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w requirements for the means of egress components.The principles on which the means of egress are based and that form the fundamental criteria for requirements are to provide a system: 1. That will provide occupants alternative paths of travel to a place of safety to avoid fire; 2. That will shelter occupants from fire and the products of combustion 3. That will accommodate all occupants of a structure; and 4. That it's clear,unobstructed,well-marked, illuminated, and in which all components are under control of the user without requiring any tools,key or special knowledge or effort. Note: Performance based approach can be helpful where exit travel is reduced 50%or more than the allowable and the number of exits is increased. These are just a few areas to consider when looking for a sprinkler system substitution. These guidelines are intended to help the building official in their decision making process when faced with a proposed alternate to a sprinkler system. EXAMPLE 1: A single story 5,775 sq. ft.A-3 occupancy of Type V-B Construction.The intended use is a place of religious worship. The building will include classrooms, an office and a sanctuary with fixed seating. The local Building Official has determined the occupant load to be 340. The proposed building will have 30 foot clear yards on all sides. Applicable Code: Section 903.2.1 Group A. An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided throughout buildings and ` portions thereof used as a Group A occupancies as provided in this section.For Group A-I, A-2,A-3, and A-4 occupancies, the automatic sprinklers system shall be provided throughout the floor area where the Group A-I,A-2,A-3, and A-4 occupancy is located, and in all floors from the Group A occupancy to, and including, the nearest level of exit discharge serving the Group A occupancy. Section 903.2.1.3 Group A-3.An automatic sprinkler system shall be provided for Group A-3 where one of the following conditions exists. 1. The fire area exceeds 12,000 square feet; 2. The fire area has an occupant load of 300 or more; or 3. The fire area is located on a floor other than a level of exit discharge serving such occupancies. Discussion: With the occupant load exceeding 299,the building is required to be provided with an automatic sprinkler system throughout.The intent of this code requirement is to allow the occupants a reasonable amount of time to exit the building safely.The proposed location of the A-3 doesn't have the required water supply on site to support the automatic sprinkler system_The applicant is offering two additional safety items as an alternate to the required sprinkler system. The building as proposed will have three accessible exits,which also helps reduce the travel distance. There will be a fire alarm system that will include manual pull stations as required by code but will be upgraded to include smoke detection. The interior wall and ceiling finishes will be of Class B materials. Page 4 of 5