H-3825.1

HOUSE BILL 2701

ByRepresentatives Ormsby, Eslick, and Riccelli

AN ACT Relating to inspection and testing of fire and smoke control systems and dampers; amending RCW 43.43.944; adding new sections to chapter 19.27 RCW; prescribing penalties; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

(1) "Combination fire and smoke damper" has the same meaning as provided in the International Fire Code as of January 1, 2020.

(2) "Fire damper" means a device installed in ducts and air transfer openings designed to close automatically upon detection of heat and resist the passage of flame.

(3) "Hospital" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 70.41.020.

(4) "Local authority" means a fire department or code official with the authority to conduct inspections and issue infractions in a jurisdiction.

(5) "Smoke control system" means an engineered system that includes all methods that can be used singly or in combination to modify smoke movement, including engineered systems that use mechanical fans to produce pressure differences across smoke barriers to inhibit smoke movement.

(6) "Smoke damper" means a device installed in ducts and air transfer openings designed to resist the passage of smoke.

(a) Have all newly installed fire dampers, smoke dampers, combination fire and smoke dampers, and smoke control systems tested and inspected within twelve months of installation;

(b) Have all fire dampers, smoke dampers, and combination fire and smoke dampers tested and inspected at least once every four years, or every six years for hospitals, regardless of the date of initial installation; and

(c) Have all smoke control systems tested and inspected at least once every six to twelve months, as required by the applicable national fire protection association standard.

(2) All owners of buildings subject to this act must maintain full inspection and testing reports on the property and make such reports available for inspection upon request by the local authority.

(3) Fire dampers, smoke dampers, combination fire and smoke dampers, and smoke control systems must be installed, inspected, tested, and maintained in accordance with this act, manufacturers' guidelines, and the applicable industry standards.

(4) A building owner who fails to comply with the requirements of this section may be issued a civil infraction by the local authority in accordance with section 5 of this act.

(a) For inspection and testing of fire dampers, smoke dampers, and combination fire and smoke dampers, such inspector must have a current and valid certification to inspect and test fire dampers, smoke dampers, and combination fire and smoke dampers and hold certification from the international certification board as a fire life safety 1 or fire and smoke damper technician through a program accredited by the American national standards institute under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard.

(b) For inspection and testing of smoke control systems, such inspector must have a current and valid certification from the international certification board as a fire life safety 2 or smoke control system technician through a program accredited by the American national standards institute under the ISO/IEC 17024 standard.

(2) A building engineer or other person knowledgeable with the building system must accompany the inspector during the inspection and testing in order to provide building and systems access and information.

(3) If an inspection reveals compliance with the requirements of this section, the inspector shall issue a certificate of compliance, which includes the name of the inspector and the inspector's employer; the name of the building owner and address of the property; the location of all smoke dampers, fire dampers, combination fire and smoke dampers, and smoke control systems inspected or tested; and the date of the inspection or test.

(4) In the event an inspection or test reveals deficiencies in smoke dampers, fire dampers, combination fire and smoke dampers, or smoke control systems, the inspector shall prepare a deficiency report for the building owner identifying the nature of the deficiency and the reasons for noncompliance. The building owner shall, within one hundred twenty days of the date of the inspection, take necessary steps to ensure the defective equipment is replaced or repaired and reinspected to ensure that the deficiency is corrected and is in compliance with the requirements of all applicable standards pursuant to this act. The building owner shall provide documentation of when and how the deficiencies were corrected. If the building owner does not correct the deficiency within one hundred twenty days of the date of the inspection, the local authority may issue a citation as described in section 5 of this act.

(5) In addition to identifying the location and nature of a deficiency, the report shall contain the name of the inspector and the inspector's employer; the name of the building owner; address of the property; the location of all fire dampers, smoke dampers, combination fire and smoke dampers, and smoke control systems inspected or tested; and the date of the inspection or test.

(6) Tests and inspections of fire dampers, smoke dampers, combination fire and smoke dampers, and smoke control systems shall be conducted in accordance with the technical specifications and required time periods specified by national fire protection association standards 80, 90a, 90b, 92, and 105, as applicable.

(2) Upon the issuance of a citation for violating this act, the building owner must conspicuously post the citation at all pedestrian entrances and exits until a certificate of compliance has been issued pursuant to section 3 of this act or the citation has been dismissed.

(3) After the issuance of an initial citation, additional citations may be issued if the violations are not corrected:

(a) If the violations are not corrected within one hundred twenty days of the initial citation, a second citation may be issued with a monetary penalty of five cents per square foot of occupied space;

(b) If the violations are not corrected within two hundred forty days of the initial citation, a third citation may be issued with an additional monetary penalty of ten cents per square foot of occupied space and shall require mandatory in-person attendance by the building's head facilities manager at a four-hour fire life safety course given by the international certification board or equivalent provider of fire life safety programs accredited by the American national standards institute; and

(c) After the issuance of a citation pursuant to (b) of this subsection, additional citations may be issued every sixty days until any and all prior violations are resolved and all penalties imposed are satisfied. Each citation issued under this subsection (3)(c) shall assess a penalty of ten cents per square foot of occupied space.

(4) Revenue from the penalties in subsection (2) of this section shall be forwarded to the state treasurer for deposit in the fire service training account under RCW 43.43.944.

Sec. 6. RCW 43.43.944 and 2012 c 173 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The fire service training account is hereby established in the state treasury. The primary purpose of the account is firefighter training for both volunteer and career firefighters. The fund shall consist of:

(a) All fees received by the Washington state patrol for fire service training;

(b) All grants and bequests accepted by the Washington state patrol under RCW 43.43.940;

(c) Twenty percent of all moneys received by the state on fire insurance premiums; ((and))

(d) Revenue from penalties established under section 5 of this act; and

(e) General fund—state moneys appropriated into the account by the legislature.

(2) Moneys in the account may be appropriated for: (a) Fire service training; (b) school fire prevention activities within the Washington state patrol; and (c) the maintenance, operations, and capital projects of the state fire training academy. However, expenditures for purposes of (b) and (c) of this subsection may only be made to the extent that these expenditures do not adversely affect expenditures for the purpose of (a) of this subsection. The state patrol may use amounts appropriated from the fire service training account under this section to contract with the Washington state firefighters apprenticeship trust for the operation of the firefighter joint apprenticeship training program. The contract may call for payments on a monthly basis.

(3) Any general fund—state moneys appropriated into the account shall be allocated solely to the firefighter joint apprenticeship training program. The Washington state patrol may contract with outside entities for the administration and delivery of the firefighter joint apprenticeship training program.

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