Collier County Fire Prevention and Protection Code POLICY AND PROCEDURE MANUAL

ARTICLE NUMBER:  FWL01-02

EFFECTIVE DATE:  July 30, 2001

SUBJECT:  Minimum Tenant/Occupancy Separation Requirements

OBJECTIVE:  Clarify and establish minimum fire resistance (In Hours of Duration) for all new tenant and occupancy separation wall assemblies

BACKGROUND:

Commercial and Industrial multi-tenant structures are required to have fire-rated separation walls between tenants and/or occupancies of varying duration per the Florida Building Code, Section 704.  FBC Sections 105 and 106 provide for the regulation of occupancy/tenant uses within existing buildings and require changes of occupancy classification or sub-classification to comply with those requirements applicable to the new classification. These minimum standards have in many cases required an upgrade of the fire resistance of occupancy/tenant separation walls, causing an extreme hardship on existing adjacent tenancies. Recognizing the need of building owners to have maximum use and lease flexibility without further, post-C.O. upgrades, this policy is hereby established.

POLICY/PROCEDURE:

All new non-residential structures having enclosed spaces for separate tenants shall provide occupancy classification information for each unit. Failure to disclose occupancy type information will result in a minimum two (2) hour fire rated wall and/or floor/ceiling assembly between such tenants. These assemblies shall extend and be constructed in accordance with the general requirements of Section 704.2.1 of the 2000 FBC and Section 8-2 of the 2000 edition of NFPA 101.

Structures having fully automatic fire sprinkler coverage per NFPA 13, are hereby authorized to reduce the fire duration of the required tenant and/or occupancy separation assemblies by one (1) hour - when such fire sprinkler system is not installed under compulsion of the SBC. Under no circumstances shall the resulting fire duration of these assemblies be less than (1) hour.

CODE REFERENCES:

Id.

ATTACHMENTS:

None.

DISTRIBUTION: Big Corkscrew Island Fire District; East Naples Fire District; Golden Gate Fire District; Immokalee Fire District; Isle of Capri Fire District; North Naples Fire District; Ochopee Fire District; City of Marco Island Fire Department; Collier County Community Development: Building Director, Chief Inspectors (3), Customer Service, Records; Collier Building Industry Association (CBIA); Subscribers

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