2020-03-12 MFD
MERIDIAN FIRE DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
DATE: 3/11/2020
TO: Sonya Allen
REVIEWER: Joseph Bongiorno, Deputy Chief of Prevention 208-888-1234
SUBJECT: H-2019-0027
PROJECT NAME: Delano Sub FD Comments Rev 2 (3/2020)
Fire Department Summary of Report:
Overview: This project can be serviced by the Meridian Fire Department.
1. Fire Response Time Travel time from nearest fire station (level of service expectation goal = 5 minutes)
This development is 3:00 minutes (under ideal conditions) from the nearest fire station – Fire Station
3. This fire station is approximately 1.4 miles from the project. If approved, the Fire Department can
meet the response time goals.
2. Resource reliability Current reliability of closest fire station (Reliability Goal is 80% or greater)
This development is closest to Fire Station #3. Current reliability is 82% from this station and does
meet the targeted goal of 80% or greater.
3. Risk Identification Risk Factor (1=residential, 2=residential with hazards, 3=commercial,
4=commercial with hazards, 5=industrial)
The proposed residential area has a risk factor of 1. The proposed multifamily section of the
development has a risk factor of 4, in which current resources would not be adequate to supply
service to this propose project. Risk factors include fire fighting in multi-story buildings and a large
gathering of people in a single location. This entails a greater risk for the occupants as well as first
responders. Fire, life safety systems and occupant training are critical for this development. Other
hazards may be found once the development is completed.
4. Accessibility Roadway Access, traffic, Radio Coverage
This project meets all required access, road widths and turnarounds. The shared drives shall have an
address sign at each entrance and the roadways shall be mainted 365 days a year for fire, EMS and
police responses. The ends of the common driveways shall be signed “No Parking Fire Lane” per
appendix D of the 2015 IFC. The multi-story building shall be checked for approved radio coverage
throughout the building according to the requirements as shown in the 2015 IFC. The applicant shall
work with the addressing agent for approved signs at the entrances to the common driveways. The
emergency access on Dashwood shall be protected from traffic by either a gate or wrench resettable
bollards as approved by the fire department.
5. Specialty/Resource needs
a. Aerial device needed for development (more than 30’ in height)?
i. If yes, is one available within a 12 minute travel time goal
This proposed multifamily section of the project will require an aerial device. The closest truck
company is 12 minutes travel time (under ideal conditions) to the proposed development, and
therefore the Fire Department can meet this need in the required timeframe if a truck company is
required. This fire station is approximately 3.8 miles from the project
b. Other specialty needs (water rescue, hazmat, and technical rescue)?
i. If yes, is one available within a 5 minute travel time?
In the event of a hazmat event, there will need to be mutual aid required for the
development. In the event of a structure fire an additional truck company will be required. This
will require additional time delays as a second truck company is not available in the city.
6. Water Supply (list expectations)
Water supply for this proposed development requires 1000 gallons per minute for one hour.
(Approximate – see appendix B of the 2015 International Fire Code) The fire flow requirements may
be less if the building is fully sprinklered.
7. Other Comments
Project specific comments are listed below.
***All IFC code sections per 2015 IFC or as noted***
RESOURCE AVAILABILITY - Fire Flow and Water Supply:
1. Fire Flow: One and two family dwellings not exceeding 3,600 square feet require a fire-
flow of 1,000 gallons per minute for a duration of 1 hours to service the entire project.
One and two family dwellings in excess of 3,600 square feet require a minimum fire flow
as specified in Appendix B of the International Fire Code. Fire Hydrant spacing shall be
provided as required by Appendix C of the International Fire Code.
2. Fire Flow: Commercial and office occupancies will require a fire-flow consistent with
International Fire Code Appendix B to service the proposed project. Fire hydrants shall
be placed per Appendix C.
3. Water Supply: Final Approval of the fire hydrant locations shall be by the Meridian Fire
Department or their designee in accordance with International Fire Code Section (IFC)
508.5.4 as follows:
a. Fire hydrants shall have a Storz LDH connection in place of the 4 ½” outlet. The
Storz connection may be integrated into the hydrant or an approved adapter may be
used on the 4 1/2" outlet.
b. Fire hydrants shall have the Storz outlet face the main street or parking lot drive aisle.
c. Fire hydrants shall be placed on corners when spacing permits.
d. Fire hydrants shall not have any vertical obstructions to outlets within 10’.
Fire hydrants shall be placed 18” above finished grade to the center of the Storz
e.
outlet.
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f. Fire hydrants shall be provided to meet the requirements of the Meridian Water Dept.
Standards.
g. Show all proposed or existing hydrants for all new construction or additions to
existing buildings within 1,000 feet of the project.
4. Water Supply: Where a portion of the facility or building hereafter constructed or moved
into or within the jurisdiction is more than 400 feet (122 m) from a hydrant on a fire apparatus
access road, as measured by an approved route around the exterior of the facility or building,
on-site fire hydrants and mains shall be provided where required by the code official as
set forth in International Fire Code Section 507.5.1. For buildings equipped throughout
with an approved automatic sprinkler system installed in accordance with Section
903.3.1.1 or
903.3.1.2 the distance requirement shall be 600 feet (183).
a. For Group R-3 and Group U occupancies, the distance requirement shall be 600 feet
(183 m).
b. For buildings equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system
installed in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2, the distance requirement
shall be 600 feet (183 m).
5. Water Supply: There shall be a fire hydrant within 100’ of all fire department connections as
set forth in local amendment to the International Fire Code 10-4-1. Over 100 apartment
units without an approved sprinkler system or over 200 apartment units with an approved
sprinkler system will require a secondary access per International Fire Code Section
D104.3. The access roads shall be placed a distance apart equal to not less than one half of
the length of the overall diagonal dimension of the property or area to be served, measured
in a straight line as set forth in International Fire Code Appendix D104.1.
6. Water Supply: All R-2 occupancies with 3 or more units shall be required to be fire
sprinkled as set forth in International Fire Code Section 903.2.8.
ACCESSIBILITY - Fire Department Roadways, Access and Addressing:
7. Roadways: In accordance with International Fire Code Section 503.2.5 and Appendix D,
any roadway greater than 150 feet in length that is not provided with an outlet shall be
required to have an approved turn around. Phasing of the project may require a temporary
approved turn around on streets greater than 150' in length with no outlet. Cul-D-Sacs shall
be 96’ in diameter minimum and shall be signed “No Parking Fire Lane” per International
Fire Code Sections 503.3 & D103.6. There shall be two no parking fire lane signs on each
side of the entrance to the Cul-D-Sac and one sign at the head.
8. Roadways: When required by the Fire Marshall, “No Parking Fire Lane” signs shall be
used per appendix D of the 2015 IFC. No other signs shall be approved:
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a.
9. Roadways: All entrances, internal roads, drive aisles, and alleys shall have a turning radius
of 28’ inside and 48’ outside, per International Fire Code Section 503.2.4.
10. Roadways: Roadways shall be 26’ in width for ladder truck access in the multifamily area.
11. Roadways: All common driveways shall be maintained at all times for access by fire,
police and EMS at all times of the year.
12. Roadways: To increase emergency access to the site a minimum of two points of access
will be required for any portion of the project which serves more than 30 homes, as set
forth in International Fire Code Section D107.1. The two entrances should be separated by
no less than ½ the diagonal measurement of the full development as set forth in International
Fire Code Section D104.3. The applicant shall provide an additional stub street to the
property. .
13. Roadways: Buildings over 30’ in height are required to have access roads 26’ in width
minimum in accordance with the International Fire Code Appendix D Section D105.
14. Roadways: The roadways shall be built to Ada County Highway District cross section
standards and have a clear driving surface. Streets less than 26’ in width shall have no on-
street parking. Both sides of the street shall be signed “No Parking Fire Lane” per appendix D
of the IFC; streets less than 32’ in width shall have parking only on one side. One side of the
street shall be signed “No Parking Fire Lane” per appendix D of the IFC. These measurements
shall be based on the drivable surface dimension exclusive of shoulders. The roadway shall
be able to accommodate an imposed load of 80,000 GVW as set forth in International
Fire Code Section 503.2.1 and D103.6.1 and D103.6.2.
15. Roadways: Emergency response routes and fire lanes shall not be allowed to have traffic
calming devices installed without prior approval of the Fire Code Official. National Fire
Protection IFC 503.4.1.
16. Access: Fire lanes, streets, and structures (including the canopy height of mature trees) shall
have a vertical clearance of 13’6 as set forth in International Fire Code Section 503.2.1.
17. Access: Operational fire hydrants, temporary or permanent street signs, and access roads with
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an all-weather surface are required to be installed before combustible construction material
is brought onto the site, as set forth in International Fire Code Section (IFC) 501.4.
Access:
18. Secondary emergency access routes shall be protected from illegal entry by a
gate or collapsible bollards as set forth in IFC 503.5. An example would be the
MaxiForce Collapsible bollards that is hydrant wrench activated or an approved
equal.
19. Access: This project will be required to provide a 20’ wide swing or rolling emergency
access gate as set forth in International Fire Code Sections 503.5 and 503.6. The gate
shall be equipped with a Knoxbox padlock which has to be ordered via the website
www.knoxbox.com. All gates at the entrance to fire lanes shall be located a minimum
of 30 feet from the roadway and shall open away from the roadway, unless other
provisions are made for safe personnel operations as set forth in National Fire Protection
Association 1141, Section 5.3.16 - 2017 edition.
20. Access: Provide a Fire Department Key box entry system for the complex prior to
occupancy as set forth in International Fire Code Section 506.
21. Access: The Fire Department will require Fire Department locking Connection caps on all
FDC inlets. IFC 102.9. Caps can be ordered at www.knoxbox.com.
22. Access: All portions of the buildings located on this project must be within 150’ of a
paved surface as measured around the perimeter of the building as set forth in International
Fire Code Section 503.1.1.
23. Access: Multiple-family residential projects having more than 100 dwelling units shall be
equipped throughout with two separate and approved fire apparatus access roads.
24. Exception: Projects having up to 200 dwelling units may have a single approved fire
apparatus access road when all buildings, including nonresidential occupancies, are
equipped throughout with approved automatic sprinkler systems installed in accordance
with Section 903.3.1.1 or 903.3.1.2
25. Access: As set forth in International Fire Code Section 504.1, multi-family and
commercial projects shall be required to provide an additional sixty inches (60”) wide access
point to the building from the fire lane to allow for the movement of manual fire suppression
equipment and gurney operations. The unobstructed breaks in the parking stalls shall be
provided so that building access is provided in such a manner that the most remote part of a
building can be reached with a length of 150' fire hose as measured around the perimeter of
the building from the fire lane. Code compliant handicap parking stalls may be included to
assist meeting this requirement. Contact the Meridian Fire Department for details.
26. Acess: Emergency responder radio coverage in new buildings. All new buildings
shall have approved radio coverage for emergency responders within the building based
upon the existing coverage levels of the public safety communication systems of the
jurisdiction at the exterior of the building.
27. Addressing: The first digit of the Apartment/Office Suite shall correspond to the floor level
as set forth in International Fire Code Section 505.1 and Meridian Amendment 10-4-1.
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28. Addressing: The applicant shall work with Public Works and Planning Department staff to
provide an address identification plan and a sign which meets the requirements of the City
of Meridian sign ordinance and is placed in a position that is plainly legible and visible from
the street or road fronting the property, as set forth in International Fire Code Section 505.1
and Meridian Amendment 104-4-1.
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