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BCD TECHNICAL BULLETIN <br /> JULY 2021 <br /> S . <br /> Residential Fire Sprinklers for New Child Care and Adult Foster <br /> Care Facilities Located in Dwellings <br /> Summary <br /> The 2021 Oregon Residential Specialty Code (ORSC) Chapter 1, Section RI01.2.1, now requires automatic <br /> residential fire sprinkler systems, designed and installed in accordance with National Fire Protection <br /> Association's (NFPA) 13D Standard, when locating a new child care facility or adult foster care facility in a <br /> residential dwelling, Group R-3 occupancy. This change aligns the ORSC with the existing requirements of the <br /> Oregon Structural Specialty Code (OSSC)and treats new child care facilities and adult foster care facilities the <br /> same regardless of the building type they are being located in. NFPA 13D is a residential sprinkler design <br /> standard focused on one-and two-family dwellings. The intent is to provide an affordable sprinkler system in <br /> dwellings while maintaining a high level of life safety. <br /> Application <br /> This change only applies to new construction, or a new use of an existing building, and is not retroactive. Any <br /> existing operations or operations that have temporarily stopped providing services and that were previously <br /> licensed for use as a child care or adult foster care facility do not have to comply with the new code requirements. <br /> The requirement only applies to the following new non-residential uses; child care facilities as defined by ORS <br /> 329A; including certified family child care homes and registered family child care homes,and adult foster care j <br /> facilities as defined by ORS 443. <br /> Site-specific determinations <br /> When the installation of an automatic residential fire sprinkler system is infeasible or impractical, the code <br /> allows for modifications and alternate compliance methods. Both modifications and alternate methods require <br /> detailed proposal by the applicant and approval by the local building official. They are site specific solutions <br /> based on the unique design and limitations of the site. Alternate methods can include one or a combination of <br /> different design and construction techniques as determined appropriate by the local building official so long as <br /> they provide equivalent fire and life safety for the occupants and users of the building.Contact the local building <br /> official for more information about potential alternate method requests, which could include a combination of <br /> the following elements: <br /> i tTh rp <br /> ✓ it tr _7 rf W:z +a°r`._-?'It9F4 ell inl• ' t slue[ t a <br /> ✓ . ^;_ h'# ,24�4idik f <br /> I Installation of both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms <br /> ✓ Installation of hom/strobe notification devices and/or fire alarm systems <br /> ✓ Fire resistance rated construction <br /> ✓ Compartmentalization of the dwelling floor area <br /> I Other measures as approved by the local building official <br /> Building Codes Division♦Department of Consumer and Business Services •State of Oregon <br /> 1535 Edgewater St.NW,Salem,OR 97304 4 P.O.Box 14470,Salem,OR 97309-0404 111 ) <br /> 503-378-4133 •Fax:503-378-2322 4 oregon.gov/bcd <br />