems and equipment owned by the Federal Government.

(d) Employees of the State of Washington engaged in installing, testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems and equipment installed for the protection of public rights of way.

(e) Insurance Rating Associations and building owners engaged in and testing of fire protection and life safety equipment and systems when such inspecting and testing is not required by the SFC, SFD Administrative Rule, or nationally recognized standards.

(f) Any individual who services only their own fire extinguisher(s) for their own use, provided such extinguisher(s) are not required by SFC, SFD Administrative Rule, or nationally recognized standards.

(g) Individuals performing testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems and equipment installed in Group R Division 3 occupancies

(h) Current holders of a NICET Level III or NICET Level IV certification who also hold a Washington State Fire-Sprinkler Certificate of Competency as defined in WAC 212-80. Otherwise, all individuals who perform the work of installation, testing or maintenance of a sprinkler system or any part of such a system must have a SFD Type AS Certificate.

(i) Building owners, other responsible parties or their authorized agents operating fire protection and life safety systems for the purpose of conducting emergency evacuation drills required by the SFC.

(j) When doing work regulated under chapter 19.28 RCW, certified master electricians, journeyman electricians, specialty electricians or properly supervised trainees allowed to perform electrical installation work under chapter 19.28 RCW.

When work is being performed that involves electrical work regulated under chapter 19.28 RCW and programming or testing of fire alarm systems as required by the fire code official, the individual:

a) Must comply with this rule and be an appropriately certified electrician; or

b) An appropriately certified electrician must be directly supervised by an individual certified by the fire code official during the work.

DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this rule the following words and terms have the meanings indicated below:

Certificate -A document issued by the fire code official to a person who has passed the prescribed examination which grants conditional permission to perform the acts described on the document.

Fire Protection Systems. Systems, devices, and equipment used to detect a fire and its by-products, actuate an alarm, or suppress or control a fire and its by-products, or any combination thereof.

Life Safety Systems. Those systems that enhance or facilitate evacuation, smoke control, compartmentalization, and/or isolation.

Maintenance -Work, required to keep fire protection and life safety systems and equipment in an operative condition, including the replacement of the system or component parts when they become undependable or inoperative. The term also means the disassembly of an extinguisher, fire protection system or life safety system and a complete check of all working parts and all parts, which have a bearing on the performance of the system to insure integrity.

Testing -A procedure used to determine the status of a system to verify it is operating as intended by conducting periodic checks on fire protection systems such as waterflow tests, fire pump tests, shaft pressurization tests, fire alarm tests etc. The term "testing" includes acceptance testing, reacceptance testing and confidence testing.

CERTIFICATE REQUIRED

No individual shall engage in installing, programming, testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems and equipment unless they have obtained a certificate from the fire code official or are specifically exempted from this rule.

Certificates shall remain valid for a period of time not to exceed three (3) years unless suspended or revoked by the fire code official.

A SFD certificate is issued to an individual who has taken, and passed, the required examination. A person shall not be required to retake a certification examination, and obtain a new certificate, upon changing employers. The SFD may change the content of certification examination questions to reflect changes in applicable standards and industry practice.

The fire code official is authorized to recognize certificates or licenses issued by the State Fire Marshal, other fire departments or similar authorities, provided that such certificates or licenses establish qualifications of the holder in a manner similar to this rule and to the satisfaction of the fire code official.

Certificate holders shall be required to carry their SFD certificate at all times when performing work on fire protection and life safety systems and equipment, and to show this certificate when requested to do so by a SFD representative. Certificates are the property of the SFD and shall be surrendered upon demand of a SFD representative.

Certificate holders shall also produce a Washington State driver's license or other form of picture identification acceptable to the fire code official when requested to do so by a SFD representative.

Individuals who have never previously worked installing, programming,testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems and equipment, for a period not to exceed 90 days after the beginning of employment in this capacity, may install, or test or maintain life safety systems under in the presence and under the direct supervision of another employee who holds a valid certificate for the type of work being performed. Such individuals may not perform work on fire protection and life safety systems or equipment after the completion of the 90-day period unless s/he holds a valid certificate. The employer may be required to provide documentation of the date of hire of any new employee. The new employee may be required to provide documentation of past work history.

Individuals enrolled in an apprenticeship program approved by the fire code official may perform installing, programming, testing or maintaining fire protection and life safety systems and equipment, provided that such work is conducted in the presence and under the direct supervision of another employee who holds a valid certificate for the type of work being performed. Individuals who are apprentices must provide documentation of their apprentice program enrollment and the apprentice program's start and completion date.

Persons working on fire protection and life safety systems or equipment while enrolled in an approved apprenticeship program shall be required to produce their apprenticeship card or other written evidence of enrollment in an approved apprenticeship program, as well as a Washington State driver's license or other form of picture identification, when requested to do so by a Fire Department representative.

The fire code official shall maintain a list of all persons currently certified to perform work on fire protection and life safety systems and equipment.

TYPES OF CERTIFICATES

A certificate to perform work on fire protection and life safety systems must be obtained from the SFD before an individual may perform the types of work on fire protection and life safety systems and equipment specified for each certificate. Types of certificates that are currently required shall be published by the fire code official in this SFD Administrative Rule and are listed below. The fire code official is authorized to add to, delete from or alter the types of certificates required under the SFC.

If an individual holds a valid certificate as of the effective date of this ordinance that authorizes specific work covered by a new type of certificate, that individual shall not be required to obtain the new certificate until his/her existing certificate expires.

Type AS-1 Installation, maintenance and testing of automatic sprinkler systems in any type of building.

Type AS-3 Installation of automatic sprinkler systems only.

Type AS--CT Confidence testing of automatic sprinkler systems.

Type E-1 Installation, maintenance and testing of foam fire extinguishing systems; must also maintain AS--1 certification.

Type E-2 Installation, maintenance and testing of carbon dioxide fire extinguishing systems.

Type E-3 Installation, maintenance and testing of engineered, clean agent or replacement agent fire extinguishing systems.

Type E-4 Installation, maintenance and testing of dry/wet chemical fire extinguishing systems.

Type EG-1 Maintenance and testing of emergency generators.

Type EG-CT Confidence testing of emergency generators.

Type FA-1 Maintenance, programming, and testing of automatic fire alarm systems in any building.

Type FA--CT Confidence testing of automatic fire alarm systems.

Type FP-1 Maintenance and testing of fire pumps and controllers.

Type FP-CT Confidence testing of fire pumps and controllers.

Type FEX-1 All activities relating to portable fire extinguishers including those listed in Types FEX-2, FEX-3, and FEX4.

Type FEX-2 Maintain, charge, recharge, inspect, or install portable fire extinguishers.

Type FEX-3 Hydrostatic testing of fire extinguisher cylinders.

Type FEX-4 Annual external examination of CO2 or stored pressure fire extinguishers equipped with pressure indicators or gauges.

Type SC-1 Installation, maintenance and testing of smoke control systems.

Type SC--CT Confidence testing and maintenance of smoke control systems.

Type STP-1 Installation, maintenance and testing of standpipe systems.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXAMINATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES

Applicants may be required to submit evidence that they possess necessary license, tools, or test equipment required for the type of work to be performed.

Applicants for a certificate must provide current personal identification in the form of a Washington State driver's license or another form of picture identification acceptable to the fire code official.

All applicants for a certificate shall pass a written examination given by the fire code official. Such examinations shall be designed to test the applicant's knowledge to hold the type of certificate for which application has been made. Practical tests or demonstrations may be required in addition to the written examination.

A list of suggested information resources to prepare for the examinations for certificates shall be provided by the fire code official.

SERVICE LABEL REQUIREMENTS

When performing installation, testing, programming, or maintenance, the name of certifying firm, firm address, firm phone number, date of work, signature and certificate number of the technician performing the work shall be placed on the service tag or label. The service tag or label will be of the appropriate color; white, yellow, or red as required by Administrative Rule 9.02.09 Confidence Test Requirements for Life Safety Systems.

No person shall remove a service tag or label from, or place a service tag or label on, a life safety system or item of life safety equipment except when installation, testing or maintenance is performed. A new service tag or label shall be attached whenever testing or maintenance is performed.

No person shall deface, modify or alter any service tag or label attached to or required to be attached to any life safety system or item of life safety equipment.

DENIAL, REVOCATION AND SUSPENSION OF CERTIFICATES

The fire code official may refuse to issue, renew, or may suspend or revoke any certificate if he determines that an applicant for or holder of a certificate has:

1. Obtained or attempted to obtain a certificate by fraud or misrepresentation.

2. Has installed, tested, programmed or maintained a fire protection or life safety system or item of life safety or fire protection equipment in violation of this Code, Administrative Rule, or standard.

3. The applicant for a certificate does not possess the qualifications to conduct the operation for which application is made as demonstrated by written and/or practical examination.

4 . The applicant for a certificate does not possess the proper facilities to conduct operations for which application is made.

Individuals whose certificates have been denied, suspended or revoked shall be so notified in writing and may request a hearing by the fire code official in accordance with Section 108 of the Seattle Fire Code. After such hearing, the fire code official shall consider the facts and circumstances surrounding the case and shall render his/her decision in writing. The decision of the fire code official shall be final with regard to whether or not the certificate shall be denied, suspended or revoked.

Seattle Fire Department For Information Call (206) 386-1450 220 3rd Avenue South www.seattle.gov//fire Seattle, WA 98104