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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 13. Housing
Agency 5. Department of Housing And Community Development
Chapter 63. Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code
4/17/2025

13VAC5-63-545. Chapter 7 Fire safety requirements.

A. Delete the following sections from Chapter 7 of the IPMC:

1. Section 701.2 Responsibility.

2. Section 703.2 Unsafe conditions.

3. Section 703.7 Vertical shafts.

4. Section 704.1.2 Required fire protection systems.

5. Section 704.1.3 Fire protection systems.

6. Section 704.2.1 Records.

7. Table 704.2 FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEM MAINTENANCE STANDARDS.

8. Section 704.2.2 Records information.

9. Section 704.3.1 Emergency impairments.

10. Section 704.4 Removal of or tampering with equipment.

11. Section 704.4.1 Removal of or tampering with appurtenances.

12. Section 704.4.2 Removal of existing occupant hose lines.

13. Section 704.4.3 Termination of monitoring service.

14. Section 704.5.2 Clear space around connections.

15. Section 704.6.1 Where required.

16. Section 704.6.1.1 Group R-1.

17. Section 704.6.1.2 Groups R-2, R-3, R-4, and I-1.

18. Section 704.6.1.3 Installation near cooking appliances.

19. Section 704.6.1.4 Installation near bathrooms.

20. Section 704.6.2 Interconnection.

21. Section 704.6.3 Power source.

22. Section 704.6.4 Smoke detection system.

23. Section 704.7 Single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms.

24. Section 705.1 General.

B. Change the following sections in Chapter 7 of the IPMC:

1. Section 701.1 General. The provisions of this chapter shall govern the maintenance of fire safety facilities and equipment.

2. Section 702.1 General. The means of egress system shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code and Chapter 10 of the SFPC to provide a safe, continuous, and unobstructed path of travel from any point in a building or structure to the public way.

3. Section 702.2 Aisles. The required width of aisles shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code.

4. Section 702.3 Doors. Means of egress doors shall be maintained and to the extent required by the code in effect at the time of construction, shall be readily openable from the side from which egress is to be made without the need for keys, special knowledge, or effort.

5. Section 702.4 Emergency escape and rescue openings. Required emergency escape and rescue openings shall be maintained in accordance with the code in effect at the time of construction and to the extent required by the code in effect at the time of construction shall be operational from the inside of the room without the use of keys or tools. Bars, grilles, grates, or similar devices are permitted to be placed over emergency escape and rescue openings provided the minimum net clear opening size complies with the code that was in effect at the time of construction, and such devices shall be releasable or removable from the inside without the use of a key, tool, or force greater than that which is required for normal operation of the escape and rescue opening.

6. Section 703.3 Maintenance. The required fire-resistance rating of fire-resistance-rated construction, including walls, firestops, shaft enclosures, partitions, smoke barriers, floors, fire-resistive coatings and sprayed fire-resistant materials applied to structural members, and joint systems, shall be maintained. Such elements shall be visually inspected annually by the owner and maintained as constructed in accordance with the applicable building code. Records of inspections and repairs shall be maintained. Where concealed, such elements shall not be required to be visually inspected by the owner unless the concealed space is accessible by the removal or movement of a panel, access door, ceiling tile, or entry to the space.

7. Section 703.8 Opening protective closers. Where openings are required to be protected, opening protectives shall be maintained self-closing or automatic-closing by smoke detection.

8. Section 704.1 General. Systems, devices, and equipment to detect a fire, actuate an alarm, or suppress or control a fire or any combination thereof shall be maintained in an operable condition at all times.

9. Section 704.1.1 Maintenance. Fire protection systems shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code and the Statewide Fire Prevention Code.

10. Section 704.2 Records. Inspection, testing, and maintenance records shall be maintained in accordance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code.

11. Section 704.3 Systems out of service. Where a required fire protection system is taken out of service, it shall be taken out of service in accordance with the Statewide Fire Prevention Code, and the fire department and the fire code official shall be notified immediately.

12. Section 704.5 Fire department connection access. Ready access to fire department connections shall be maintained at all times.

13. Section 704.5.1 Clear space around connections. A working space of not less than 36 inches (914 mm) in width, 36 inches (914 mm) in depth, and 78 inches (1981 mm) in height shall be maintained in front of and to the sides of wall-mounted fire department connections and around the circumference of free-standing fire department connections.

14. Section 704.6 Single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms. Required or provided single-station and multiple-station smoke alarms shall be maintained in accordance with the applicable building code.

Statutory Authority

§ 36-98 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 18, eff. September 4, 2018; amended, Virginia Register Volume 37, Issue 14, eff. July 1, 2021; Volume 40, Issue 9, eff. January 18, 2024.

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