04_Fire Protection and Fire Alarm Narrative.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VA PROJECT NO. 589A7-21-132

ROBERT J. DOLE VAMC CENTRALIZED EMERGENCY POWER SYSTEM

WICHITA, KANSAS 100% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS: 03/18/2026

MILLER-REMICK LLC 4-1 CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

CHAPTER 4

FIRE PROTECTION AND FIRE ALARM

1. GENERAL

This project entails the construction of a new blast rated 16,000 SF utility building housing new emergency generators and associated systems.

2. SCOPE OF WORK

A. Fire Protection work to be added and/ or altered, in conjunction with engineering efforts:

1) New fire suppression system for the new building that will tie into the new fire alarm system.

2) New fire alarm system that will provide notification and initiation.

B. Applicable Codes and Standards:

• PG-18-10, Design Manuals: Fire Protection – 8th Edition, June 2021

• VA A/E Design Submission Requirements for Minot and NRM Construction Program – PG-18-15 Volume C, November 2008

• International Building Code – 2021

• NFPA 13, Standard for the Installation of Sprinkler Systems – 2022

• NFPA 25, Standard for the Inspection, Testing, and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems – 2023

• NFPA 37, Standard for the Installation and use of Stationary Combustion Engines

– 2021

• NFPA 70, National Electric Code – 2023

• NFPA 72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code – 2022

• NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems - 2024

• NFPA 101, Life Safety Code – 2021

• NFPA 110, Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems – 2022

• NFPA 241, Standard for Safeguarding Construction, Alteration, and Demolition Operations - 2022

3. FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM DESIGN APPROACH

A. The building will be provided throughout by a new automatic sprinkler system in accordance with NFPA13 and VAFPDM.

MILLER-REMICK LLC 4-2 CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

B. Adequacy of Water Supply

1) The building fire water supply is connected to an existing water system. The water system consists of existing fire water supply (pressure and flow) served from the existing fire water system.

2) Water Supply Information:

3) Static: 69 PSI

4) Residual: 63 PSI

5) Flow: 920 GPM

C. Capacity

1) The required fire flows and pressures for buildings provided with automatic sprinkler protection shall comply with NFPA 13 and other applicable NFPA standards. A minimum hose stream allowance for total combined inside and outside firefighting to be provided to comply with NFPA 13.

D. Duration

1) Fire flows shall be available as required by NFPA 13 for the required occupancy classification.

E. Automatic Sprinkler System

1) VA occupied buildings are required to have sprinkler protection. A dry pipe automatic sprinkler system in accordance with NFPA 13, except as indicated in the VA Fire Protection Design Manual, will be provided to protect all areas of the building.

2) Sprinkler protection shall be provided in all spaces including, but not limited to, elevator machine rooms, walk-in freezers and cold rooms, computer rooms, telephone switch rooms, radiology and MRI suites, loading docks, electrical rooms, plumbing or utility closets, audiometric booths, paint spray booths, dry type lint collectors, dust collectors, and generator rooms.

3) Sprinklers are not required where specifically exempted by NFPA 13 and the VA Fire Protection Design Manual.

4) A flow switch, isolation valve, tamper switch, and pressure gage shall be provided for each zone. System status will be annunciated on the fire alarm control panel with signaling to the fire alarm reporting system.

5) Drainpipes for each sprinkler riser and test connection shall be routed to the building exterior to facilitate testing. Drains shall not terminate at service sinks.

Drain piping shall be 2-inch minimum to accommodate discharge from full flow tests at maximum system pressure.

6) Sprinkler systems shall be hydraulically calculated by any design approach allowed by NFPA 13, except that the Special Design Approach shall not be used in health care. Pipe schedule systems may be used for extension of existing pipe schedule systems where the water supply is adequate. A safety factor of 10% for each sprinkler demand including required hose streams shall be included.

MILLER-REMICK LLC 4-3 CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

7) Sprinkler densities shall comply with NFPA 13, except in rooms containing moveable/mobile shelving (high density storage) where the density shall be Ordinary Hazard (Group 2).

(i) Light Hazard: 0.10 GPM per SF over 1500 SF with hose stream allowance of 100 GPM

(ii) Ordinary Hazard Group 1: 0.15 GPM per SF over 1500 SF with hose stream allowance of 250 GPM

(iii) Ordinary Hazard Group 2: 0.20 GPM per SF over 1500 SF with hose stream allowance of 250 GPM

(iv) Extra Hazard Group 1: 0.30 GPM per SF over 1500 SF with hose stream allowance of 500 GPM in accordance with NFPA 37.

8) Sprinklers in areas with acoustic tile ceilings shall be chrome plated, recessed heads with chrome plated steel escutcheons. Areas with exposed ceilings shall have corrosion-resistant upright or pendant heads. Sprinklers shall be ordinary temperature rated except in the following areas:

(i) Electrical room/Electrical Closets shall have quick response and intermediate temperature rated sprinklers.

(ii) Mechanical rooms shall have quick response and high temperature rated sprinklers.

(iii) Generator room shall have standard response and high temperature rated sprinklers.

9) Quick response sprinkler shall be installed in all areas, except where specifically prohibited or noted elsewhere in the VA Fire Protection Design Manual. Sprinklers shall be Factory Mutual (FM) approved as quick response except as identified below:

(i) Concealed sprinklers that are UL listed quick response and FM approved standard response are permitted in clean rooms provided that the rooms are not designed under negative pressure.

(ii) Concealed sprinklers that are UL Listed quick response and FM approved standard response may be used with the approval of the VHA Central Office Fire Protection Engineer.

(iii) FM approved standard response sprinklers shall be permitted where quick response sprinklers are prohibited.

10) New sprinkler piping shall meet the following requirements:

(i) Pipe sizes 2 inches and smaller – Schedule 40 Black Steel meeting ASTM A135 or A795 Type E Grade A specifications

(ii) Pipe Sizes 2 ½ inches and larger – Schedule 10 Black Steel meeting ASTM 135 or A795 Type E Grade A specifications.

MILLER-REMICK LLC 4-4 CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

4. FIRE ALARM SYSTEM DESIGN APPROACH

A. In general, the new addressable fire alarm system will follow basic requirements needed to support the new building.

B. Purpose

1) Notify the appropriate occupants and initiate the proper response from the occupants who are notified.

C. General Requirements

1) A fire alarm system is required by NFPA 101 and shall be designed to meet the requirements contained in NFPA 72 and the VA Fire Protection Design Manual.

The fire alarm system shall not be combined with any other system. All fire alarm wiring shall be installed in raceway separate from all other systems.

Initiating Device Circuits (IDC) shall be class B. Signaling Line Circuits (SLC) shall be Class B. Notification Appliance Circuits (NAC) shall be Class B.

Communication between building fire alarm control units shall be Class X.

D. Typical Operation

1) If the existing system is a voice (speaker) system, notification shall be by digital voice (speaker) system. The fire alarm system shall be designed such that it is possible to manually broadcast an emergency voice message within the building.

If the existing system is not a voice (speaker) system, notification shall not be required to be by digital voice system. This will be confirmed in the next submission.

Fire alarm zones shall be coordinated sprinkler zones.

Provide initiating devices in accordance with NFPA 101 and NFPA 72.

Placement and spacing of notification appliances shall be in accordance with NFPA 72 and shall be selected based on the purpose of the notification.

E. General Evacuation

1) Provide audible notification appliances to be heard in all locations throughout the building.

Provide visible notification appliances in all publicly accessible areas of the building such as corridors, auditoriums, cafeterias, open assembly rooms ≥750 SF, canteens, retail stores, etc. Flash rate shall not exceed one flash per second for visible appliances. Strobes that operate on adjacent zones on each floor shall be synchronized with one another as required by NFPA 72. Visible notification appliances are not required in the following spaces which are not considered to be public accessible:

(i) Individual office spaces unless the space is known to have a hearing-impaired person stationed there

(ii) Closets (janitors’ clothes, etc.)

(iii) Utility shafts

MILLER-REMICK LLC 4-5 CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

(iv) Crawl spaces

(v) Normally unoccupied rooms ≤100 SF

(vi) Normally unoccupied storage spaces where no regular activities take place other than placement and retrieval of storage

(vii) Stairway enclosures and elevators

(viii) Patient exam/treatment rooms

F. Special Requirements

1) Where smoke detectors are required, they shall be photoelectric type only.

Duct detectors are to be installed only where required by NFPA 101 or NFPA 90A.

Where a duct smoke detector is located above a ceiling or in a difficult to reach location, provide a remote indicating lamp and test key switch on nearby wall at 7-feet AFF to facilitate testing.

G. Carbon Monoxide Detection

1) Carbon monoxide detection shall be provided as required by NFPA 101.

MILLER-REMICK LLC 4-6 CHERRY HILL, NEW JERSEY

Page Intentionally Left Blank

CHAPTER 4