SMOKE DETECTORS
- Install one smoke detector in the basement and on each floor - Unfinished attics do not require a smoke
detector.
- Any floor containing a bedroom(s) must have a smoke detector placed within 10 feet of the outside or
exterior of the doorway to the bedroom - One detector can provide protection to multiple rooms as long
as the distance requirement is met. This detector(s) can also satisfy the floor requirement.
- Special Note: As of 1/1/19, any individual battery powered detectors MUST contain a 10-year sealed
lithium battery. If you have access to the battery, it is not a sealed unit.
- All smoke detectors are required to be less than 10 years old and must be ANSI/UL 217 listed.
HARD-WIRED SMOKE or SMOKE/CO DETECTORS
- Hard-wired individual smoke or combination smoke/CO detectors that are already installed will need
to be maintained as installed and cannot be removed/replaced with 10-year sealed battery detectors.
- All hard-wired and/or interconnected detectors are required to be less than 10 years old and
must be ANSI/UL 217 listed. If you have hard-wired smoke detectors, you cannot revert back to
battery operated detectors.
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) detectors must be located within 10 feet of the bedrooms (must be outside the
bedroom) - Though not required, we do recommend having Carbon Monoxide detectors on all floors
- All Carbon Monoxide detectors are required to be less than 10 years old and listed with UL-2034.
MONITORED ALARM SYSTEM
- Prior to the Home Fire Inspection being scheduled and performed, the Seller/Landlord will need to have
the fire alarm system tested/serviced.
- The Fire Prevention Bureau will need a report and/or letter from the fire alarm company stating that the
system has been tested/serviced.
- This same report will need to certify that the system detectors are less than 10 years old and in proper
operating condition. The alarm report will expedite inspection and make it considerably easier for the
Seller/Landlord. This alarm report will need to be available to the inspector on the day of the inspection.
The report can be sent ahead of time as well.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER- Residential Home Sale
- The fire extinguisher shall be a TYPE 2A:10BC rating, and weigh no more than 10lbs.
- The fire extinguisher shall be listed, labeled, charged, and operable.
- Shall be brand new with receipt or tagged by a licensed fire protection company within the last 12 months.
- At time of inspection, a fire extinguisher meeting the requirements of this section shall be present in the
main level of the home. Mounting hardware and manufacturer’s instructions shall be left for the new owner.
- Please note – a “Kitchen” extinguisher TYPE BC will not satisfy the code requirement.
FIRE EXTINGUISHER- Residential Rental Units
- The fire extinguisher shall be a TYPE 2A:10BC rating, and weigh no more than 10lbs.
- The fire extinguisher shall be listed, labeled, charged, and operable
- Shall be brand new with receipt or tagged by a licensed fire protection company within the last 12 months.
- The fire extinguisher is required to be MOUNTED and READILY ACCESSIBLE
- The extinguisher may be mounted inside a cabinet or closet, provided that any cabinet door or closet door
containing the extinguisher is labeled “Fire Extinguisher Inside.”
- The location is to be in, or within 10 feet of the kitchen.
- The location should be near a room exit or travel path that provides an escape route to the exterior.
- The required mounting height of the extinguisher is a minimum bottom height of 4" off the floor and a
maximum top height of 60" above the floor. (average adult chest height is recommended).
-The owner’s manual or manufacturer’s instructions shall be made available to the new occupant.
Please note – a “Kitchen” extinguisher TYPE BC will not satisfy the code requirement.
Secondary Power Source
- A structure used or intended for use for residential purposes by one or two households must have a label
installed within 18 inches of the main electrical panel and electrical meter warning of the dangers associated
with secondary power sources.
- A secondary power source may include permanently installed internal combustion generators, solar
panels, battery storage systems, or any other supplemental source of electrical energy to the primary power
supply.
- The label must be marked with the wording similar to “CAUTION: MULTIPLE SOURCES OF POWER”
and may not be handwritten. A label compliant with ANSI Z535.4 will meet the requirements of this law.