Madison, WI Header
File #: 31536    Version: 1 Name: Fire access roads
Type: Ordinance Status: Passed
File created: 9/6/2013 In control: BUILDING CODE, FIRE CODE, CONVEYANCE CODE AND LICENSING APPEALS BOARD
On agenda: 1/7/2014 Final action: 1/7/2014
Enactment date: 1/15/2014 Enactment #: ORD-14-00004
Title: Amending Sections 34.503(2) and (4) of the Madison General Ordinances to provide more flexibility for new development while maintaining safety and substantially complying with the International Fire Code.
Sponsors: Paul E. Skidmore, Michael E. Verveer
Fiscal Note
No fiscal impact to the City is anticipated.
Title
Amending Sections 34.503(2) and (4) of the Madison General Ordinances to provide more flexibility for new development while maintaining safety and substantially complying with the International Fire Code.
Body
DRAFTER'S ANALYSIS:  This ordinance addresses concerns raised by developers and architects involved in new development and provide substitutions for certain provisions of the IFC to grant greater leeway. Specifically, the substitutions increase the dead-end access road length requirement to 300 feet from 150 feet.  The substitutions also alter the requirements for aerial fire apparatus access roads by reducing the length of the roads that must be adjacent to the building, and the width of the road in the last fifty feet. Penalties remain as indicated under Sec. 34.01(15).
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The Common Council of the City of Madison do hereby ordain as follows:
      1.      Subdivision (2) entitled "Surface of Fire Apparatus Access Roads" of Section 34.503 entitled "Fire Apparatus Access Roads" of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
"(2)      Surface of Fire Apparatus Access Roads.
The following requirements are in addition to the requirements found in IFC sections 503.2.3 and 503.2.5:
(a)      Fire access roads shall be designed to support the imposed loads of fire apparatus and shall be constructed of asphalt or concrete.
(b)      Section 503.2.5 is hereby amended to add an exception.  Exception:  The fire chief is authorized to increase the dimension of one hundred fifty (150) feet to three hundred (300) feet where the dead end fire lane is geometrically straight between the point of two (2) access ways and the terminal end of the fire lane."
2.      Subdivision (4) entitled "Aerial Fire Apparatus Access Roads" of Section 34.503 entitled "Fire Apparatus Access Roads" of the Madison General Ordinances is amended to read as follows:
"(4)      Aerial Fire Apparatus Access Roads.
The following requirements are in addition to the requirements found in IFC:
(a)      IFC Appendix D105.
(b)         The length of the required aerial fire apparatus access road shall be not less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the building perimeter.
(b)      Section D105.2 is hereby amended to include an additional sentence.  The last fifty (50) feet of dead-end aerial fire apparatus access may be twenty (20) feet wide or greater.
      (c)      Section D105.3 is hereby amended to include an exception.  Exception: The Fire Chief is authorized to approve alternate access roads where the route(s) are parallel to at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the building perimeter.  Each segment of access road used to meet the twenty-five percent (25%) of the building perimeter must be at least forty-five (45) feet in length, without overhead obstructions."