§ 9.52.200. Appendix D, Fire Apparatus Access Roads, adopted and amended.

International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Appendix D, Fire Apparatus Access Roads, is hereby adopted in its entirety with the following amendments:

9.52.200.1 Section D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D103.1 Access road width with a hydrant. Where a fire hydrant is located on a fire apparatus access road, the minimum road width shall be 28 feet (8534 mm). See Figure D103.1

9.52.200.2 Figure D103.1 Dead-End Fire Apparatus Access Road Turnaround, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Figure D103.1 Dead-End Fire Apparatus Access Road Turnaround, is hereby amended to be depicted as follows:

9.52.200.3 Section D103.2 Grade, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.2 Grade, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D103.2 Grade. Fire apparatus access roads shall not exceed 11 percent in grade.

Exception: Grades steeper than 11 percent as approved by the fire chief, but not to exceed 15 percent.

9.52.200.4 Section D103.4 Dead ends, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.4 Dead ends, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D103.4 Dead ends. Dead-end fire apparatus access roads in excess of 250 feet (76.2 m) shall be provided with width and turnaround-provisions in accordance with Table 103.4.

9.52.200.5 Table 103.4 Requirements For Dead-End Fire Apparatus Access Roads, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Table 103.4 Requirements For Dead-End Fire Apparatus Access Roads, is hereby amended to read as follows:

Length (feet)	Width (feet)	Turnarounds required
0—250	20	None required
251—300	20	60 feet "T cul-de-sac", 60 feet "Y" or 90 feet diameter cul-de-sac in accordance with Figure D103.1
301—600′ See Note 1	20	90 feet diameter cul-de-sac in accordance with Figure D103.1
Over 600′ See Note 1	Special approval required	Special approval required

 

Note 1 - Intermediate turnarounds will be required, spaced at a maximum distance of 600' apart.

9.52.200.6 Section D103.5 Fire apparatus access road gates, paragraph #1, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.5 Fire apparatus access road gates, paragraph #1 is hereby amended to read as follows:

 1. The minimum gate width shall be 20 feet or if a median or guard post are present, two adjacent gates shall be allowed, the minimum width of each adjacent gate shall not be less than 13 feet. The portion(s) reduced to 13 ft width shall not exceed 20 feet in length.

9.52.200.7 Section D103.6 Signs, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.6 Signs, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D103.6 Signs and markings. Where required by the fire code official, fire apparatus access roads shall be marked, at the expense of the owner, with permanent NO PARKING AT ANY TIME—FIRE LANE signs. Such signs shall be of standard size, color, lettering and mounting complying with El Paso City Code, Title 19, Subdivision Ordinance — Design Standards for Construction. Placement of fire lane signage shall meet the following:

 1. One sign shall be posted at each end of an official fire lane. Each sign shall have a single head arrow showing the appropriate direction of the fire lane.

 2. A fire lane longer than 100 ft. shall have intermediate signs posted at even intervals. Intermediate signs shall have a double headed arrow indicating the fire lane is continuous. The intermediate signs may be posted as necessary, but in no case shall the interval between fire lane signs be greater than 100 ft.

 3. The fire lane sign shall be securely fastened to a suitable pole or support with a minimum vertical clearance above the sidewalk of 7 ft.

 4. When poles are used to mount fire lane signs they shall be placed 2 ft. 6 in. behind the face of the curb. In accordance with the El Paso City Code, Title 12 — Vehicles and Traffic, no pole or obstruction may be placed within 5 ft. of a fire hydrant.

 5. Fire lane signs shall be posted parallel to the lane or curb to which they apply.

 6. When the distance between the curb and a building, light standard or other structure is 8 ft. or less, the fire lane signs may be posted on the face of the building, light standard or other structure. The bottom of the sign shall be located 7 ft. above the adjacent sidewalk. When required by the fire official, the owner shall also cause curbs or pavement to be painted red and be conspicuously and legibly marked with the warning "FIRE LANE—TOW AWAY ZONE" in white letters at least three inches tall, at intervals not exceeding 50 feet. It is unlawful for any person, without lawful authority, to remove any signs designating a fire lane. It shall be unlawful for any person to place, maintain or display any unauthorized fire lane, or use the color red for the marking of a no parking zone that purports to be, imitates or resembles official signage or marking of a fire lane.

9.52.200.8 Figure D103.6 Fire Lane Signs, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Figure D103.6 Fire Lane Signs, is hereby amended to read as follows:

9.52.200.9 Section D103.6.1 Roads 20 to 26 feet in width, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D013.6.1 Roads 20 to 26 feet in width, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D103.6.1 Roadways governed by Subdivision Ordinance. Signage and marking of fire apparatus access roads within subdivisions shall be as prescribed in the Subdivision Ordinance of the City of El Paso, Texas.

9.52.200.10 Section D103.6.2 Roads more than 26 feet in width, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D013.6.2 Roads more than 26 feet in width, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D103.6.2 Roads less than 28 feet in width. Fire apparatus access roads less than 28 feet wide (8.5 m) shall be posted on both sides as a fire lane.

9.52.200.11 Section D103.6.3 Roads more than 28 feet in width, added. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.6.3 Roads more than 28 feet in width, is hereby added to read as follows:

D103.6.3 Roads more than 28 feet in width. Fire apparatus access roads more than 28 feet wide (8.5 m) and less than 36 feet wide (11 m) shall be posted on one side of the road as a fire lane.

9.52.200.12 Section D103.6.4 Responsibility, added. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.6.4 Responsibility, is hereby added to read as follows:

D103.6.4 Responsibility. The owner or his representative of a building which is adjacent to the fire lane shall be responsible for maintaining the fire lane and ensuring that the fire lane free is clear of obstructions. It is unlawful to park any vehicle other than an authorized emergency vehicle in any fire lane. Unauthorized vehicles parked in designated fire lanes that block fire department or other emergency vehicle access may be towed to a designated storage facility by the authority of the fire code official.

9.52.200.13 Section D103.6.5 Records, added. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.6.5 Records, is hereby added to read as follows:

D103.6.5. Records. The official records of the designation and location of any such fire lanes shall be kept by the fire official. The fire official may require the property owner to submit site plans for determining and recording fire lanes on the property.

9.52.200.14 Section D103.7 Enforcement, added. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D103.7 Enforcement, is hereby added to read as follows:

D103.7 Enforcement The fire code official is empowered to enforce all fire lane violations when a designated fire lane is properly identified by signs, painted curbs, painted pavement, and or by combination thereof.

9.52.200.15 Section D107.1 One- or two-family dwelling residential developments, amended. International Fire Code, 2009 Edition, Section D107.1 One- or two-family dwelling residential developments, is hereby amended to read as follows:

D107.1 One- or two-family dwelling residential developments. Developments of one- or two-family dwellings where the number of dwelling units exceeds 130 shall be provided with separate and approved fire apparatus access roads, and shall meet the requirements of Section D104.3.

Exception:

 1. The number of dwelling units on a single fire apparatus access road shall not be increased unless fire apparatus access roads will connect with future developments, as determined by the code official.

(Ord. No. 17423, 9-21-2010, eff. 1-1-2011)