PERMANENT RULES
Date of Adoption: February 28, 2003.
Purpose: To establish fire and life safety standards for a newly established category of licensed care facility as required per RCW 74.15.050.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending chapter 212-12 WAC.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 74.15.050.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 02-17-102 on August 21, 2002.
Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: A new section in the CR-102 submission on "fire and evacuation plan" was deleted as it had already been referenced in another section.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 22, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making:
New 0,
Amended 0,
Repealed 0;
Pilot Rule Making:
New 0,
Amended 0,
Repealed 0;
or Other Alternative Rule Making:
New 22,
Amended 0,
Repealed 0.
Effective Date of Rule:
Thirty-one days after filing.
March 3, 2003
Ronal W. Serpas
Chief
Chapter 212-12 WACEMERGENCY RESPITE CENTER -- STANDARD FOR FIRE PROTECTION
GROUP "LC" OCCUPANCY
NEW SECTION
WAC 212-12-200
Purpose.
The purpose of this regulation
is to adopt recognized standards for emergency respite centers
to protect life against the cause and spread of fire and fire
hazards pursuant to RCW 74.15.050. Emergency respite centers
are licensed by the department of social and health services
(DSHS) and maintained and operated to provide Emergency
Respite Care within buildings that have been given an
occupancy classification of LC.
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Reviser's note: The unnecessary underscoring in the above section occurred in the copy filed by the agency and appears in the Register pursuant to the requirements of RCW 34.08.040.
NEW SECTION
WAC 212-12-210
Definitions.
The following definitions
shall apply to this regulation:
(1) "Emergency respite center" is an agency that may be commonly known as a crisis nursery, that provides emergency and crisis care for up to seventy-two hours to children who have been admitted by their parents or guardians to prevent abuse or neglect. Emergency respite centers may operate for up to twenty-four hours a day, and for up to seven days a week. Emergency respite centers may provide care for children ages birth through seventeen, and for persons eighteen through twenty with developmental disabilities who are admitted with a sibling or siblings through age seventeen. Emergency respite centers may not substitute for crisis residential centers or HOPE centers, or any other services defined under this section, and may not substitute for services which are required under chapter 13.32A or 13.34 RCW.
(2) "LC Occupancy" means a building, structure, or portion thereof, used for the business of providing licensed care to clients pursuant to State Building Code WAC 51-40-313.
(3) "Licensing agency" means the Washington state department of social and health services.
(4) "Building official" means the person or agency appointed by the governing body of each city, town or county for the administration and enforcement of the Building Code, adopted by the State Building Code Act.
(5) "Fire official" means the person or agency appointed by the governing body of each city, town or county for the administration and enforcement of the Fire Code, adopted by the State Building Code Act.
(6) "State Building Code Act" means chapter 19.27 RCW, effective January 1, 1975, which establishes statewide building and fire prevention codes and mandates enforcement by each city, town and county.
(7) "Evacuation capability"
Evacuation capability is the ability of clients of a Emergency Respite Center to respond to an emergency situation and either evacuate a building or move to a point of safety. Clients shall be classified in one of the following levels:
- Level I persons physically and mentally capable of walking or traversing a normal path to safety, including the ascent and descent of stairs, and capable of self-preservation, without the physical assistance of another person.
- Level II means semi-ambulatory persons that are physically and mentally capable of traversing a normal path to safety with the use of mobility aids, but unable to ascend or descend stairs without the physical assistance of another person.
- Level III means persons physically or mentally unable to walk or traverse a normal path to safety without the physical assistance of another person.
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(2) All rooms used for sleeping and all corridors shall be provided with smoke detectors. Detectors shall be installed in accordance with the approved manufacturer's instructions.
(3) An emergency power system shall be provided that is capable of providing pathway lighting for a period of one and one-half hours (1 1/2) of time
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(1) Approved design, construction and separation of the facility;
(2) A required detection, and alarm system;
(3) Fire prevention measures required by Fire Marshal Standards 212-12;
(4) Planning, training and drilling in programs for the notification of fire and the safe evacuation of residents or patients from the building or affected fire area as required by WAC 212-12-040 and -044.
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(2) Automatic emergency lighting shall be provided and so arranged as to provide the required illumination automatically in the event of any interruption of normal lighting, such as the failure of public utility or other outside electrical power supply, opening of a circuit breaker or fuse, or any manual act(s) including accidental opening of a switch controlling normal lighting facilities.
(3) Electric battery-operated emergency lights shall be approved for their intended use, shall comply with the State Electrical Code, and shall be maintained in a fully charged condition.
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Central heating plants and other fuel-burning appliances shall be maintained and cleaned by an appliance service technician at intervals as required by the manufacturer's instructions or at least annually The surrounding area shall be kept free of rubbish and combustible storage.
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| EXCEPTION: | An automatic sprinkler system need not be installed in any Group LC Occupancy licensed for six or fewer clients regardless of the level of evacuation capability. |
| EXCEPTIONS: | 1. An automatic sprinkler system complying with UBC Standard 9-3 may be installed in buildings of four stories or less. |
| 2. Where a Group LC Occupancy is being established by change of occupancy in an existing building not protected by a sprinkler system as is required above for buildings of new construction, an automatic sprinkler system complying with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 13d may be installed provided the care facility is licensed for not more than 16 clients. |
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